Waldorf education links

W aldorf education was conceived by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) as a means of cultural and spiritual renewal after the devastation of the First World War. Steiner believed that modern Western society had placed too much emphasis on external, materialistic values, at the expense of the imaginative, creative innermost spirit of the human being. The Waldorf curriculum draws upon the mythologies, legends and arts of the great civilizations through history to awaken the creative and emotional life within every child. Since Steiner emphasized the close relationship between children and the adults who are their mentors and models, a group of students stay together with their teacher each year from first through eighth grades, and teachers are trained to be unusually perceptive of children’s temperaments and learning styles.

Teaching methods are carefully designed to match the phases of psychological/spiritual development that Steiner identified; for example, since young children learn primarily through sensation, teachers pay close attention to the use of color, form, and music in the environment, and natural materials, such as wood, wool, and cotton, are always used rather than anything plastic or artificial. Early elementary children take in the world primarily through images and feelings, so for these ages Waldorf teachers recite vivid stories and present the curriculum poetically rather than through dry textbook facts. Young children learn through movement, imitation and play, so the teacher leads the class through numerous games, dances and exercises (such as counting or reciting poems while clapping or marching), and introduces them to a unique form of expressive movement, eurhythmy, that Steiner invented. At all stages, imagination and artistic expression are cultivated to the fullest extent possible.

Resources

Shane Alexander Blog

Graduating from the Toronto Waldorf School in 1996, Shane feels like the artistic teaching he gained from his six years at the school, have driven him to do what he loves the most in the creative fields. From broadcasting, to journalism, to graphic arts Shane has accomplished a whole lot in the past 13 years fueling his creative energy – mainly thanks to Waldorf education.

Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program

Waldorf education program based in Chicago, Illinois.

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

AWSNA provides leadership to schools by facilitating resources, networks, and research as they strive towards excellence and build healthy school communities. AWSNA initiates and maintains relationships with groups seeking revitalization of education for all children.

Waldorf Homeschoolers

Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training

Waldorf teacher training program based in the Bay Area. Offers a 3 year week-end program.

Centro Antroposofico de Mexico

Waldorf teacher education program based in Mexico.

Great Lakes Teacher Trainings

Great Lakes Teacher Training is a joint project of three established Waldorf schools in the Milwaukee area: Urban Waldorf, Tamarack Community School, and Prairie Hill Waldorf School.