Alison and I met at the Steiner Cafe last week after a break for the holidays. And today, we invite you to join us for Day Seven from Discussions with Teachers which begins with a speech exercise. Steiner…
Many Waldorf homeschoolers express their difficulty or even discomfort with what is known as the Man and Animal block traditionally presented in fourth grade. I have had a hard time myself with some of the concepts some…
Day Seven in Steiner’s teacher training is really all about middle age. A time of soul development. “If you observe a newborn child…you will get a picture of the human body. However, you will have a complete…
This lively discussion on Day Six of Steiner’s lectures to the first Waldorf teachers is about reading stories to children. And it integrates fully with what I believe about learning! My partner here, Alison, agrees wholeheartedly. This…
Rudolf Steiner tells the teachers in training on Day Six (August 27, 1919) that they will not only be teachers in the new school but also advocates for Waldorf education. He highlights this: “inward is the path.”…
Why do I love reading Steiner’s lectures to teachers? Because Rudolf Steiner had keen insights into human nature. And when applied to teaching children, I’ve seen his ideas hit home time and time again. Steiner’s insights ring…
I’m just home from this year’s Taproot Teacher Training, and what a weekend! My word to describe the group this year is “warmth.” There was just such warmth and support among this group of twenty seven caring…
I’ve been feeling a bit untethered lately because I am so scattered. This always happens to me mid-summer! So I’ve decided to own it, and speak it out loud. Waldorf homeschool planning and organizing often makes things…
Steiner discusses all three of these topics on Day Five in his Discussions with Teachers: speech, temperaments, and misbehavior. We want to “cultivate clear articulation” through constant practice to make our speech organs flexible. Rudolf Steiner asks…
Practical Advice to Teachers is a collection of Rudolf Steiner’s midday lectures to the first Waldorf teachers. And it is full of practical advice on drawing, writing, and reading in the Waldorf approach. On day five of…