Waldorf SchoolAler. Canillas. Cappal

Rudolf Steiner(1861-1925)

Austrian scientist and philosophical thinkerDeveloped his own form of spiritual science, called AnthroposophyFounded Waldorf Education

FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL

Emil Molt asked Steiner to establish a school for the children of the workers of his company.

Steiner agreed but set four conditions.That the school:

1. Be open to all children2. Be coeducational3. Be a unified twelve-year school

FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL

4. Will have minimum interference from the state or from economic sources and the teachers will have primary control of the school

Steiner trained teachers based on child development.

September 7, 1919: the “Independent Waldorf School“ (Die Freie Waldorfschule) opened.

Waldorf Education

• Vision: to educate human beings to create a just and peaceful society.

• Imaginary play is the most important “work” of the children.

• Comprehensive from preschool level through high school

Waldorf Education

1. Learning is balanced.Steiner believed in a unit of spirit,

soul, and body, and that good education restores the balance between feeling, thinking and willing.

Essential Phases of Child Development

• Early Childhood: IMITATIONo The young child mimics everything in the environment

uncritically-not only the sounds of speech, the gestures of people, but also the attitudes and values of parents and peers.

• Middle Childhood: IMAGINATIONo As the child moves through these years, the faculty for more

sequential and logical thought begins to unfold.• Adolescence: TRUTH, DISCRIMATION AND JUDGMENTo The child begins to experience his or her own thinking.

Waldorf Education

2. Art, music, and movement are integral to everything the child learns.

– Eurethmy– Knitting– Creation and illustration

of books– Roleplays

Waldorf Education

3. Learning environment bolsters the confidence of all children and builds on their innate curiosity.

Student progress is evaluated through compiling portfolios of the student’s work and the careful observations of the teacher throughout each day of each school year.

The classrooms, and even to some extent whole buildings were shaped and modeled by the teachers and the school community, to form a personalized space, aimed at reinforcing class identity and the teacher and class as a team

Recreates the home

Sample Waldorf classroom layout

Waldorf Education

4. So that learning in its fullest sense can occur, teachers are nurturers as well as instructors.

Goal: to acquire and build on an in-depth understanding of each child’s essential being and character, of his or her strengths and emotional needs.

Waldorf Education

5. Behavior is managed in a creative, non-coercive manner.

The curriculum itself supports constructive behavior because it has been designed to respond to the needs of children at each development stage.

Waldorf Education

6. Waldorf provides a framework that supports parents who desire to shield their children from the excessive stimulation and consumerism that characterize popular culture. Waldorf schools strongly discourage exposing children to television, videos, and computer games.

Sources• http://www.rudolfsteinerweb.com/Rudolf_Steiner_Biograp

hy.php• Follari, L.M. (2011). Foundations and best practices in early

childhood education: History, theories, and approaches to learning. 2nd edition. NJ: Pearson Education.

• Gordon, A.M. & Browne, K.W. (2007). Beginning essentials in early childhood education. Canada: Thomson Delmar Learning. Lucas, M.R. & Corpuz, B. (2007). Facilitating learning: A metacognitive process. Phil: Lorimar Publishing Inc.

• Ornstein, A.C., & Levine, D. U. (2003). Foundations of education. 8th edition. U.S.A.: Houghton Mifflin Company.