The Three-Day Rhythm

As we have described in Waldorf 101 there are many rhythms to Waldorf education that the teacher/parent must be aware of. We have already discussed the rhythm of breathing in and breathing out. We have also discussed the rhythm of balancing the head, heart and hands. Now we will discuss the rhythm of the main lesson block.

Why would I teach using the block method?

(Both our Planner Blocks and Subject Blocks both teach using the block method)

Teaching in main lesson blocks is one of the most successful features of Waldorf education, as it allows teachers to cover the curriculum intensively and for students to become immersed. I know from experience with myself, my students, and my children that immersion is the most effective way to learn many things. Learning in a block allows a student to open to a subject slowly and naturally understand, or to open to it quickly and fully experience the joy of becoming completely involved in something.

How do I take the content from a Subject Block and teach it?

You will plan your day by balancing the head, heart, and hands. For this reason, we usually do the main lesson block in the morning. In the Planner Blocks, we have done this for you. However, you can still benefit by reading the information below if you are using a Planner Block. The section below will help you understand how we planned your Planner Block day.

Morning (Head): Intellectual Work and Main Lesson

Middle of the Day (Heart): Form Drawing, Languages, Music, Plays

Later Part of the Day (Hands): Cooking, Free Play, Gardening, Crafts, Nature Walks.

You can rearrange these if you want. I usually like to start the day with “hands”.

What are the three parts of the main lesson?

The main lesson for a student in first through eighth grade is usually one hour for grades first through fourth and two hours for grades five through eight, but the main lesson can take less or more time depending on the student. This may seem like a long time for a grade school student, but it is divided into three parts.

Dividing it is very important to the lesson because each part addresses a different aspect of the student and often a different temperament as well. If you follow the 3-part process, you will find that your student feels more balanced in their learning process. You will also find that no matter what temperament your student is, they will be able to connect with the lesson on some level. This is why, although we divide the lessons into three parts, I do not designate a certain amount of time for each part. How much time I spend on each part will depend on the temperament of the student(s).

In a private or public-school situation where things need to be more structured and regular to fit within the school day and embrace multiple children, the suggested time is 20 minutes per part for students in first through fourth grade and 40 minutes per part for students in fifth through eighth grade.

Pre-Lesson
This should be the rhythmic part of the lesson where the student should participate in some kind of movement. Counting, memorizing math tables, walking while learning, repeating things, singing, speech exercises, poetry, and other such tasks are rhythmic. In the Living Lessons, you will see that the teacher usually starts each main lesson with a movement, verse, math practice, or all three just to get the student. We have provided this for you if you are using a Planner Block. In some, but not all cases, we provide resources for this within the set of Subject Blocks you ordered.

Part One – Usually* Day One
This should be the head-thinking part of the lesson (the head) where new material is presented to the student. This is usually when the teacher writes or draws on the board or tells a story. This part of the lesson has the intellectual content. This is what you will find in your Subject Block PDF. If you are using a Planner Block, you will find this content after the verses section, which is the pre-lesson part of the day.

Introducing new materials will look different depending on which subject you are teaching. In math or science blocks, this usually means drawing, using manipulatives, acting out math/science stories or actions, finding math/science concepts around the room or outside, building math/science concepts with blocks, or other hands-on experience related to the concept you are teaching. During this first part of the block, you are showing the student.

In language or history blocks, this usually means telling a story in a creative way or visiting a historical place and introducing the student(s) to the main idea of the language or history lesson.

In the case of form drawing, this usually means simply drawing the shape on the board and talking about how it is formed, acting out the shape, creating the shape in nature, or creating the shape in sand.

Part Two – Usually* Day Two

This will be the heart part of the lesson. After you present the content, you will take some time to ask the student questions and ask them to repeat back what you told them in the main lesson, to re-tell the story, or describe what the lesson is in their own words. Some students enjoy hearing the lesson again and acting it out with their body. They may even use costumes when acting the lesson out.

This is ideally done after the student has time to ‘sleep on’ the main lesson. Although these steps can be occasionally sped up, it is extremely important that the student have time to ‘sleep on’ as many lessons as possible. In both the Planner Blocks and Subject Blocks, we make suggestions about what you should ask the student or how they can review the lesson. The intention of this part of the main lesson is to allow the student to connect to the content with their heart.

Once again, this second day may look a bit differently depending on the subject you are teaching. In math, for example, this usually means introducing the lesson in a more formal way, such as discussing the ‘how’ or ‘why’ of the lesson from the day before or writing some of the math concepts on the board in a more formal way instead of just experiencing them or drawing them. This second day is also the perfect time to integrate math into another main lesson. So, if you are learning about Ancient India, this would be the day to bring in some math concepts the student has learned and talk about their history or how people use(d) them in real-life situations. In the Planner Blocks, we have done that for you. If you are using Subject Blocks, you can choose to expand your math lessons to include other topics or not. It is your choice.

Part Three – Usually* Day Three
This part is the hands (doing) part of the lesson where the student should be actively working on what they have learned. Most commonly, this part of the lesson will include a wet-on-wet watercolor, block crayon drawing, colored pencil drawing, writing in the Main Lesson Book, creating a clay sculpture, doing a science experiment, doing a math worksheet, or other hands-on task.

Usually* = You will usually split these parts across the three-day rhythm. However, if you include all the parts, you can speed up or slow down the process occasionally if needed.