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“Your Children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. They come through you, but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may house their bodies but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit. Not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. – Khalil Gibran
“Accept the children with reverence, educate them with love, send them forth in freedom.” So said Rudolf Steiner, the Founder of Waldorf Education. And indeed, his vision for schooling the whole child, and not just the mind, still stands today, 80 years after the first Waldorf school opened in Stuttgart, Germany.
Many speak highly of the Waldorf philosophy, but many others don’t really know what it is. Rudolf Steiner’s views on child development led him to create a system that was designed to teach at the most appropriate level for a child’s developmental stage. Rudolf Steiner believed in educating the mind and the soul. There is a stronger focus on the arts, such as music, drama, sewing, and painting; these skills are as essential to a complete life experience as academic subjects.
Waldorf schools offer programs from preschool through graduation and focus on balancing academics with the arts. For example, each day might begin with a math class, followed by learning music or a foreign language. These latter examples are referred to as classes that stimulate the child’s “heart” faculty (as opposed to the head). Academics and the arts often complement each other; for instance, studying a particular period of history might involve not only reading about the events but also writing and performing a play set in the era.
In the early years of schooling (especially first grade), teachers are the primary source of learning, not textbooks. Steiner believed that younger children learn primarily through imitation and that watching and working with a teacher, therefore, better facilitates the development of appropriate skills. In later years (high school), Waldorf schools share common traits with public ones; students are taught by specialists in each subject, and take courses that will lead to college acceptance, etc. However, Waldorf schools also foster a hunger for and love of learning: students are exposed to the philosophies of people such as Socrates, and learn about the positive impact a person can have on human history. The arts continue to play an important role, and even if students don’t show exceptional talent in a field, they are still encouraged to create, whether through playing a musical instrument or weaving a shawl. Students discover they can learn new skills, even in areas that might seem challenging to master.
Waldorf schools also do not focus on competition with others; grades and competitive sports are de-emphasized, for example. The philosophy of this school seems not only to embrace lifelong learning but also to hold that all this learning is done for oneself; Steiner’s vision of educating the “whole” child is indeed realized in these schools.
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Waldorf Philosophy Video
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Interview with Waldorf teacher, Diane PowerMore Waldorf Philosophy Articles & Lessons
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