CONTENTS
- Independent
versus publicly funded Waldorf
schools
- U.S. public
Waldorf-methods charter
schools
- What are
Waldorf methods?
- Summary
- Additional
information
- Articles on
U.S. public Waldorf-methods
schools
- Waldorf-methods
training
- Public
Waldorf-methods schools in North
America
Independent
Waldorf schools versus publicly funded Waldorf methods schools
Waldorf
education began in 1919 with the founding of an independent
school
in Stuttgart, Germany. Since then most Waldorf schools are likewise
independent
and non-profit institutions which operate almost exclusively from
student
tuitions and from donations. However, in the past decades in a number
of
countries, public (government) funding has become available to these
independent
Waldorf schools. This trend has been most prominent in different
European
countries, for example, in the Netherlands, Sweden and
Germany.
Rudolf
Steiner was concerned such government funding might produce
conflicts
with the ideal that Waldorf schools, that is, the teachers and
administrators,
be free to work out of their understanding of the spiritual nature of
the
developing child. Numerous pressures to conform to the requirements of
the State might come with government funding, which would restrict or
even
eliminate that freedom. In some cases, Steiner's concerns were correct:
Waldorf schools which receive government funding in some countries are
under continual pressure to conform to government standards for
curriculum,
testing, assessment, and so on.
In the United
States, the situation is somewhat
different. The Association
of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), which serves
independent
Waldorf schools in North America, recognizes that a public school
(funded
with tax dollars) could never be a bona fide Waldorf school, because
its
teachers and administrators would not have the freedom to work out of
the
view of the spiritual nature of the human being that is the essence of
Waldorf education. However, the use of the forms and methods of Waldorf
education which are derived from these insights could be applied in
many
different settings:
"[AWSNA]
is an association of independent
schools working out of the pedagogical indications of Rudolf Steiner.
Waldorf
Education is devoted to contributing to spiritual, social, and economic
renewal. It should be understood by any school or institution seeking
affiliation
with AWSNA that Waldorf Education is based on Anthroposophy, the
philosophy
initiated by Rudolf Steiner.
"It
is our belief that Waldorf methods can be
applied in many different classroom settings. However, Waldorf
education
is only possible if its practitioners and administrators are free to
work
out of a clear recognition of and commitment to the development of the
spiritual nature of the human being."
Rudolf Steiner agreed
that the methods of Waldorf
education could be used in any school but stressed that independent
Waldorf
schools should serve as models for how fruitful
these methods are.
U.S.
public Waldorf-methods charter schools
In
the 1990s, a number of States in
the U.S. adopted charter
school programs whereby an independent group of
parents and administrators
may set up a publicly funded charter school which would have a certain
degree of independence in terms of setting curriculum and educational
philosophy.
As a result, a number of Waldorf-oriented charter school programs have
been established in the U.S.
These schools
are charter public schools under
the jurisdiction of a public school district and school board and must
meet the criteria set by the district and State to operate.
Furthermore,
these Waldorf-oriented charter schools adopt the methods and forms of
independent
Waldorf schools. They are usually called “Waldorf-methods” schools or
“Waldorf-inspired”
schools. Typically a Waldorf-methods charter school retains certain
aspects,
such as the form of the Main Lesson block, the fact that the teacher
follows
the class from Grade 1 through 8, the use of the arts throughout the
curriculum,
and so on, but the curriculum and content are typically adjusted and
the
training of teachers is specifically oriented to public Waldorf-methods
teachers.
Today there are
at least 30 publicly funded schools
in North America, from Alaska to Wisconsin, using Waldorf methods or
Waldorf
“inspiration” and serving perhaps 5,000 to 6,000 students. See here
for a list.
What
are Waldorf methods?
The
methods of a Waldorf school derive
from a pedagogical model that recognizes the specific developmental
stages
of the child. The Waldorf philosophy views education as an art, so each
subject, be it arithmetic, biology or English, is presented in a living
way that speaks to the child's developmental stage. Each subject is
presented
through direct experience and is usually augmented with art, poetry,
music,
drama and movement. The teacher’s aim is to draw out the children’s
inherent
capacities by creating an atmosphere in the classroom that fills the
children
with interest, wonder and enthusiasm.
The morning Main
Lesson immerses the students in
a particular academic subject of the curriculum, over three or four
weeks,
and each child produces a beautifully written and illustrated Main
Lesson
book for each subject. The class teacher works with each child through
an eight-year relationship, where the teacher is able to draw out the
child’s
strengths and focus more consistently and intensively on the weaker
areas.
The Waldorf-methods teacher will adjust the pedagogical approach year
to
year, to best address the way children learn at the different
developmental
stages.
Additional
subjects augment the Main Lessons: a
Waldorf-methods school will typically include handwork classes,
woodworking
and other “practical arts”, music classes, two foreign languages and
eurythmy
(movement) classes, in addition to physical education and on-going math
and English classes.
Waldorf-methods
teachers are Waldorf-trained or,
if not, are sufficiently knowledgeable of Steiner's model of child
development
that they can successfully work within the curriculum. There are courses
offered by Rudolf
Steiner College in California which are specifically oriented
to public
Waldorf-methods teachers, and in-depth courses in Waldorf education are
also available at a number of Waldorf
teacher education centers.
With the Waldorf
method of instruction, the class
teacher involves the children in the subject through presentation,
story
telling, writing, reading, recitation, dramatic acting, painting,
drawing,
and movement. The teacher follows a rhythm, day to day, which begins
with
a review of the previous day’s material, further development of the
subject
matter and then introduction of new material. Day by day throughout the
block, the teacher builds up the subject matter and the students build
up their Main Lesson books. The involvement of the students in the Main
Lesson promotes and develops active listening, imagination, memory and
verbal skills.
The
Waldorf-methods curriculum follows the general
outline of an independent Waldorf school. Writing is taught before
reading
and is experienced at first through stories and pictures. Nature
stories
are introduced in the early grades and develop in the later grades into
more advanced investigations of zoology, geology, space science,
botany,
chemistry, physics, physiology, and anatomy. Math and English are
taught
in an imaginative way similar to independent Waldorf schools. The
specific
songs, stories, poems, and so on which the teacher brings to her class
may differ somewhat in a Waldorf-methods school.
Summary
A
public Waldorf-methods or Waldorf-inspired
charter school typically takes the forms and methods which distinguish
independent Waldorf schools and adapts them to the public school
environment.
The curriculum and content are usually adjusted, but the methods of
teaching,
such as the Main Lesson, the daily and weekly rhythms, the integration
of artistic activity into every subject area, the inclusion of the fine
arts, the performing arts and the “practical arts”, the inclusion of
foreign
languages and movement, and the class teacher from Grade 1 to 8, are
all
used.
In contrast, in
an independent Waldorf school,
teachers are trained not only in the methods of the curriculum, but are
also trained in and work directly out of the philosophy that motivated
the curriculum and methods.
Waldorf-methods
instruction is a compromise which,
in the view of many independent Waldorf teachers, gives up too much. An
outcomes-based approach to education, measured by testing against
government
standards, results in a competitive atmosphere in the classroom and
significantly
restricts the teacher's freedom to formulate the curriculum and content
for her specific students. An independent teacher working out of the
Waldorf
philosophy provides a moral education which is strengthened by the
teacher's
commitment to self-development. Whereas public education is currently
committed
to "values-free" or "values neutral" education, the independent Waldorf
teacher strives to develop individual integrity in each student.
In light of
these differences, U.S. public schools
using Waldorf methods are not Waldorf schools. Even so, they provide a
meaningful education to many children.
Additional
information
For
another description of Waldorf
methods: What
is a Waldorf Methods Education?
Articles
on U.S. public Waldorf-methods schools
Schooled
in Spirituality by Chrisanne Beckner
Schooling
the Imagination by Todd Oppenheimer
Waldorf-methods
training
For
workshops on how the Waldorf approach
can be applied in the public school classroom, see Public
School Institute at Rudolf
Steiner College.
Courses
Public
Waldorf-methods schools in North America
UNITED
STATES - Alliance for Public Waldorf Education list of member schools
CANADA
Ontario
- Toronto
ON – Da Vinci School
- Vanier
ON - �cole �l�mentaire publique Trille des Bois
Quebec
- Victoriaville
QC - �cole communautaire l'Eau Vive
- Waterville
QC - �cole des Enfants-de-la-Terre
If you have
suggestions for corrections or additions
to this list, please contact us.
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2005-2019: Robert Mays and Sune Nordwall.
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