By Liette Godin McKerras
Who Was He and What Did He Do?
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was a revolutionary Austrian philosopher and scientist. Shortly after the first World War he established the first Waldorf school with a goal of educating students to create a peaceful and just society. A progressive school, in that it differed from traditional schools of the time, it accepted students of all backgrounds, mixed girls and boys together in a self-governed school environment that catered to students from preschool to secondary school.
Theory Underpinning Waldorf Schools
Based on Steiner’s own theory of Anthroposophy, or wisdom of the human being, its foundational belief is that the students are creators of their own development, and this child-centered though teacher directed, holistic development of the head, hands and heart occurs over three stages. The first stage, known as the preparation for education stage, is aimed at new entrants up to age seven and moves away from academics to focus on imitation and imagination where play is the work of the child. Large portions of the day are allotted to play in an unstructured and uninterrupted way encouraging imagination, creativity, concentration, and curiosity. It is a stage that sparks wonder and interest in the world. The next stage from year seven to 14, is an introduction to education and uses integrated multisensorial lessons to imagine what it would feel like to experience what they are learning about. An emphasis on feeling, rather than thinking about, the content allows students to live the experience instead of merely remembering facts. The last stage at high school, has an intellectual focus that builds on abstract thinking, ethics and social responsibility while tackling complex and rigorous subjects with the help of specialist teachers. The three stages use multiple ways to present the content to the students through project-based themes that are revisited over the stages in order to build on prior knowledge as the student is developmentally ready. Waldorf schools are process-driven, not outcome or product driven so strive to build capacities rather than just skills. The goal of Waldorf schools is to create critical thinkers who not only have knowledge but know what to do with that knowledge. Students of Waldorf schools are prepared for life outside of education because they have learned how to think.
Setting the Scene of a Waldorf Classroom
Imagine a warm and inviting room decorated with natural fibers, handmade props and toys and walls displaying student artwork. Such classrooms exude a sense of community and care for nature and the environment. The minimalist, homelike classroom encourages a sense of calm and allows the imagination to flourish.
Children are taught by the same teacher from entrance to 14 years of age which allows formation of a strong relationship between the teacher, students, and parents. These teachers awaken a sense of wonder and awe in the children through songs, stories, and poems. In addition to the usual subjects of literacy and mathematics, you will see students learning two foreign languages, music, visual art and performing arts, plus practical skills like gardening, knitting and woodworking. What you will not see in a Waldorf classroom are textbooks, tests, and exams, though students will prep for university entrance exams at the end of high school.
Instead, students share their progress with their families through their main lesson book, which holds proof of learning, and through celebrations, performances or festivals that require the students to use their newly acquired knowledge for preparation. Technology is not introduced until high school as there is an emphasis on communication skill building that must be acquired before technology can be used as a tool.
Why Was Steiner Ahead of His Time?
When the first Waldorf school opened in 1919, the role of education was to prepare students to enter the workforce mostly as factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. Steiner, however, desired an education not only based on fact and skill acquisition, but one where students would know what to do with their new-found knowledge. Waldorf schools encourage thinking, communication, and collaboration. Although not all his ideas are without controversy, such as his ideas about re-incarnation and the evolution of humans through the races, many have appeared in mainstream schools in the last few decades. The following are just a few examples.
The first example points out that today, in a fast-paced world where we need to prepare students for jobs that do not yet exist, it is imperative that we prepare students who are able to think, have imagination and creative problem-solving skills and are able to collaborate and communicate with others. Waldorf schools claim that their students are prepared for future jobs due to experiential learning as by re-iterating acclaimed psychiatrist William Glasser’s beliefs that students retain 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see and 80% of what they experience. Project-based, experiential learning and the learning to learn principle of the New Zealand Curriculum also enables students to develop these skills.
The second example, waiting until age seven to learn to read and write seems quite late by today’s standards, however schools in Finland are proving that following the same belief that children should be allowed to be children, learning, and discovering through play until age seven is proving successful for them also.
Thirdly, the bond created between teacher, student and family was a novel concept in Industrial Revolution era hierarchical education. Today in New Zealand, as seen in the community engagement principle of the curriculum, educators know that relevant and meaningful teacher connections with students, whānau and the community are imperative for successful education.
A fourth example, the use of storytelling to teach lessons on morals has been shown to be very effective in Waldorf schools and has been used by Indigenous communities for generations. New Zealand mainstream schools have only recently realised how effective this can be for its students, especially Māori, some now using the storytelling practice of pūrākau as a positive behaviour change approach.
As a fifth example, educating the whole child was a major focus of Steiner’s vision and is now one of the four main principles of New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum Te Whariki. Another Steiner idea found in Te Whariki is the use of non-traditional evaluation techniques such as portfolios, observations and learning stories instead of deficit focused tests and other assessments. Such strength-based evaluation techniques promote positive learning environments and increase the self-esteem of students.
And lastly, Steiner’s advocacy for learning music, arts and foreign languages has only in the last few decades been shown to improve cognitive development. Schools would do well to ensure that these subjects are taught not just on their own but integrated across the curriculum. New Zealand’s refreshed curriculum, with its emphasis on honoring the Treaty of Waitangi through its commitment of biculturalism, should therefore have a positive effect on the cognitive development of children due to its expectation of students learning te reo Māori.
These examples of techniques used in mainstream schools today, influenced by strong research showing their success, suggest that Rudolf Steiner was indeed a man ahead of his time.
Liette Godin McKerras
is a psychologist in training.
She is a wife and a mum of 3
who keep her very busy. She is
a life-long learner who has an
addiction to travel and adventure.
This blog was created to fulfil course
requirements for a Master's degree.
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