THE WALDORF APPROACH
Waldorf education values:
- family and community life
- a healthy unfolding of childhood
- joy in the learning process
- education focused on wholeness in body, soul, and spirit
- intellectual excellence, imagination, strong memory, and problem-solving skills
- viable alternatives to high-stakes testing
- age-appropriate use of media
- training of ethical and moral judgment
- beauty of the environment as a formative force in the child’s world
Every Waldorf school, each in its own way, seeks to meet these objectives.
Teachers in Waldorf schools are dedicated to generating an inner enthusiasm for learning within every child. They achieve this in a variety of ways. Even seemingly dry and academic subjects are presented in a pictorial and dynamic manner. This eliminates the need for competitive testing, academic placement, and behavioristic rewards to motivate learning. It allows motivation to arise from within and helps engender the capacity for joyful life-long learning.
One notable and unique aspect of Waldorf education is the alignment of the curriculum with the phases of child development and cognitive awakening. Related to this is the evolving social relationship between teacher and child through each of these various phases.
From: Windows into Waldorf
Written by: David Mitchell
Published by and available from: AWSNA Publications
