Messenger january 25, 2020 volume 32, issue 5 Experiencing the First Inside this Issue: Waldorf Teachers Course The First Teachers Course 1 As we enter 2020 and the second 100 years of Waldorf Education, we look back on an exceptional conference that took The Value of Form Drawing 4 place last summer in celebration of the Waldorf centenary. Held at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, the conference Waldorf Teacher Conferences 6 attracted teachers from all over the world, coming together to re- imagine and re-experience the series of lectures given by Rudolf Steiner to those brave Farm News 8 teachers about to open the doors at the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart in September 2019. Many of these would-be teachers had given up careers for the chance to work on Winter Faire Thanks! 10 this initiative, and didn’t even know if they would ‘make the cut’ to teach at the school. Here is our High School Math & Science Teacher, Beth Weisburn, writing about the Apprenticeship Week 11 significance and experience of the conference… Development Corner 12 Ninety-nine years ago, on December From later in the same lecture: 24, 1921, Rudolf Steiner spoke to an “We can educate to satisfy the necessities Parent Education Events 13 international group of teachers, as part of outer life, but such an education hinders of an educational conference organized man from becoming a free individuality.” Marketplace 14 by Profesor Millicent MacKenzie from England and held in Dornach. He said: And he finishes the lecture with: “Although one can see that mankind “Since teaching involves a relation has made tremendous strides between human beings, namely the Important Dates: forward through the development relation between teacher and pupil, Waldorf at Weill of intellectuality, when looking at it must be based on human nature. Wednesday, January 29, 6:30pm, contemporary education, one can also This can only be done out of a real at SSU Green Music Center find that if children are being educated knowledge of human nature.” only intellectually, their inborn PARENT EDUCATION EVENT True to his words, when preparing teachers capacities and their human potentials Crayon & Drawing Workshop for the opening of the first Waldorf school, become seriously impaired and wither Saturday, Feb 1, 10am-2pm Steiner had lectured each morning for 14 away.” days on the body, soul and spirit nature of Financial Assistance Deadlines the human being, today entitled The Study January 31: prospective 9th graders of Man. In the late mornings he gave a February 13: all other grades series of lectures called Practical Advice to switzerland , Teachers, and each afternoon he answered FEBRUARY BREAK: NO SCHOOL questions, which are recorded in a President’s Day AND goetheanum collection, Discussions with Teachers. The the Waldorf Teacher Conferences of lectures ended on a Saturday. Teachers Monday 17–Friday 21 February were assigned to classes on Sunday and courtesy school began on Monday. Eighth Grade Biography Night photos the great hall, goetheanum (Continued on Page Two) Wednesday, February 5, 6-7:30pm (Continued from Page One) colleen o’conners, a colleague from high mowing school in vermont, who also attended the Imagine the intensity of working three conference, has graciously shared her description of the gathering. sessions a day, for two weeks straight, to gain insight into the body, soul and The First Teachers Course spiritual nature of the human being knowing that you would have as many as The conference 60 children in front of you on Monday! is over… [but the] human What about curriculum and lesson plans? spiritual As a teacher, you would be standing activity, the up with only your life experience, your human feeling presence, and your understanding of the life, and the human being to undertake the task at human deeds hand. It must have been quite a moment. still resonate in the halls of the When I heard that the Pedagogical Section Goetheanum, members at the Goetheanum were planning and will radiate to revisit these 14 days in July 2019, in from there out honor of the 100th anniversary of Waldorf into the world (and not ‘just’ Education—I made it a priority to attend. the Waldorf- This possibility of deepening my perspective, the first and the last day, four days world) long after the summer sun were half-days allowing for rest, some together with other Waldorf teachers, descends from its zenith, through sightseeing, and much networking. seemed the best way to celebrate the the fiery justice of Michaelmas, to centennial. My enthusiasm grew as Kibby illuminate from within ‘the turning Each lecturer was tasked with MacKinnon mentioned that she was going. point of time’ at the nadir of the bringing a day of the first teachers northern hemisphere’s solar calendar. course alive: Foundations of Human Together we experienced this event with old What will reawaken come spring Experience, Practical Advice to friends and new teachers from around the depends on each and every one of us. Teachers, and Discussions with world. I am grateful for the wisdom of the Teachers once again presented as Approximately 300 participants from the original chronological unit. This plenary speakers, inspired by the courage of roughly 40 nations brought their intentionality has also resulted in a the teachers from countries such as India, languages, their cultures, their gifts, new, rather chunky, printed edition Peru, and China who are founding schools and their questions to Dornach. of all fourteen days that includes often with few resources, and encouraged From kindergarten teachers to the a large appendix with additional by the openness and warmth from young European Council lobbyist for Waldorf study material and facsimiles. At colleagues sharing their projects—such as a Education, an eclectic, vivacious, and the moment this is only available in striving group of individuals streamed peace song from a young man from Detroit. German, but the English translation into the Foundation Stone auditorium is nearly complete, and funds for a One hundred years later, Waldorf each morning to experience music Spanish translation are being sought. and/or eurythmy to begin our day. This education is still unique in its approach was followed by the morning lecture, The workgroups, loosely structured to working with the soul a coffee break, according to language (German, development, the thinking, the workgroups, English, Spanish), served to ‘digest’ the feeling and willing of the and the plenum. content of the most recently delivered children. We, as teachers, After a delicious lecture in a very free, interactive have the conceptual lunch courtesy of way. As one of our group’s three foundations to orient the ‘Speisehaus’ leaders, our challenge was, having just ‘received’ the lecture of the day our observations and our and a wonderfully long midday break, (or half-day), to quite spontaneously experiences of students. the pattern was create the vessel in such a way that Out of these relationships, repeated on five of best served the content of the lecture our own inner work and the nine days again and the group. With a lively mix of our collaboration with in the afternoon. artistic activities, partner and small- colleagues, we have the The ‘Brazilians’ group conversations, walks, quiet possibility to recognize enlivened the start reflective moments, and full group and practice new forms of of the afternoon by discussions we grew successively together as we strove to expand our Waldorf education. What a teaching us various cirandas. Including understanding of the human. challenge! 2 • messenger • jan 2020 • In the first half of the plenum, two groups were pre-selected to AWSNA Visits Summerfield ‘present’ something out of their workgroups. These presentations Last week Summerfield hosted the curriculum and programs we offer. also ‘grew’ in the course of the nine Association of Waldorf Schools of Summerfield is a school well known days, becoming a key part of the North America (AWSNA) for 5 days and respected around the country collegial digestion and integration during the annual meetings of their as an established and deep Waldorf processes. The second half of Executive Team, Leadership Council school, and we were proud to be able the plenum was held as a space and Board. While the small Executive to host these meetings here. for individual contributions and Team is based out of Longmont, CO, The Summerfield College of Teachers, questions, often gently directed by the Leadership Council and Board along with other Summerfield faculty an impulse idea or inquiry by Claus- members hail from Waldorf schools and admin staff, met with AWSNA, Peter Röh or Florian Osswald. all over the US, Mexico and Canada. In addition to the meetings within the Alliance and other Northern This ‘free-form’ conference was AWSNA, the organization also met California schools to discuss the work an experiment for all of us, and with their two sister organizations - of all Waldorf and Waldorf-inspired the Pedagogical Section and Waldorf Early Childhood Association schools to support each other and to conference planners demonstrated of North America, or WECAN, and the strengthen the Waldorf Education much needed courage of our Alliance for Public Waldorf Education, movement here in North America. times to allow space for collegial known as the Alliance. They discussed ways to clearly exchange within the framework of articulate the different strengths that the conference. Much in keeping For many of the 40 Waldorf teachers, an independent school or a charter with Steiner’s 1919 example, we admin, parents and former parents school has to offer students and didn’t just listen. We worked, spoke, who bring the work of the movement families. Stay tuned for the AWSNA moved, created, and attempted to out of the individual schools and newsletter in early Spring describing penetrate the indications given.