Let’s talk all things first grade! In Waldorf education, there is so much emphasis placed on the transition from kindergarten to first grade, and in many ways, it’s for good reason! The child is ready to transition into the grades, and with that comes a need to approach things a little differently:
First grade is such a sweet, memorable year. It’s the bridge between the kindergarten and elementary years. Like the kindergarten child, the first grader still thrives on days full of play, connection, and rhythm. (For more on supporting these needs, see this post on How to Teach Kindergarten ). Yo
Waldorf physics and meteorology in the 8th grade. Every year I'm surprised by how much I love the sciences. This year will be no different!
On Day One of lectures to the first Waldorf teachers, Rudolf Steiner outlines the Waldorf story content for each grade. Here's the list for homeschoolers.
Things change and adjustments are made. Moving in and of itself is an adjustment to make. A transition that some children (and adults!) handle better than others. The move, away from family, to a c…
Journal for Waldorf / Rudolf Steiner Education Vol. 13.2 Nov 2011
Now that 8th grade graduation is behind me, I’m starting to get all geared up for 1st grade. I’ve got just 3 weeks before my family and I head off for our big summer trip, so I’m wasting no time getting going on my summer prep. Years ago a former colleague of mine put together […]
I’m so excited to release my first 8th grade curriculum guide. It’s a unit on the dynamics of air and water —Waldorf 8th grade physics and meteorology. My students and I had such a great time with this block. There was water squirting everywhere! Just the thing to liven up a bunch of adolescents! This […]
I found a very interesting blog with a wonderful teacher who is very artistic.....my favorite type of teacher! Check him out! You should also check out his wife's blog...she is a handwork teacher. http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2010/02/divine-proportion.html
Are you homeschooling middle school? Many ask what we are using for the 8th grade curriculum. Sharing our homeschool picks for my son this year!!
Are you looking for resources for Waldorf homeschooling? This extensive list includes curriculum, supplies, organizations, and favorite book titles. A comprehensive list of over 50 resources put together by Jean, a mother of three and longtime Waldorf homeschooler.
intersection of physiology and physics a visit to Benner Creek near Chester, CA When I had studied the human body in medical school, we spent much time naming every single bone, muscle, and organ in the body, we diagrammed metabolic processes, and we learned about disease and pharmacological treatments. Along with studies of the biological sciences as an undergrad at UC Davis, I came away with knowledge of other life forms as lesser species. It seemed that in our efforts in learning more about ourselves and our world, we are actually creating a widening rift between us and everything else. They are unicellular, we are multicellular with specialized cells. Their behavior is only instinct, while our cortical functions help us think things through. This is air, water, and fire, we are humans who can control the elements. Rarely in our academic studies in the sciences do we appreciate the relationships of us and the universe. Rarely are we given entrance into modes of thought that are more enlightened. It is no wonder that many systems today (economic, healthcare, environmental, government) are deteriorating. We are in need of new paradigms of thought that will lead to new ways to be responsibly and joyfully active in our work on this earth. A physics block with the serendipitous addition of some physiology for grade eight at East Bay Waldorf gave me a new paradigm of thought. It not only gave me that good teachery feeling of bringing something special to the students, but it gave me that awesome feeling of an aha moment! In physics with grade eight, we had been talking about heat, light, water, air, and electromagnetism. They can be regarded as the fundamental elements of fire, earth, water, and air. These elements are omnipresent around us, carefully balanced in nature. In terms of their movement and the way we experience them, they exist as a physical presence through flow and force. Flow and force. Like the yin and yang, flow and force is like male and female, death and birth, night and day. Equal and synergistic, like a magnetic field. The elements surge with power and grace, with strength and restraint, with awe and subtlety. We appreciate and interact with the elements everyday. The heat of the sun on bare skin, the crunch of river rock during a stroll along the river, water on the fingertips, a breeze to cool the nape of your neck. And as humans of high cortical function, we even go a step further and try to control the elements. In our study of physics, we gained knowledge of elemental properties, and often this knowledge allows us to control them for human use. The convection of air conditioning systems, refraction of light for corrective lenses, hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, and mag lev trains. I will not argue that our technology serves us and the world in some fantastic ways. But let's view the elements from a different light. In thinking of the elements (the physics) through the human body (the physiology), we discover a much deeper relationship with the elements. Charles Kovacs, in his book Muscles and Bones, touches on this relationship. And forgive me for this non-Waldorfy reference: Yoda, the Jedi Master, also shares this view. The force and flow of the elements are not only outside of us, and they are also more than something we can manipulate, they are within us. We are the elements. The fire element, the Sun, the magma that flows within the earth's core, is present in us. To maintain optimum metabolism, our bodies stay heated at 98.6 degrees F, and many chemical reactions in our bodies need heat and produce heat. We have a heat body. The water element, the oceans, the polar ice caps, Mars with its frozen tundra, is present in us. We are essentially water, as our bodies are about 70 % water and share the same density as water. We have a water body. The air element, the earth's atmosphere, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, is present in us. With every breath we take, air flows through our lungs and our blood, and every cell of our bodies. Our bones, as strong as they are, have air pockets. We have an air body. The earth element, stones, seashells, minerals, magnetic fields, bones and nerves, is in us. Like the electromagnetic force of the universe, our nervous system is powered by the flow of electricity and ions. Like the minerals of the earth, our bones are as tough and seemingly inert, the solid material of our bodies. We have an earth body. In this perspective, with humility, we are of the elements, without which, the human organism would not exist. We are one with the universe in this regard. The flow and the force of the elements surge within us. The new paradigm of thought that may allow us to live in harmony with our earth is to know that nurturing earth is the same as nurturing humankind. As we proceed with our human needs, we must encompass the needs of the earth. Physiology and physics must be studied and applied together. Thinking, feeling, and doing for us. Us, as in all things.
intersection of physiology and physics a visit to Benner Creek near Chester, CA When I had studied the human body in medical school, we spent much time naming every single bone, muscle, and organ in the body, we diagrammed metabolic processes, and we learned about disease and pharmacological treatments. Along with studies of the biological sciences as an undergrad at UC Davis, I came away with knowledge of other life forms as lesser species. It seemed that in our efforts in learning more about ourselves and our world, we are actually creating a widening rift between us and everything else. They are unicellular, we are multicellular with specialized cells. Their behavior is only instinct, while our cortical functions help us think things through. This is air, water, and fire, we are humans who can control the elements. Rarely in our academic studies in the sciences do we appreciate the relationships of us and the universe. Rarely are we given entrance into modes of thought that are more enlightened. It is no wonder that many systems today (economic, healthcare, environmental, government) are deteriorating. We are in need of new paradigms of thought that will lead to new ways to be responsibly and joyfully active in our work on this earth. A physics block with the serendipitous addition of some physiology for grade eight at East Bay Waldorf gave me a new paradigm of thought. It not only gave me that good teachery feeling of bringing something special to the students, but it gave me that awesome feeling of an aha moment! In physics with grade eight, we had been talking about heat, light, water, air, and electromagnetism. They can be regarded as the fundamental elements of fire, earth, water, and air. These elements are omnipresent around us, carefully balanced in nature. In terms of their movement and the way we experience them, they exist as a physical presence through flow and force. Flow and force. Like the yin and yang, flow and force is like male and female, death and birth, night and day. Equal and synergistic, like a magnetic field. The elements surge with power and grace, with strength and restraint, with awe and subtlety. We appreciate and interact with the elements everyday. The heat of the sun on bare skin, the crunch of river rock during a stroll along the river, water on the fingertips, a breeze to cool the nape of your neck. And as humans of high cortical function, we even go a step further and try to control the elements. In our study of physics, we gained knowledge of elemental properties, and often this knowledge allows us to control them for human use. The convection of air conditioning systems, refraction of light for corrective lenses, hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, and mag lev trains. I will not argue that our technology serves us and the world in some fantastic ways. But let's view the elements from a different light. In thinking of the elements (the physics) through the human body (the physiology), we discover a much deeper relationship with the elements. Charles Kovacs, in his book Muscles and Bones, touches on this relationship. And forgive me for this non-Waldorfy reference: Yoda, the Jedi Master, also shares this view. The force and flow of the elements are not only outside of us, and they are also more than something we can manipulate, they are within us. We are the elements. The fire element, the Sun, the magma that flows within the earth's core, is present in us. To maintain optimum metabolism, our bodies stay heated at 98.6 degrees F, and many chemical reactions in our bodies need heat and produce heat. We have a heat body. The water element, the oceans, the polar ice caps, Mars with its frozen tundra, is present in us. We are essentially water, as our bodies are about 70 % water and share the same density as water. We have a water body. The air element, the earth's atmosphere, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, is present in us. With every breath we take, air flows through our lungs and our blood, and every cell of our bodies. Our bones, as strong as they are, have air pockets. We have an air body. The earth element, stones, seashells, minerals, magnetic fields, bones and nerves, is in us. Like the electromagnetic force of the universe, our nervous system is powered by the flow of electricity and ions. Like the minerals of the earth, our bones are as tough and seemingly inert, the solid material of our bodies. We have an earth body. In this perspective, with humility, we are of the elements, without which, the human organism would not exist. We are one with the universe in this regard. The flow and the force of the elements surge within us. The new paradigm of thought that may allow us to live in harmony with our earth is to know that nurturing earth is the same as nurturing humankind. As we proceed with our human needs, we must encompass the needs of the earth. Physiology and physics must be studied and applied together. Thinking, feeling, and doing for us. Us, as in all things.
I can’t quite believe our magical first grade year has come to a close. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed teaching Waldorf first grade. Over the course of the past few weeks, the first graders and I have gradually prepared ourselves for second grade. We’ve moved into our new classroom, we stitched […]
The 8th graders and I have moved on from our long (but super-fun) physics and meteorology block (click here if you want to read my outline for that block) and we’ve jumped into history. I think I love Waldorf history more than any other aspect of the curriculum. My experience is that every step of […]
Our magical first grade year has come to a close and there are a few things I learned this year. Things Mentioned in this Episode My Patreon page My blog The curriculum and teaching guides on my blog A blog post about this topic. Responsive Classroom’s The First Six Weeks of School Teaching Children to […]
The 8th graders and I have moved on from our long (but super-fun) physics and meteorology block (click here if you want to read my outline for that block) and we’ve jumped into history. I think I love Waldorf history more than any other aspect of the curriculum. My experience is that every step of […]
“No Child Left Behind” has solidified the ranks of those who believe that high-stakes testing is the only way to advance education. We examine the innovative Waldorf approach to assessm…
Main lesson books are where children record their learning. In the Waldorf approach, children create their own book of what they learn during each 3 to 6 week main lesson block. Check out how to make a main lesson book here. #waldorfhomeschooling #mainlessonbooks #mainlessonblocks
Keeping our children warm during the colder months is essential not only to their overall health but to their physical, emotional and cognitive development.
How do we keep children engaged in learning history? Here is a summary of Steiner's views on teaching history.
Organic chemistry is frequently a favorite part of the 8th grade Waldorf curriculum. The block is rich with hands-on experiments - this includes cooking and many other activities that involve consumable products.
Waldorf Classroom Photos | I put a couple of hours in at school today, just sprucing up a little bit. I’m just about done with my room.
These were sculpted as part of the 8th grade history curriculum, which centers on revolutions.
grade eight physics Grade eight at East Bay Waldorf completed their second week of physics, where we studied pathways of light and sight. T...
form drawing, 2 week block august 24/september 3rd resources: main lessons: Form Drawing for Grades 1-4, Ernst Schuberth & Laura Embry-Stine (i used some of the basic grade one forms and created a 'container story' for this first block) monday, august 24th: main lesson: tell story part 1, explore form Crenelated Running Form *for grade one the forms are simple & used to help the child get ready for writing. our basement is concrete & so perfect for drawing the forms large in sidewalk chalk. we also draw them smaller & trace them with both hands & both feet & we trace them on each other's backs. sometimes we make lacing cards & sew the forms on using yarn. in the past we've also done prints with potatoes, painted the forms, used sticks to mark them out...drawing them in sand on a baking sheet is a good one as well. form drawing story, part #1: once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a king and a queen. the king & queen lived in a grand castle with servants to care for their every need, and noblemen to see to their every hearts desire. and yet, they were not happy, something was missing...a child. then one day the queen was blessed, and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. this child would one day grow up to be queen. the king & queen were so excited about the princess's birth that they decided to throw a magnificent ball to celebrate. they invited the entire kingdom. when everything was ready for the celebration, the king climbed up to the steep steps, to the very tallest tower and looked out between the parapets. he leaned against those great stone walls, watching as the guests arrived in their finest clothes. lesson b: nature study challenge #1Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock & http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2008/02/green-hour-challenge-1-lets-get-started.html tuesday, august 25th main lesson: recall story, part #1 tell story part #2, explore form Straight Line Symmetry form drawing story, part #2: on the outskirts of the kingdom, in the dark forest, there lived an evil witch who was not at all pleased with the princess's birth. she wanted to be queen! and so, she disguised herself as on of the queen's servants and attended the grand ball. when the queen went to lay her daughter down for bed that night, the witch followed her. she was careful to hide in the shadows so that no one would see her. and once the queen had gone back to join the celebration-- the evil witch snuck into the princess's nursery & stole her away. she took the princess to a cave far, far away from the kingdom-- a cave guarded be a dragon...a cave where no one would ever find her. the king & queen, and everyone else in the kingdom were greatly saddened by this princess's disappearance. they vowed never to stop looking until she was found. the king sent for his three best knights, three brothers. if anyone could find the princess, it would be them. lesson b: handwork, exploring where wool comes from (as as introduction to knitting) read One Little Lamb by Elaine Greenstein *with waldorf everything is taught from the whole to its parts. so, normally you would begin with visiting sheep on a farm or at least at a petting zoo, and then follow it up with washing a fleece. but as i work with loads of wool, the boys have been exposed to this since they were little. i have no raw fleece on hand, and we have neighbors with sheep, so we see them on (almost) daily basis. aydin has been asking to try his hand at needle felting & so we needle felted sheep & a little patch of field for them to graze. wednesday, august, 26th main lesson: recall story, part #2 tell story part #3, explore form (will add photo later) form drawing story, part #3: the three knights were eager to be of service, to find the princess and to bring her home safely. they searched for clues all over the castle and soon realized how things had come to pass. they knew that the evil witch had kidnapped the princess out of jealousy. the king & queen gave the brave knights everything they needed for their quest. it would be a very long and treacherous journey, but the knights were courageous and honorable. they promised to rescue the princess. and with that, their journey began. they headed first towards the black sea. there were caves there guarded by creatures of the deep. lesson b: baking, clover leaf rolls (or joy of cooking, p. 610) thursday, august 27th main lesson: recall story part #3. tell story part #4, explore form (will add photo later) form drawing story, part #4: but there was no sign of the prince or the dark witch. so they rode on, towards the steep cliffs, and the misty mountains. they climbed up to the tallest peaks, searching everywhere along the way. they nearly perished a good many times, losing their footing on the crumbly mountainside. the mountain sides were quite steep and had no paths for the knights to follow aside form those made by the sheep & goats that grazed there. once they were sure that no nook or cranny had been overlooked, they headed towards the valleys in the east. we have been having a lot of rain this week. so after practicing our forms in the basement, we opted for watercolors rainbows to add a splash of colors to our day in lieu of a painting as our final form. lesson b: handwork, more exploration with wool read Pelle's New Suit by Elsa Beskow card fleece with carding combs, try hand at spinning the carded wool into yarn via a drop spindle
Where we share resources about all things related to Waldorf Homeschool and Education.
In this lecture to the first Waldorf teachers, Steiner focuses on the twelve senses, grouped into Thinking, Feeling, and Willing.
