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Waldorf News

How US students get a university degree for free in Germany

December 11, 2016

While the cost of college education in the US has reached record highs, Germany has abandoned tuition fees altogether for German and international students alike. An increasing number of Americans are taking advantage and saving tens of thousands of dollars to get their degrees. More »

Reflections on our Waldorf Math Research Colloquium in NYC

December 5, 2016

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending of a Waldorf math research colloquium in New York City with 17 colleagues. We shared math puzzles, did some geometry together, and had many fruitful discussions. I was encouraged by the quality of mathematics teaching that appears to be happening in many of our Waldorf schools, and struck by how different our methods and teaching styles are. As my professional life transitions from full-time high school math teacher to that of a traveling math missionary, I spend a good deal of time thinking about what the greatest challenges are that our Waldorf schools are facing. In respect to the teaching of math, the schools that I visit are often concerned about two things: (1) How can we ensure that, once they leave our school, our students will be adequately prepared for what faces them?; (2) With the apparent rise in the number of students with learning challenges, how can we manage to teach the full spectrum of students in our classes? More »

International art contests in Italy open to Waldorf students worldwide

November 29, 2016

International art contests in Italy open to Waldorf students world. Two new contests in mosaics and book design/production added this year. Every Waldorf Steiner school in the world can enter and participate with students between 17 and 19 years old. The schools must send the completed registration form to the Secretarial Office of the Contest. The deadline for contest applications is January 20, 2017. More »

Love as the Source of Education

November 4, 2016

Without a deepening and internalizing of the idea of destiny, it will become increasingly difficult to come to terms with the questions of education: One sees in every child an individuality, whose path is neither confined by the gateway of birth nor the gateway of death. When a teacher receives pupils in the mood of “having a destiny with them,” a new sense of responsibility is strengthened. When in quiet reflection one directs one’s attention to what is brought into this life individually, and to the capacities and impulses that these children should one day carry from this life over the threshold of death, one obtains an immense power as an elder to support, bear, and help to solve the problems of these youths. The source of strength in the internalized idea of destiny can only become effective, however, if the “modern learning methods,” the technical intermediaries, the cleverly contrived, improved performance programs do not replace the speaking human being. For the sake of a contemporary spiritually and artistically formed teaching process, Waldorf pedagogy holds human to human interaction as the “most modern” educational method. The communication of knowledge through the creatively fashioning human being can alone radiate edifying forces, wisdom and warmth into the lesson. More »

School with guns, knives and fire on the timetable – and Ofsted loves it

October 10, 2016

Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous,” says Thomas, 10, carefully positioning a tray of bread cakes over burning coals. “It’s OK if you do it right. There are people here who know the safety rules and they teach us,” he adds. Children at this state junior school have lessons in using sharp knives, saws and even air rifles. They get to cook food and smelt metal over an open fire and to skin and bone rabbits. Mike Fairclough, their headteacher, believes exposing children to risk fosters a confidence that improves their educational performance, behaviour and attitudes. Fairclough has no truck with the “elf and safety” brigade and he arrives, lurching alarmingly on the rough terrain, on a quad bike. “A lot of teachers agree with me. Headteachers and governors are more reticent due to their accountability should things go wrong,” he says. “I feel strongly that we should not be limiting ourselves or the children through fear. The reality is that headteachers are much freer than they often believe they are.” He thinks schools – and parents – are failing children by protecting them from anything that might cause harm instead of teaching them how to handle danger. His decision to take pupils clay-pigeon shooting brought him notoriety – and plaudits from Ofsted and the Health and Safety Executive. More »

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