About Waldorf
History
To see the whole in every part, to engage the head, the hands, and the heart: this is the endeavor of teachers in over 900 Waldorf schools around the world. Founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919 by Austrian philosoper Rudolf
Steiner, Waldorf schools arose from the widespread search for new values
after World War I. Waldorf education is equally relevant today, when our
children need to become creative thinkers, confident in their own abilities,
possessing a reverence for life and a strong sense of personal responsibility.
Indeed, the Waldorf system has become the fastest growing independent,
non-denominational educational movement in the world, with schools all
across the globe. Each school is run autonomously and values meeting local
needs, yet all Waldorf schools are united by a common educational philosophy.
What Is Waldorf Education?
The heart of the Waldorf approach is the conviction that education is an art. Its goal is to present life to the children in such a way that they are filled with wonder and enthusiasm. This demands that the presentation of subject matter, be it math, history, or physics, must be alive and speak to the child's experience. To truly educate a child, the HEART and WILL must be reached as well as the MIND. The intention is not merely to instruct, but to inspire and motivate each child's creative forces from within; to lead the child to a balanced development of clear and precise thought, a rich and healthy emotional life, and a developed power of will which allows worthy application of his or her thoughts and feelings to practical challenges in the world.
Children pass through three basic stages of cognitive development and the Waldorf curriculum is designed to engage the abilities of the growing child during each of these stages. In the preschool this is accomplished through guided creative play and purposeful activity; in the elementary school through the imaginative and artistic presentation of material by the class teacher; and in high school through challenging the student's awakening capacity for independent thought. Thus, the uniqueness of the Waldorf system lies not so much in what the children are taught (they pursue a rigorous classical curriculum) but in how and when.
We are cautious about introducing abstract intellectual concepts too
soon, aiming instead to bring the intellectual faculty to full flower
in a deliberately gradual way. We believe that many dilemmas of the modern
world are the direct result of intellectual knowledge that has outstripped
our capacities for empathy, morality, and creativity in solving problems.
Waldorf education is designed to help children develop strengths for a
lifetime.
Being personally acquainted with a number of Waldorf students, I can say that they come closer to realizing their own potential than practically anyone I know.–Joseph Weizenbaum |