A Waldorf Journey Podcast: Recent Episodes
Meredith
A Waldorf Journey is a blog and podcast started by a trained and experienced Waldorf teacher who is passionate about sharing what she has learned on the journey. Stay tuned for interviews, resource recommendations, tips and suggestions for making your Waldorf journey an incredible, life-giving experience.
These days my inbox is filled with two kinds of questions.
- Can you give me some advice for writing end-of-year reports?
- Do you have suggestions for making summer planning easier?
Luckily, I have thoughts on both of those topics. You can find lots of information about them both on the blog. But I mention this just because it points out the dilemma that teachers face right now.
The blog post for this episode.
Waldorf at Work, my Substack newsletter.
In this episode, I take a look at the Waldorf traditions and ceremonies that mark students' development and transitions. Waldorf is really good at marking time in this way and it's one of the things many of us really love about Waldorf Education.
The blog post for this episode.
Waldorf at Work: My super-practical, actionable Substack newsletter.
Email me about summer mentoring.
Interested in my Summer Planning course? I'm in the process of deciding if I'm going to run this course. Let me know if you're interested.
Interested in following me on my new adventure? You can subscribe at:
waldorfatwork.substack.com
Also in this episode, I talk about the question I hate most: "Am I Waldorf enough?" I talk through the assumptions that are embedded in this question and some of the reasons why they are completely misguided.
Because, newsflash, Waldorf is not about playing the flute, singing songs, or spending lots of time outside. It's about doing those things out of an understanding of the impact that they have on students. And you can be a great Waldorf teacher, even if you don't know how to draw a horse.
Read more of my ideas about this in this post on Waldorf at Work.
How do you demonstrate your commitment to learning and growing? What mistakes have you made recently? How do you show others that it's okay to make mistakes? And how do you make sure you're REALLY okay with making mistakes?
Finding these answers has been a big part of my work recently, and my own path as a learning, growing human being -- even as a grown-up. It's also the topic of my new project Evolving Pigeon -- even old birds learn and grow.
Here are links to some of the things I talked about this week.
Evolving Pigeon
Instagram
Facebook
A Waldorf Journey
Send me an email or a DM with your own growth mindset experiences.
A brand new episode catching you up on why I left teaching and what I'm doing now.
Mentioned in this episode
My website, A Waldorf Journey
Blog post about my decision to leave teaching
Blog post about telling my students
A post about walking the growth mindset talk
My new project, Evolving Pigeon, for adult fans of the growth mindset
The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom
My other courses
My curriculum guides
Follow me on Instagram
The Facebook group
Interested in mentorship or sponsorship? Email me at meredith@awaldorfjourney.com
Recently I was working with some teachers who are getting ready to teach 7th grade and we were talking about the creative writing block most often called Wish, Wonder and Surprise. We had a conversation about each one of these gestures and what makes them different from each other. And we talked about how to have this conversation with students.
Wish
Wish is pretty clear. When I taught 7th grade, the students and I talked about the difference between a wish, a hope and a dream. And we talked about how these words take on a different meaning when your wish, hope or dream is for someone else, or when it’s for the world.
Surprise
Surprise is also fairly clear. It’s that feeling when you’re confronted with something so unexpected that it takes you off-guard. It’s easy to confuse surprise and wonder in this way, but surprise is much more unsettling. Surprise can cause someone to feel a little fearful.
Defining Wonder
And then there’s wonder. Wonder is a feeling that is much more difficult to define. I know, as a teacher, that wonder is a feeling that I want to inspire in my students. I have this sense that wonder is essential to the learning process, but I have a hard time describing what it is.
So, in preparation for this episode, I did a little research. I found an article on neuroscience that attempts to describe the role that wonder plays in learning. Here are some of the things the article said:
- Wonder is an inner desire to learn that awaits reality in order to be awakened.
- The scope of wonder is greater than that of curiosity.
- Wonder is the center of all motivation and action in the child.
- Wonder is what makes life genuinely personal.
- Beauty is what triggers wonder.
Another article defined wonder by describing the play, exploration, imagination and discovery that often happens for students outside the classroom as they play outside or pretend with friends. And the article sadly mentioned that most of this is left outside the door when students enter a typical classroom. That sense of wonder and awe is not inspired when they take a test or fill in the blanks on a worksheet.
I also found a school website that tried to summarize and define wonder as it described the school’s curriculum. They tried to define wonder by describing phenomena like …
- caterpillars turning into butterflies
- bean seeds sprouting
- the phases of the moon
- the sun rising and setting
- the movement of the clouds
Contemplating these phenomena was probably the closest I got to actually understanding and settling on a definition of wonder in my research.
Experiences of Wonder
The thing is, wonder is really hard to define, but you know it when you experience it. So I decided to think about moments in my own life when I remember feeling what I would describe as wonder.
My examples of experiences of wonder
My poor efforts at defining wonder
- an inbreath, like your breath is taken away a little bit
- viewing something you’ve seen before completely differently
- an opening
And this last bit is why wonder is so important to learning. When students enter a state of wonder, an opening is created. A possibility arises for them to view the world differently and to come to a different understanding.
Wonder in the Classroom
So, if wonder is so important to learning, how can we create
It’s August, so I’m headlong in planning mode. And though there are many things competing for my time these days, working on my planning is one the tasks that I actually look forward to every day.
It’s also the one thing that teachers ask me for the most help with. I feel lucky that planning is something that I enjoy so much, and it definitely makes a difference in my classroom. I start the year feeling prepared. I head into every new block with a solid plan. And I start each day knowing exactly where my lesson is going.
Now, all this planning isn’t to say that I’m not flexible. I definitely recognize the value of deviating from the plan when necessary, and I do that often. But having a plan gives me the confidence to feel free enough to deviate. It’s the plan that allows for the creativity. It’s that old from form comes freedom notion.
So, how can you love planning? There are two main things that make the planning love happen for me.
Supplies
The first is supplies. I confess that I’m a sucker for stationery and beautiful office supplies. I’ve used a variety of different planning systems through the years and I’ve found success with all of them. I find that switching things up every now and then makes me love my planning even more.
Some of my most popular blog posts and podcasts have been about the planning systems I’ve used. I’ll link to them in the show notes.
- What Waldorf Teachers Do in July
- Supplies for Waldorf Teacher Planning
- Hobonichi for Teachers
- How Notion Has Completely Transformed My Life
- How to Plan Your School Year AND Enjoy Your Summer
Here are some of the supplies that make my planning experience enjoyable. (I’ll link to some of these in the show notes and some of them are affiliate links.)
- a nice fountain pen (Lamy, TWSBI)
- a planner (Hobonichi, Ink+Volt, Papier, Plum Paper)
- a notebook (Notebook Therapy, Rhodia, Clairefontaine)
- a large sketchbook (Dick Blick, Denik)
Want a Plum Paper planner for 10% off? Email me at meredith@awaldorfjourney.com and I’ll send you the coupon.
Having a Plan
I’m going to go over this just briefly because I teach a whole course on developing a planning system, but the point here is to plan your planning. Know what aspect of your planning you need to work on and when you need to do it. Here’s how my planning system breaks down.
Yearly Planning
Monthly Planning
Weekly Planning
Daily Planning
I hope taking a deep dive on planning has been helpful for you and that you’ll find yourself inspired to enjoy your planning a little more.
Register for my summer productivity course.
My history as a middle school teacher
How our work will change
What we’re doing to set a solid framework
Building Habits
- homework
- Finishing their work
- Engaging with our lessons
- General classroom behavior
Building a Culture of Caring
- we’re good people and we’re working together
- we’re on the same team
- building up an image of each individual as a caring individual
- building an image of the class as a whole being caring
- building a reputation for them to live up to
How Middle School Will Change Things
- less focus on me as the teacher/authority; much more social with each other
- focus on the content
- looking out at the world together
- contrast the morning verses
Links
My substack newsletter
Teaching Children to Care
Facebook group
Buy me a cup of coffee
Send me an email.
Join me as I make my way through The Growth Mindset Coach — a month-by-month guide for teachers. Each month I’ll record an episode about it and I’d love to hear what you think!
In this episode . . .
- Audible (affiliate link)
- my curriculum guides
- The Growth Mindset Coach by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Grit by Angela Duckworth
TARGET from Carol Ames
- Task
- Authority
- Recognition
- Grouping
- Evaluation
- Time
Join me as I make my way through The Growth Mindset Coach -- a month-by-month guide for teachers. Each month I'll record an episode about it and I'd love to hear what you think!
In this episode . . .
- Skillshare (my affiliate link)
- my curriculum guides
- The Growth Mindset Coach by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Teacher feedback stems
- I noticed how
- Look at how much progress you've made on
- I see a difference in this work compared with
- I admire how hard you have worked on
- I can see you really enjoyed learning
- Could it make a difference if you
- have you considered trying a different strategy to
- You're on the right track here and might consider
- One awesome thing about your work is
- I really like the way you
- One thing that helps me is
- This could improve if
- My favorite part of this was
- I noticed that
Promos
Audible -- Get your free trial by hitting my link.
Skillshare -- I'm loving Skillshare. Free 14 day trial with my link.
My curriculum guides -- I've got a guide that will help you teach and give you just the amount of help that you need.
Things I Talked About This Week
- My bio
- structure and systems in the classroom
- mentorship and evaluation
- my Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom course
- the importance of the social-emotional curriculum
- skill-building vs. imaginative content
- keeping Waldorf teaching inspiring
Promos
Audible -- Get your free trial by hitting my link.
Skillshare -- I'm loving Skillshare. Free 14 day trial with my link.
My curriculum guides -- I've got a guide that will help you teach and give you just the amount of help that you need.
Content
Things that made me happy in 2020.
- Creating and Enjoying a Life I Love
- Being Productive
- Atomic Habits
- Change
- New Ideas
Stuff Mentioned
- Notion
- Todoist
- Google Classroom
- Superhuman
- Atomic Habits
Home Resource GuideThis free Waldorf-at-Home Resource guide goes through 4 of those basic ideas that can help you create a harmonious Waldorf home, and maybe even realize that you're doing a pretty good job of getting there already.
To get this free guide, just go to awaldorfjourney.com/homeguide and I'll send you the free pdf.
Holiday Gift GuidesTo see my Waldorf art gift guide, which gives indications for art supplies that will be useful throughout the grades, just head to www.awaldorfjourney.com/artsupplies.
And to find a list of recommended books, head to www.awaldorfjourney.com/giftbooks
Devices
- MacBook Pro
- external monitor
- 2 webcams
- Apple trackpad
- Varmilo mechanical keyboard
- iPad and pencil
- HP printer/scanner
Furniture
- standing desk from Fully — whiteboard
- hand-me-down chair — next on my list to upgrade
- arm for camera
- the chair I want to get
- a standing stool possibility
Software
- Zoom
- Google Classroom
- Notion
Routines
- sharing my desk — main lesson pages and dictation
- correcting drafts on the iPad
- breakout rooms
- chat, virtual backgrounds, profile photos, etc.
As we enter into the holiday season, I thought it would be a good chance to talk about Waldorf and festivals. I know that the festivals were one of the things that drew me to Waldorf when I first discovered it, and though they are lovely, my thoughts about them have changed through the years. I'm happy to share some thoughts about the festivals with you in this episode.
Waldorf Gift Guides
The holidays are approaching and if your family is anything like mine, the grandparents are asking what they can give the kids for the holidays. How can we give them some direction and request gifts that align with our Waldorf-inspired values, while still remembering and modeling gratitude?
To help with this, I have put together a couple of different Waldorf gift guides, which you can access for free — not even an email address is required by hitting the link in the shownotes.
To see my Waldorf art gift guide, which gives indications for art supplies that will be useful throughout the grades, just head to www.awaldorfjourney.com/artsupplies.
And to find a list of recommended books, head to www.awaldorfjourney.com/giftbooks
Both guides are right there on the website, easy for you to access. The Amazon links are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission, at no cost to you. And if you're grateful for these resources, you can hit the link to send me a cup of coffee right there on the page, or just go to www.awaldorfjourney.com/coffee
Follow me on Instagram.
Join the Facebook group.
Buy me a cup of coffee.
ContentInvestigating the why and how of Waldorf festivals.
Three main purposes behind Waldorf festivals (according to me):
- community-building
- creating turning points in the year
- connecting with something higher
Exploring each of these can give us a framework for investigating the festivals and determining how to honor them in a meaningful way. Festivals mentioned in this episode:
- Michaelmas
- Martinmas
- Divali
- Day of the Dead
- Winter Spiral
This week we're going to talk about child development. We've all heard about thinking, feeling, and willing of Waldorf education. This episode is all about where you can find thinking feeling and willing in child development and which aspect you should be focusing on when.
This episode is being brought to you by my curriculum guides, which you can find at my website awaldorfjourney.com/shop. I’ve got a variety of guides throughout the grades -- Whether you’re teaching botany, rocks and minerals, physics or astronomy in the middle school; or consonants and vowels in first grade, I’ve got a guide that can help you out. Homeschoolers and classroom teachers in a variety of settings have found my guides to be helpful, so I hope you’ll check them out. And if you’re just wondering about how to go about setting up your main lesson structure, every guide includes my Main Lesson 101 material, which will break it all down for you. Just this information alone is really valuable, so you might consider purchasing a guide, just to help you get started with your planning. I really recommend either my Astronomy or my Rocks and Minerals guides -- those subjects are just so fascinating and both of those guides give a really good picture of what it’s like to plan a Waldorf main lesson.
Again, you can find all of my guides at my website, www.awaldorfjourney.com/shop
Buy me a cup of coffee.
Instagram
Facebook
Content0-7 -- the willing phase
7-14 -- the feeling phase
14-21 -- the thinking phase
More information about my course The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom.
An image of the Waldorf approach to human development, sometimes called "the cosmic bathtub."
This week we're talking about one of my secret weapons for making this Waldorf teaching work so much easier. It took me awhile to figure it out, but having a structure and a set of systems will make this job so much more sustainable. This week I'm going to talk about some of the rhythms I've established in my teaching and how you can keep a balance between new, exciting inspiration and regular routines and rhythms.
This episode is being brought to you by my new course, Feedback and Record-Keeping for Waldorf Teachers. I've offered this course in the past, but it's been updated and brought over to my own platform so it's more available.
I strongly believe that providing feedback and keeping parents, students and administration updated on student progress is a place where Waldorf teachers have fallen short in the past. We want our students to feel good about their work and not have to face criticism. But monitoring progress and having those sometimes difficult conversations helps us keep our teaching relevant and can help inspire confidence in parents and administrators.
This course walks you through a process for providing feedback in a way that is age-appropriate so it will inspire your students to achieve and let them know that their work matters. With audio and written content and 8 lessons pertaining to the different types of feedback you'll provide, I'll talk you through the process. And the course includes all the templates you'll need, wherever you are on the journey.
You can sign up for the course at awaldorfjourney.com/recordkeeping.
ContentYearly Rhythms
- creating templates
- my template for providing feedback in 4th grade
Monthly Rhythms
- planning at the beginning of a block
- my block plan template
Weekly Rhythms
- a blog post about our dictation rhythm
Daily Rhythms
- a blog post about my daily review planning
- Don't forget to prep your story every day -- it wouldn't be Waldorf without it!
This week we're talking about Waldorf Parenting. I've got some pretty strong opinions (they maybe even a little controversial) and some basic ideas to help you create an intentional Waldorf family life for yourself and your children.
This episode is being brought to you by my ebook The Waldorf Home. If you’re interested in reading ideas, suggestions and tips for making your home more aligned with your children’s waldorf education, check out my book at www.thewaldorfhome.com.
Also, if you’re a homeschooling parent or a teacher, check out my curriculum guides at www.awaldorfjourney.com/shop. There you can find my first grade bundle where I go through how to introduce the consonants and vowels through the fairy tales. It’s one of my most popular guides, so I hope you’ll support the podcast and check it out.
Content
- Rant about "Waldorf enough."
- Connect
- Work
- Create
- Explore
Email me: meredith@awaldorfjourney.com
Instagram
Facebook
Many of us are teaching in ways we never expected before and it's pushing us far beyond our comfort zones. We miss working with our students in person, but the news isn't all bad. I, for one, have been amazed at how much learning and connection is actually happening in our distance learning arrangement.
In this episode we'll talk all about distance learning, some things I've learned and how you can make the most of this medium.
This episode is being brought to you by my free workshop, the 3 classroom management strategies every waldorf teacher needs to know, which is being released the week this episode goes live.
I’m really excited to offer this workshop because I think it is something that isn’t talked about enough in our training courses and it is exactly what Waldorf teachers need to be thinking about right now.
Just head over to www.awaldorfjourney.com/workshop to sign up for the workshop.
Also, registration opens soon for my new course, The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom. In this course we’ll talk about some big topics that should be on your mind during the school year.
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom management
- Imagination in the classroom
- Working with parents
- Working with students
Content Outline
- Where we've been and where we are now
- Student engagement
- Assessment and feedback
- Self-Care
Links to Things Mentioned
- The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12
- Compassion Fatigue resource
- The Caregiver's Bill of Rights
This week we're talking about feedback and record-keeping for Waldorf teachers. We'll explore the different types of feedback you need to give and who you need to consider when putting together your feedback plan.
Promo
This episode is being brought to you by my course, Feedback and Record-Keeping for Waldorf Teachers. I've offered this course in the past, but it's been updated and brought over to my own platform so it's more available.
I strongly believe that providing feedback and keeping parents, students and administration updated on student progress is a place where Waldorf teachers have fallen short in the past. We want our students to feel good about their work and not have to face criticism. But monitoring progress and having those sometimes difficult conversations helps us keep our teaching relevant and can help inspire confidence in parents and administrators.
This course walks you through a process for providing feedback in a way that is age-appropriate so it will inspire your students to achieve and let them know that their work matters. With audio and written content and 8 lessons pertaining to the different types of feedback you'll provide, I'll talk you through the process. And the course includes all the templates you'll need, wherever you are on the journey.
You can sign up for the course at awaldorfjourney.com/recordkeeping.
ContentTracking student progress is something Waldorf teachers don't do enough and it's actually a place we could take a cue from our public school counterparts. If we want to be respected as the professionals and authorities we are when it comes to children's development, we need to take it seriously and be responsible about tracking that information and reporting it to parents, students and school administration.
People who need to be considered in your record-keeping plan:
- students
- parents
- administration
- yourself
If this feels overwhelming and you don't like the administrative aspects of this work, consider signing up for my record-keeping course. You'll get guidance through all of the record-keeping requirements of this work, and templates that will help it all come together.
This episode is being brought to you by my free workshop, the 3 classroom management strategies every waldorf teacher needs to know, which will be released in later this month (October 2020.)
I’m really excited to offer this workshop because I think it is something that isn’t talked about enough in our training courses and it is exactly what Waldorf teachers need to be thinking about right now.
Just head over to www.awaldorfjourney.com/strategies to sign up for the workshop.
Also, registration opens soon for my new course, The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom. In this course we’ll talk about some big topics that should be on your mind during the school year.
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom management
- Imagination in the classroom
- Working with parents
- Working with students
This is my signature course and it's been really popular in the past. I'd love to have you join, though enrollment is open for a limited time. Just head to awaldorfjourney.com/practicalart to get more information.
Episode Content
Read the blog post that goes with this episode.
- parent participation and involvement
- growing independence
- taking responsibility for your education
- realizing the importance of human connection
Ways to connect with me:
email: meredith@awaldorfjourney.com
website
facebook
Instagram
Introduction
This episode is being brought to you by my new course, Feedback and Record-Keeping for Waldorf Teachers. I've offered this course in the past, but it's been updated and brought over to my own platform so it's more available.
I strongly believe that providing feedback and keeping parents, students, and administration updated on student progress is a place where Waldorf teachers have fallen short in the past. We want our students to feel good about their work and not have to face criticism. But monitoring progress and having those sometimes difficult conversations helps us keep our teaching relevant and can help inspire confidence in parents and administrators.
This course walks you through a process for providing feedback in a way that is age-appropriate so it will inspire your students to achieve and let them know that their work matters. With audio and written content and 8 lessons pertaining to the different types of feedback you'll provide, I'll talk you through the process. And the course includes all the templates you'll need, wherever you are on the journey.
You can sign up for the course at awaldorfjourney.com/recordkeeping.
Promos
My Local Geography Curriculum Guide
Green Chef
Butcher Box
ResourcesAli Abdaal Youtube Channel
Ali's great interview about Stoicism with Ryan Holiday
DailyTekk
Current Set-Up13-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB memory
a 32-inch monitor
MX Keys from Logitech
Trackpad from Apple
Productivity Apps
Notion — check out the blog post all about it
Fantastical
Moom
Alfred
Ulysses
Todoist
Superhuman
Readwise
I taught for a long time before I really became aware of all of the nuances of teaching language arts and I have to say it is the aspect of my teaching that has occupied most of my attention for the past few years. There is so much to think about and I find it endlessly fascinating to consider how students become readers and how they use the English language. So I’m really excited to explore some of that content with you now.
This episode is being brought to you by my series of curriculum guides. If you’re looking for support in teaching your students and would like to see an outline with specific content for individual blocks, my materials are for you.
My content is sold block-by-block, so it’s affordable and you don’t need to purchase an entire year’s curriculum to get the help that you need. Feel confident teaching history but feel a little lost with Astronomy? My materials will help you with just that specific block. There are no other Waldorf curriculum resources that can meet your specific needs, right where and when you need them.
You can check out my resources by heading to www.awaldorfjourney.com/shop. You’ll find materials for all of the grades (grade 3 will be coming soon), presented in a way that can help classroom teachers and homeschoolers alike
When I first started teaching, I remember feeling like the 2 hours of main lesson was an eternity. I thought it would be impossible to fill that time with valuable content.
These days I’m far more likely to run out of time and not get to everything than to have extra time on my hands. The truth is that when you understand the different components of main lesson, you’ll see how the time just flies by and you don’t need to figure out how to fill that 2-hour main lesson from scratch every single day.
Getting connected with a good mentor can really make or break your experience and success as a Waldorf teacher. I had a couple of fantastic mentors early in my career and it made all the difference. I attribute those early mentoring years to my continued success. This episode is all about how to connect with a mentor and make the most of the experience.
Do you have a mentor to support your teaching? A lot goes into making those mentoring relationships successful and there are things you can do to make the most of it. I really want to talk today about what makes a good mentoring relationship, how much teachers should tap into their mentor as a resource, and how a mentor needs to be very clear about his or her role.
This episode is being brought to you by my free workshop, the 3 classroom management strategies every Waldorf teacher needs to know, which goes live in early February.
I’m really excited to offer this workshop because I think it is something that isn’t talked about enough in our training courses and it is exactly what Waldorf teachers need to be thinking about right now.
Just head over to www.awaldorfjourney.com/strategies to sign up for the workshop.
Also, registration opens soon for my new course, The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom. In this course, we’ll talk about some big topics that should be on your mind during the school year.
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom management
- Imagination in the classroom
- Working with parents
- Working with students
The course begins on February 16th and you can get more information by going to awaldorfjourney.com/practicalart
Welcome, I’ve been looking forward to recording for a while now and I’m so glad to finally have the time to do it. In this episode, I’m going to share what’s happening in 3rd grade and some of my observations about the highlights and challenges of teaching 3rd grade.
This episode is being brought to you by my free workshop, the 3 classroom management strategies every Waldorf teacher needs to know, which goes live in early February.
I’m really excited to offer this workshop because I think it is something that isn’t talked about enough in our training courses and it is exactly what Waldorf teachers need to be thinking about right now.
Just head over to www.awaldorfjourney.com/strategies to sign up for the workshop.
Also, registration opens soon for my new course, The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom. In this course, we’ll talk about some big topics that should be on your mind during the school year.
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom management
- Imagination in the classroom
- Working with parents
- Working with students
The course begins on February 16th and you can get more information by going to awaldorfjourney.com/practicalart
So much is made of delaying reading instruction until after early childhood, that many parents wonder if it's okay to follow their child’s interests and begin reading instruction. Other parents wonder if they should push their child, even when they are not demonstrating any interest at age 7 or 8. I have lots of thoughts about it and am here to help sort it out.
This episode is being brought to you by my free workshop, the 3 Classroom Management Strategies every Waldorf Teacher Needs to Know, which goes live on the same day as this episode.
I’m really excited to offer this workshop because I think it is something that isn’t talked about enough in our training courses and it is exactly what Waldorf teachers need to be thinking about right now.
Just head over to www.awaldorfjourney.com/strategies to sign up for the workshop.
Also, registration opens soon for my new course, The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom. In this course we’ll talk about some big topics that should be on your mind during the school year.
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom management
- Imagination in the classroom
- Working with parents
- Working with students
The course begins October 6 and you can get more information by going to www.awaldorfjourney.com/practicalart.
Resources from this episode:
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/helping-your-child-become-reader
Other posts about language arts:
- Planning Your Language Arts Classes
- My 2nd grade language arts block curriculum guide
- 2nd Grade Language Arts Classes
How much screen time is okay?
What about educational shows?
Is it really that bad?
Will the Waldorf police come after me?
Making decisions about media use for your children is one of the most charged issues in Waldorf Education. There are so many shoulds that parents can feel completely unsupported in their decisions. That's what this episode is all about.
This episode is being brought to you by my new course The Practical Art of the Waldorf Classroom. My Summer Productivity Course is winding down and I’m getting ready to lead a new group through a whole new set of topics all about the tasks Waldorf teachers need to think about while they're in the classroom. Topics for my Practical Art course include:
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom Management, part 1 — engagement
- Classroom Management, part 2 — discipline
- Imagination in the Classroom
- Working with Parents
- Working with Students
You can also sign up for my free classroom management workshop, which goes live September 10. Just put y0ur email address below and you'll be on the notification list.
Resources in this Episode * Ben Klocek's Website * AWJ 12 | Managing Media and Screentime
Classroom management is a topic that isn't talked about enough in our Waldorf teacher training institutions. My teachers said that every situation was so unique, it was difficult to come up with blanket recommendations and practices. But there are things we can do. And cultivating that idyllic, beautiful Waldorf classroom takes some work.
This episode is being brought to you by my Fall Productivity Course. My Summer Productivity Course is winding down and I’m getting ready to lead a new group through a whole new set of topics all about the tasks Waldorf teachers need to think about in the fall. Topics for my Fall Productivity Course include:
- Rhythms and Routines
- Classroom Management, part 1 — engagement
- Classroom Management, part 2 — discipline
- Imagination in the Classroom
- Working with Parents
- Working with Students
The course begins October 6 and you can get more information by going to http://www.awaldorfjourney.com/fallcourse.
Check out some of my favorite resources for Waldorf classroom management strategies.
- Teaching Children to Care
- The First Six Weeks
- Brooke Castillo's Life Coach School Podcast
- Responsive Classroom
Other posts about classroom management.
- What I Learned at a Responsive Classroom Workshop
- Responsive Classroom podcast episode
- Responsive Classroom Helps Children Succeed
It is the end of August, if you’re listening to this episode when it is released and teachers everywhere are in the throes of organizing their classrooms. Things get so busy as the year goes on, it’s important to start out with systems for keeping supplies and resources organized. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in that classroom, so start thinking about it as a little home away from home and you’ll be much happier throughout the school year.
This episode is being brought to you by my Fall Productivity Course. My Summer Productivity Course is winding down and I’m getting ready to lead a new group through a whole new set of topics all about the tasks Waldorf teachers need to think about in the fall. Topics for my Fall Productivity Course include:
- Classroom rhythms and routines
- Classroom management
- Providing feedback and parents teacher conferences
- Practice Classes and Skill Development
- Record-Keeping
- Student Support Plans
The course begins October 6 and you can get more information by going to http://www.awaldorfjourney.com/fallcourse.
Photos of my classroom in the blog post that goes with this episode. And if you’ve got classroom photos to share, I hope you’ll join the Facebook group and post your photos there. It’s a nice little community of teachers, parents and homeschoolers who would love to see how you set up your classroom.
Pinterest board of Waldorf classroom decor
The Waldorf life sciences curriculum is pretty amazing, which makes sense for a philosophy that puts so much value on the natural world. When I first started teaching, I was a little intimidated about doing the sciences right, in a way that aligned with Waldorf philosophy and that phenomenological approach that really values the natural world. That intimidation inspired me to really dive deep when it came to preparing the sciences, so it ended up being a good thing. It didn’t take long for me to realize, though, that as long as I was keeping the wonder alive, then I was doing it right and I didn’t really need to worry all that much.
This episode is being brought to you by my curriculum guides, which you can find at my website. I’ve got a variety of guides throughout the grades -- including ones for the life sciences, which we’re talking about in this episode. Whether you’re teaching Botany, Rocks and Minerals, Physics or Astronomy, I’ve got a guide that can help you out. Homeschoolers and classroom teachers in a variety of settings have found my guides to be helpful, so I hope you’ll check them out. And if you’re just wondering about how to go about setting up your main lesson structure, every guide includes my Main Lesson 101 material, which will break it all down for you. Just this information alone is really valuable, so you might consider purchasing a guide, just to help you get started with your planning. I really recommend either my Astronomy or my Rocks and Minerals guides -- those subjects are just so fascinating and both of those guides give a really good picture of what it’s like to plan a Waldorf Main Lesson.
Sponsor the podcast with Patreon.
Resources * Waldorf Research Institute Ebook * Waldorf Answers * My middle school curriculum guides * Email me. * A Waldorf Journey Resource Room Facebook Group
Summer is not an easy time to be a Waldorf parent, and I know plenty of parents who struggle with this time. I’ve been talking this summer with friends and colleagues who are sharing the struggle, and I thought I’d share some of it with you. In my neck of the woods, at the time of this recording, we’ve got a month left of summer. Just about the time that things are starting to feel hard. You’ve made the most of summer vacation and the novelty of the summer has worn off, so what now?
Just as I was putting together my thoughts for this episode, an article from The Waldorf School of Philadelphia came across my facebook feed. There are also a few other resources that you might find useful in figuring out how to get through the summer.
Article from Waldorf School of Philadelphia
Whole Family Rhythms article
This episode is being brought to you by my ebook The Waldorf Home. If you’re interested in reading ideas, suggestions and tips for making your home more aligned with your children’s Waldorf Education, check out my book at www.thewaldorfhome.com.
Also, if you’re a homeschooling parent or a teacher, check out my curriculum guides at www.awaldorfjourney.com/shop. There you can find my first grade bundle where I go through how to introduce the consonants and vowels through the fairy tales. It’s one of my most popular guides, so I hope you’ll support the podcast and check it out.
Or consider sponsoring the podcast through Patreon.
My main tips:
- Rhythm
- Get outside
- Structure
- Freedom
- Working
- Compromise
This week I’m here to talk with you about the Waldorf basics -- documents you need to create to guide the work that you’re doing during every school year. What are the things you need to think about to give structure to your school year?
This episode is being brought to you by my Basics series. If after listening to this episode you realize that you need some help putting things together, then you’re going to want to look at my basics collection. For each grade I’ve got all of these basic documents put together, available for you to download.
- 1st Grade Basics
- 2nd Grade Basics
- 4th Grade Basics
- 5th Grade Basics
- 6th Grade Basics
- 7th Grade Basics
- 8th Grade Basics
Other things I mention this episode:
- Patreon
- My favorite curriculum resource
- Waldorf Inspirations -- really great free resources to help you create these documents
This week I talk about some of my favorite resources. These are the books I turn to again and again and recommend to friends and colleagues. If you’re wondering what books will give you the most bang for your buck as you grow your Waldorf library, these are the ones to get.
Links to things I mentioned this week:
My Summer Productivity Course
A blog post with a rundown of these resources
The resources:
- The Tasks and Content of the Steiner Waldorf Curriculum
- School as a Journey
- Kingdom of Childhood
- Teaching Children to Care
- A Handbook for Steiner-Waldorf Class Teachers
This week I’m here to talk with you about summer planning. As much as I love taking a break from the classroom during the summer, I also love doing my summer planning. Today I want to talk with you about some of the things you should be thinking about with your summer planning, and things you should not be thinking about.
This episode is being brought to you by my Summer Productivity Course. I’ve been running these seasonal productivity courses over the past year, and the response has been fantastic.
Age-specific resources
Broad overview resources
School as a Journey by Torin Finser
Chicago Waldorf School website
In this episode, I go through the different kinds of end of year reports. I also share the framework that I've settled on. Whether you've started your reports or not, it will give you some good food for thought.
Want to donate to the podcast? Click through to make your donation through Patreon.
Interested in signing up for the 30 days till summer report writing challenge? Enter your email in the form below and you'll get an email every day in June. If you want to purchase the guide instead, click here.
Blog post about my amazing Waldorf community.
A quick episode to come to you with all of the Waldorf teacher topics that are currently on my mind.
- Summer Professional Development
- Student Assessment
- Working Through Individualized Learning Plans
- Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Writing Reports
- Planning the Summer
Don't miss out! My Spring Productivity Course for Waldorf Teachers starts in just one week! You can still join and work with me to help make sure you're not overlooking any of the details that need your attention this spring!
Watch my End-of-Year Report Video Put your email below and I'll send you a link to the video.
Subscribe We won't send you spam.
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How do you become a Waldorf teacher? That's what this episode is all about.
I describe my own path to becoming a Waldorf teacher, as well as some of the pros and cons of Waldorf teaching.
For more information . . . Read the blog post on which this podcast is based. There's lots more information about the different kinds of teacher trainings and things to think about before deciding. Make sure you read the comments to read A Waldorf Journey readers' thoughts about their teacher training experiences.
Download the Waldorf teaching cheat sheet. This checklist based on the 7 Questions You Should Ask About Every Lesson will help you make sure your lessons are interesting, inspiring and productive.
Don't forget about my Spring Productivity Program! Early-bird sign-ups close in just one week. Make more time this spring and make sure you stay on task and get your work done. Spring productivity course topics include:
- Professional Development Planning and Self-Evaluation
- Student Assessment
- Students with Special Needs
- Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Writing Reports
- Planning Your Summer
The Facebook group.
Follow me on Instagram.
Find more information about the podcast, blog and other content at www.awaldorfjourney.com.
Join the email list to get notified about content releases by texting WALDORF to 444999.
Support the podcast by donating through Patreon.
Mentioned in this episode
A Waldorf Journey Teacher Tribe on Facebook.
Information about the Spring Productivity Course.
Ways to support the podcast . . .
- a donation through Patreon
- purchasing one of my curriculum guides
- clicking one of the Amazon affiliate links on my site.
Here are links to some of the things mentioned in this podcast.
- Waldorf Inspirations-- the amazing Waldorf teacher resource site developed and maintained by Janet and her partner Patty Connelly
- Information page about Roadmap to Literacy on the Waldorf Inspirations site-- including the table of contents and sample pages.
- To order the book from Rudolf Steiner College Bookstore.
As I mention in the podcast, this is a book you'll want to have. It lays out the language arts curriculum for the first three grades, saving the trouble so many Waldorf teachers have had in the past, reinventing the wheel and "Waldorf-izing" mainstream resources.
Janet has been kind enough to share a free downloadable resource with A Waldorf Journey listeners -- a main lesson planning template. I use something like this every day and I can't imagine teaching without it. Enter your email in the blog post that goes with the episode to download the template.
Ways to support the podcast . . .
- a donation through Patreon
- purchasing one of my curriculum guides
- clicking one of the Amazon affiliate linkson my site.
Here are links to some of the things mentioned in this podcast.
- Waldorf Inspirations-- the amazing Waldorf teacher resource site developed and maintained by Janet and her partner Patty Connelly
- Information page about Roadmap to Literacy on the Waldorf Inspirations site-- including the table of contents and sample pages.
- To order the book from Rudolf Steiner College Bookstore.
As I mention in the podcast, this is a book you'll want to have. It lays out the language arts curriculum for the first three grades, saving the trouble so many Waldorf teachers have had in the past, reinventing the wheel and "Waldorf-izing" mainstream resources.
Janet has been kind enough to share a free downloadable resource with A Waldorf Journey listeners -- a main lesson planning template. click over to the blog post that goes along with this episode to get the download.
In this episode I interview a former colleague, Jenna Dalton. Jenna has a completely joyful and inspired approach to music and sharing it with children. If you're wondering about how to go about fostering a healthy, joyful and inspired relationship to music for your children, Jenna is a great resource.
If you'd like to learn more about Jenna and the work that she's doing, you can reach out to her at her website Love, Music and Spirit. She offers consultation to parents and teachers who are looking for ways to bring music to their students. As you'll hear on this podcast, she's a delight to work with.
Information about my fall group coaching program.
Support through my Patreon page.
Or by clicking one of my Amazon Affiliate links.
Professional Development for Waldorf Teachers
Choosing your professional development based on theory or approach that inspires you. Examples:
- Waldorf-specific
- Responsive Classroom
- Orton-Gillingham
Choosing your professional development based on subject matter. Examples:
- Classroom management
- Reading instruction
- Math instruction
- Assessment
- Parent work
No matter what kind of professional development you choose, you'll experience some benefits.
- Connecting with other teachers
- Re-inspire your work
- Find new ways of thinking about the work you do
- Learn strategies and techniques that are directly applicable in the classroom.
How to decide what to do. At the beginning of the year outline goals and choose professional development accordingly. Determine your strengths and challenges as a teacher and face the real facts of the aspects of your teaching that you think really needs the most growth. This can be challenging to face, but our work and our students benefit from this kind of honest look at our own work. This is what it means to be a striving Waldorf teacher.
Interested in learning more about my fall teacher coaching program? Click here for the details.
Other ways to support . . .
- a donation through Patreon
- purchasing one of my curriculum guides
- clicking one of the Amazon affiliate links below or anywhere on my site.
Responsive Classroom Resources Teaching Children to Care
The First Six Weeks of School
Responsive Classroom Strategies in this episode
Interactive Modeling https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/what-interactive-modeling/
Morning Meeting https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/category/morning-meeting/
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/what-is-morning-meeting/
The Components of Morning Meeting
- Greeting
- Sharing
- Group Activity
- Morning Message
Hopes and Dreams https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/hopes-and-dreams-in-a-primary-classroom/
NEW! Fall Teaching Coaching Program After launching a wonderfully successful summer planning support group, I'm looking to continue the good colleagueship with teacher coaching groups that will rotate all year long.
We'll have different topics and themes to discuss, depending on the different time of year and lots of different ways to work with the content. The 12-week program includes . . .
- Weekly goals and inspirations via email
- Membership in a private Facebook group
- Weekly group coaching calls
- 2 one-hour individual mentoring sessions
- Unlimited email consultation
I envision this group being perfect for new teachers needing mentoring as well as experienced teachers looking to infuse their teaching greater inspiration and intention.
For a list of topics (ranging from classroom management to parent communication to self-care to report-writing) check out the information page.
If you're ready to apply, here's the link to the application. Group size is limited to 30, so I want to make participants are really able to make use of the program.
Ways to Support Patreon -- Join others and donate simply because you support the work that is going on here. I appreciate it.
Sponsorship -- Do you have a Waldorf business? Get in touch and we can talk about sponsorship opportunities -- on either the blog, podcast or on my email list.
This Week's Content This week I talk all about thinking, feeling and willing and how they appear in the classroom in the various activities we do. I also share some ideas for how teachers can plan ahead and incorporate various activities into their weekly schedule.
"The human organism, that most complex of all natural organisms, can be described as consisting of three systems, working side by side. To a certain extent each functions separately and independently of the others. One of these consists of the life of the nerves and senses. It may be named, after the part where it is more or less centered, the head organism. Second, comes what we need to recognize as another branch if we really want to understand the human organism, the rhythmic system. This includes the breathing and the circulation of the blood, everything that finds expression in rhythmic processes in the human organism. The third must be recognized as consisting of all those organs that have to do with the actual transformation of matter — the metabolic process. These three systems comprise everything that, duly coordinated, keeps the whole human complex in healthy working order.” -- Rudolf Steiner
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 Care
A blog post about getting ready for movable classroom
I intend to write a more thorough summary of my experiences of the movable classroom -- with photos of benches, cushions, and a more how-to approach, but because this is one of the most common questions I get from my readers, I thought I'd start with a podcast episode.
I've included some photos and links below, but hopefully I'll have something more thorough to share eventually. (Definitely click through to the blog post to see this content.)
Ways to Support
Patreon -- Join others and donate simply because you support the work that is going on here. I appreciate it.
Sponsorship -- Do you have a Waldorf business? Get in touch and we can talk about sponsorship opportunities -- on either the blog, podcast or on my email list.
Spring Update
This time of year is all about beginnings and endings!
Endings -- The year is wrapping up and I'm enjoying reflecting on the work we've done. If you're doing that too, and thinking a lot about the end-of-year reports that you'll need to write -- take a look at my 30 Days Till Summer Report Writing Challenge eBook. It'll give you the little extra boost of motivation you need to get those reports written! And I'm offering it at a 20% discount right now -- just a little over $10.
Beginnings -- Summer planning! There's nothing I love more than a new beginning and I just LOVE my summer planning time. (I'm a bit of a nerd that way.) I've thought A LOT about the best way to go about planning and I've put together a course that is all about Waldorf planning. You can check it out here if you want more info.
Also, if you're interested in becoming part of a little mastermind/summer planning support group, send me an email. I'm thinking about how we can support and keep each other accountable with weekly check-ins. I'm super-excited about putting something together, and I'd love to hear it if you are too. Click here to email me.
Movable Classroom Takeaways
Take a listen to the podcast to get a more elaborate description of these things, but for now I'm just copying and pasting my rough notes here. Reach out if you have questions.
Description of the movable classroom set up in my room.
- Primary benefit – flexibility. We could move our benches and have a clear open area in less than a minute. Also pushing benches together and working in stations. This lets students chat with each other while they work, which is a skill I want them to learn.
- Next – Opportunities for movement – I definitely didn’t make use of all of the possibilities – if you do a search you’ll find suggestions for stacking benches 3 high, piling up the cushions – lots of different things. I played it safe, but still found so many different ways my students could move with their benches. Every day my students stand on, jump off, sit on and write on their benches.
- Core strength – most common posture my students use with them benches is sitting on it. Because the bench doesn’t have a back, they must hold themselves up. When we’ve had parent meetings, the parents get tired of sitting on the benches after a little while, but my students are strong and sit up straight.
- Think through the different ways your students will interact with their benches and set a framework. The first few weeks of school are about teaching your students the correct postures. Process for handing out cushions, etc.
- Don’t worry about the W sit. I did lots of research and found just as much evidence
Episode #26 – Top 5 Waldorf Resources
Welcome to A Waldorf Journey, a podcast for teachers, parents, students and people who are passionate about Waldorf Education. I’m Meredith and I’m glad you’re here.
You can find shownotes for this episode, along with a lot more useful content on my website, awaldorfjourney.com. While you’re there sign up for the newsletter to receive updates about new content on the blog and podcast.
You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as awaldorfjourney.
Today is Sunday, March 4 and this is episode #25. I’m happy to talk to you today about some of my favorite Waldorf resources. These are the books that I have turned to again and again, gifted to friends and loaned out over and over. If you are a Waldorf teacher or homeschooler or just want to know more about Waldorf education, these are books that you’ll want to have on your shelf.
First thing to mention: If you want to stay up to date with updates on the blog and podcast you can get on my email list by texting the word WALDORF to 444999. You’ll get a message back with an option to enter your email address and get added to the list. I send updates out 3 or 4 times a month, when there is something new on the blog or podcast.
Also, if you’re teaching the lower grades, I’ve got a handy little worksheet that can help you track your students’ progress and development. I’m finding it really useful as I prepare to write end of year reports, which is right around the corner. If you go to http://www.awaldorfjourney.com/skills you’ll find a little form and you can put your email address in and I’ll send it to you.
Ways to Support
There are a few other things you can do to help support the blog and podcast, and one of them is by supporting on Patreon. I’ve linked to it in the show notes.
I think it’s a great little platform where you can simply express your appreciation and support of the podcast with a cash donation. It’s kind of a novel idea – paying for something you can easily get for free – but it’s a good thing to do and definitely much appreciated.
Curriculum Materials
If you are a Waldorf teacher or homeschooler, check out the curriculum materials I have available on the site. I've recently released more guides for the upper grades, including 7th grade Human Physiology and 8th grade Physics and Meteorology.
Amazon
The other way that is definitely relevant to this podcast, is to make purchases on Amazon by following the links on my website. Every time you do Amazon gives me a little bonus, at no extra cost to you. If you’re making purchases for holiday shopping, please consider clicking through one of the links on my site.
All of the links to products in the show notes are Amazon affiliate links and if you click before purchasing I get a small cut of whatever you spend. It’s a simple way to support the podcast, doing something you were probably going to do anyway.
Sponsorship
Finally, if you have a business that you think my audience would be interested in – Waldorf supplies, dolls, books, homeschooling or crafting materials, and you’d like my audience members to know about it, get in touch. You can email me at Meredith@awaldorfjourney.com. I’m being pretty picky about sponsors for the blog and podcast, but I’d love to talk to you to see if we’re a good fit.
Top 5 Waldorf Books
School is a Journey by Torin Finser
The Tasks and Content of the Steiner Waldorf Curriculum by Kevin Avison and Martyn Rawson
Teaching Children to Care by Ruth Si
How do you maintain the values that support your child's Waldorf Education at home during the holidays? It can be tricky with all the busy-ness during this time of year. In this episode I talk about the holidays, the challenges we face and how we can get through this busy time of year feeling happy and healthy.
In the episode I refer to a couple of posts I recently wrote about gift-giving during the holidays. You can check them out by hitting the links below.
Art Supplies through the Grades
Books through the Grades
Ways to Support the Podcast Join the email list by texting WALDORF to 444999 and get updates about the blog and podcast right in your inbox.
First Grade Basics I'm so glad to be releasing my first grade basics package! It's got all of the documents that I put together at the beginning of the school year to set myself up for the year. If you're a homeschooler or teacher looking at teaching first grade in the future, this is a great resource.
Maybe you're a teacher training student trying to wrap your mind around taking a class and teaching first grade in the future -- this package can get you in the right frame of mind.
In this package you'll find . . .
- My 1st grade block rotation, along with the thoughts that went into creating it
- My 1st grade morning rhythm
- The songs and verses that I use in my morning rhythm
- Our 1st grade weekly schedule
- A 1st grade skills checklist (get this one for free by putting your email address in the form on this page.)
- My sample 1st grade back to school letter
- A great conflict resolution tool to help first graders work things out.
All of these resources will get you set up to teach first grade for only $12. I hope to be releasing individual block plans in the future, but for now this basics package will go a long way towards getting you started.
Amazon Click any of the Amazon links on this site and a small portion of your purchase will end up in my pocket. This is a nice and easy way to support by spending the money you were going to spend anyway. Remember to think of supporting A Waldorf Journey before making your big back-to-school supply purchase.
Patreon I love the idea behind Patreon. Imagine paying for something you can easily get for free, without anyone even knowing. But it feels good to make the donation and it is much appreciated.
Curriculum Materials and Resources See if any of the digital documents I’ve got for offer on the site can help support your Waldorf teaching or homeschooling.
Sponsorship If you have a Waldorf business you think my listeners would like, get in touch. You can become a sponsor on the podcast. You can get more information about sponsorship opportunities over at my sponsor page.
Shownotes Most of the things I talk about in this episode can be found in my blog post about planning supplies.
Here are links to some of the products I talk about. Many of these are Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting the podcast.
- Planner from Plum Paper (email me at meredith@awaldorfjourney.com if you want the referral email for 10% off)
- Semikolon A4 Bound Linen Blank Book
- Clairefontaine My Essential notebook
- Clairefontaine Staple-Bound Notebook
- Clairefontaine Wire-Bound French Ruled Notebook
- Rhodiarama Web Notebook
- TWSBI Eco Fountain Pen
- Pilot Kakuno
- Pilot Metropolitan
- TWSBI Diamond Fountain Pen
- Noodler’s Ink 54th Massachusetts
- Diamine Shimmer Fountain Pen I
I'm happy to finally be back talking to you after my big trip with my kids to Central America. It took me awhile to get back on my feet after starting the new year with a new group of students, and it's harder to find time to record, but I'm determined to find the time.
In this episode I talk a bit about the things I notice about teaching 1st grade, in comparison to middle school. It's a whole different ball of beeswax, and not necessarily in the ways I thought.
Either way, I'm just loving it and enjoying finding new challenges and getting to know new families.
Join the email list by texting WALDORF to 444999 and get updates about the blog and podcast right in your inbox.
Amazon Click any of the Amazon links on my site and a small portion of your purchase will end up in my pocket. This is a nice and easy way to support by spending the money you were going to spend anyway. Remember to think of supporting A Waldorf Journey before making your big back-to-school supply purchase.
Patreon I love the idea behind Patreon. Imagine paying for something you can easily get for free, without anyone even knowing. But it feels good to make the donation and it is much appreciated.
Curriculum Materials and Resources See if any of the digital documents I’ve got for offer on the site can help support your Waldorf teaching or homeschooling.
Ways to Support the Podcast Join the email list by texting WALDORF to 444999 and get updates about the blog and podcast right in your inbox.
Amazon Click any of the Amazon links on this site and a small portion of your purchase will end up in my pocket. This is a nice and easy way to support by spending the money you were going to spend anyway. Remember to think of supporting A Waldorf Journey before making your big back-to-school supply purchase.
Patreon I love the idea behind Patreon. Imagine paying for something you can easily get for free, without anyone even knowing. But it feels good to make the donation and it is much appreciated.
Curriculum Materials and Resources See if any of the digital documents I’ve got for offer on the site can help support your Waldorf teaching or homeschooling.
Sponsorship This is a brand new program I am launching, inspired by the flood of traffic I have received in recent weeks. If you have a Waldorf-friendly business and want to get connected with my audience, I am offering advertising space on the blog and podcast, as well as sponsored posts for products I think my audience would appreciate. You can get more information about sponsorship opportunities over at my sponsor page.
Shownotes Check out the series of blog posts about the rhythm of main lesson.
- Warm-up
- Review
- Bookwork
- New Content
I also mention a resource written by Kevin Avison with a list of review activities.
As I record this, I am in the midst of preparing my new classroom, getting my house ready for our summer-long absence and finishing up my end-of-year reports. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but I’m excited to leave you all with some content to enjoy while I’m gone.
Ways to Support the Podcast
Join the email list by texting WALDORF to 444999 and get updates about the blog and podcast right in your inbox.
Amazon
Click any of the Amazon links on this site and a small portion of your purchase will end up in my pocket. This is a nice and easy way to support by spending the money you were going to spend anyway. Remember to think of supporting A Waldorf Journey before making your big back-to-school supply purchase.
Patreon
I love the idea behind Patreon. Imagine paying for something you can easily get for free, without anyone even knowing. But it feels good to make the donation and it is much appreciated.
Curriculum Materials and Resources
See if any of the digital documents I've got for offer on the site can help support your Waldorf teaching or homeschooling.
Sponsorship
This is a brand new program I am launching, inspired by the flood of traffic I have received in recent weeks. If you have a Waldorf-friendly business and want to get connected with my audience, I am offering advertising space on the blog and podcast, as well as sponsored posts for products I think my audience would appreciate. You can get more information about sponsorship opportunities over at my sponsor page.
Shownotes
I wrote a series of posts about main lesson rhythm awhile ago. Here is the one about the morning warm-up. There is some good information there, but not as thorough as what I talk about in the podcast. I've learned a lot since then.
My favorite games books (mentioned in the podcast.)
The New Games Book
Games Children Play
Games For the Playground Home School and Gymnasium
In the past couple of years I encountered a more mainstream philosophy that lines up really well with the Waldorf understanding of the warm-up as I learned it in my teacher training.
Responsive Classroom philosophy suggests that every day begins with a 20-30 minute period of time called “morning meeting.” When I read about the 20-30 minute period of time as Responsive Classroom describes it, it resonated very strongly with my Waldorf experience. When I realized how great these ideas worked together, I realized that Responsive Classroom resources would work really well when it came to creating my morning warm-up activities.
Responsive Classroom Resources
The Morning Meeting Book
Morning Meeting Ideas for Grades 1-3
Doing Math in Your Morning Meeting
Doing Language Arts in Your Morning Meeting
99 Activities and Greetings for Your Morning Meeting
I often have a hard time finding activities that are fun, engaging and all about warming my students up so they’re ready for the lesson.
Responsive Classroom suggests that the “morning meeting” which we refer to as the warm-up in Waldorf education includes 4 elements
• Greeting
• Sharing
• Group Activity
• Morning Message
In the podcast I go through each one of these and talk about how they line up with Waldorf, what they look like in the classroom, and why they are essential for warming your students up. Along the way, I give some suggestions for activities and some resources that can give you more ideas.
Imagine each of these activities as a gradual arriving at school, connecting with each other and getting ready to start the day.
Summer is upon us and it is often the most difficult time to maintain a regular daily rhythm. It is natural to become a bit more loose with your daily rhythm when school lets out and the summer sun is calling us to spend more time outside, but don't abandon your rhythmic ways completely.
This episode is all about rhythm and how to keep it going in a comfortable way throughout the summer.
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Shownotes Types of rhythm
- yearly (the seasons)
- monthly (many things in the financial realm)
- weekly (weekdays/weekends)
- daily (mealtimes, waking and sleeping)
A great article about rhythm at Lavender's Blue Homeschool website.
Rhythm should support:
- Your family's well-being (meals, self-care, etc.)
- Your family's culture and values
Rhythm Hacks
- Start with where you are. Don't do what I did when I suddenly decided to turn my family into morning people. I recognized the value of spending some time outside every day, but it didn't need to happen first thing in the morning.
- Think of the things that must happen and build around them.
- Create a rhythm that is unique to your family. Don't look up the activities that happen in a Waldorf kindergarten and build on that. Identify the things that are important to your family and look for ways to strengthen those values.
How to Improve Your Family's Daily Rhythm
- Start with an observation of a typical day. Write out your activities, especially the key moments -- waking, sleeping, mealtimes, etc. Write down times if you know them. If not, just write out the flow of the day. What stands out and was significant about the day?
- Was your family's well-being supported by the rhythm you lived out this day? did the meals get made, the dishes washed, the teeth brushed, etc.? Usually these are the first things to be done, so you may feel pretty good about your rhythm when it comes to your family's well-being.
- What is one aspect of your family's well-being that could have been better supported this day?
- Change one aspect of your rhythm to better support your family's well-being.
- Take another look at your summary of your daily rhythm and ask yourself the following question. What family values does this rhythm express?
- Identify what values your family has that are not expressed in this rhythm. Would someone looking from the outside guess that outside time/reading every day/doing chores together is
I hope you enjoy A Waldorf Journey Podcast, a Waldorf podcast for parents, teachers and people passionate about Waldorf Education. Each week I hope to provide you with interesting and relevant content about Waldorf Education. I hope you’ll subscribe in iTunes and give me a review or a star rating.
If you’re interested in participating by suggesting a topic, asking a question or even being interviewed, don’t hesitate to drop me a note.
Ways You Can Support the Podcast Patreon — Make a donation. Per episode, per month, one-time donation — it’s up to you and much appreciated on my end.
Purchasing the resources on my site — Get The Waldorf Home ebook, one of my curriculum guides or my guide to record-keeping and feedback.
One of my most popular guides right now is my 30 Days Till Summer Report-Writing Guide. This guide will walk you through, day by day, and get you in the frame of mind to get your reports done by July 1. I'm sure you'll find it helpful in your efforts to get your reports done, and not wallow away working on them all summer long.
Order my 30 Days Till Summer Report-Writing Guide. Amazon — Many of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. This means that a small percentage of anything you purchase goes towards supporting the work that is happening here at A Waldorf Journey (at no additional cost to you). It’s an easy way to support the podcast and blog with purchases that you were going to make anyway!
My Conversation with Jean Miller of Waldorf Inspired Learning I had such a great time chatting with Jean and she referred to some pretty useful resources. Here are links to some of the things we talked about.
Alan Whitehead's Spiritual Syllabus -- Most of these resources are out of print, but there are a few still available on Waldorf Books.
Stephen Sagarin's blog -- What is Education
Jean's Taproot Training
Jean's Online Planning Group Plan It Out
Jean's article about the Seven Lively Arts
Contact Jean.
Ways You Can Support the Podcast Patreon — Make a donation. Per episode, per month, one-time donation — it’s up to you and much appreciated on my end.
Purchasing the resources on my site — Get The Waldorf Home ebook, one of my curriculum guides or my guide to record-keeping and feedback.
Since you're listening to this podcast about writing your end-of-year reports, you might be interested in my 30 Days Till Summer Report-Writing Guide. This guide will walk you through, day by day, and get you in the frame of mind to get your reports done by July 1. This year I'm spending 6 weeks of the summer on the road, so I'll definitely want to get my reports done. I pulled out this handy document and found all kinds of support, tips and reminders about how to get those reports done in a way that is efficient and enjoyable.
Order my 30 Days Till Summer Report-Writing Guide. Amazon — Many of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. This means that a small percentage of anything you purchase goes towards supporting the work that is happening here at A Waldorf Journey. It’s an easy way to support the podcast and blog with purchases that you were going to make anyway!
The Waldorf End-of-Year Report What parents want * to know that you know and understand their child. * an update about how academic skills are progressing. * confirmation that their child is doing well and that they made a good decision to send their child to a Waldorf school.
What you want * to reinforce parents' confidence in you as a teacher -- make sure the report is professional, free of spelling or grammar mistakes. * to document results of assessments, questions and concerns. * to convey your enthusiasm and pride for the student and everything that he or she has accomplished. * to give well-wishes for the summer, along with summer reading suggestions, activities, etc.
What the report is NOT for * Finally expressing the big concern or worry you've never spoken about. There should be nothing in the end-of-year report that the parent has not heard before. No new information. No big surprisees. * Conveying big concerning information in a more powerful way, hoping that the parents will finally listen this time.
Format Lower grades -- narrative form, overview of the year that is the same for every child, 1-2 pages about individual child in all of the important areas. Keep in mind thinking, feeling and willing.
Middle grades -- Still narrative but can include rubric. Be careful about going too quantitative. Some parents find it reassuring, others find it scary.
Upper grades -- Collection of block reports with 1-page letter/narrative with warm fuzzy information about individual child, appreciation and anecdote.
Ways You Can Support the Podcast Patreon -- Make a donation. Per episode, per month, one-time donation -- it's up to you and much appreciated on my end.
Purchasing the resources on this site -- Get The Waldorf Home ebook, one of my curriculum guides or my guide to record-keeping and feedback.
Amazon -- Many of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. This means that a small percentage of anything you purchase goes towards supporting the work that is happening here at A Waldorf Journey. It's an easy way to support the podcast and blog with purchases that you were going to make anyway!
As the school year winds to a close, all the teachers at my school are starting to think about next year. We're looking at our new classrooms, making plans for summer trainings and ordering supplies.
Every year I find the supply ordering to be one of the most challenging tasks. It's just so hard to get in the right frame of mind for the next school year when the current year hasn't yet ended. But there are great discounts to be had if you order your supplies early, so it's a good idea to make an effort to wrap your mind around it and make that order.
This episode is all about helping you figure out the supplies you might want to order to be ready for the next school year. It's hard to cover all of the supplies you'll need for 8 different grades, but I make a pretty good effort here.
I've also written about the topic before. You can check out these posts for more information about supplies.
Note: The links on this page and the pages linked below are mostly Amazon affiliate links. When click through my site and make your purchase Amazon gives me a little bonus. This doesn't cost you anything extra and is a nice, easy way for you to support A Waldorf Journey.
My best resource is the list I put together that I link at the top of the page on the site. I get so many questions about supplies, I decided to put everything together in one place.
Waldorf Drawing Supplies Your Child Must Have -- I wrote this during the summer before teaching 8th grade. Some of the supplies mentioned are better suited to the upper grades, but they're worth checking out for younger students, too.
Waldorf Supplies for 4th Grade
Handmade School Supplies
Waldorf Supplies -- A Fresh Look
Ordering Supplies -- I wrote this post before my second time through 6th grade. I made some different choices that year than I did the third time through. The main difference was working in large main lesson books. I really liked the larger format but when I came to 6th grade again my new school had a tradition of working on loose paper and binding books together in 6th grade. I ended up liking the flexibility of this approach much more.
Places to Order Supplies Mercurius
Dick Blick
Amazon
In this episode I go through my process in planning my main lessons and how the two contrasting ideas of form and freedom come into play.
Mentioned resource: The Educational Tasks and Content of the Steiner Waldorf Curriculum
The aspects of my lessons that bring more form:
- The curriculum (the particular block, must-tell stories) -- History blocks tend to be a bit more prescribed than other blocks.
- Resources -- The resources I use certainly form and limit my lessons.
- Skill-building benchmarks -- Some skill-building activities (like reading and writing) are non-negotiable.
- Time limitations -- Time is definitely a limiting factor that makes us pick and choose wisely.
The aspects of my lessons that bring more freedom:
- Teacher interest (with both content and activities)
- Student interest (content and activities)
- The transformation of the content that occurs in the night.
We can't have our lessons be at either end of the spectrum. We couldn't plan out every aspect of our lessons months in advance, without leaving time for any freedom or inspiration.
By the same token, if we don't plan our lessons at all and allow teacher interest, student interest and the whim of the day to dictate where our lessons go, we run the risk of missing out on some of the gifts of the curriculum and the development of certain required skills.
So accomplishing this balance is definitely an art. In the rest of the episode I talk about my experiences navigating this balance.
At the end of the episode I share a listener question about whether Waldorf teachers, especially kindergarten teachers, can wear the color black. I give my opinions and feelings about it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Share in the comments.
Today I'm heading into the list of questions that I've received from listeners in the past few weeks. Hope you enjoy.
Want to subscribe to my email list? Head to A Waldorf Journey or text WALDORF to 444999. You'll receive an email with a link to download my free main lesson review sheet.
Question #1 What do you think about unschooling vs. Waldorf education.
Though I'm no expert when it comes to unschooling, I'm happy to share some of my thoughts about the merits of the Waldorf curriculum, which is a far cry from unschooling. Some of the things I talk about . . .
- Free-spirited, non-traditionally educated parents finding a home in Waldorf and expecting it to be a bit freer and more alternative than it really is. Waldorf is definitely not unschooling.
- Waldorf as a developmental curriculum. The genius of Waldorf is that it brings just the right content at just the right time for the developmental stage of the child. The child's own interests may not lead them in that direction.
- The importance of will-development. There is value in finding something difficult and pushing through and doing it anyway.
- All education is self-education. I believe in this statement and perhaps this is the place where Waldorf Education and unschooling overlap.
Question #2 Struggles with limiting media due to outside influences (friends and relatives with more media exposure.) Child asks for movies and video games all the time.
The struggle is real! It's not going to go away. There used to be a time you could get rid of your TV and pretend that it just didn't exist. It is a rare family that can manage that these days. This means you have to handle things differently.
- Make media access times as rhythmic as possible. Often this rhythm will solve the problem on its own. But if not . . .
- Try to view it as an opportunity to for parenting. You get (yet another) opportunity to remind your child that you care enough to set a boundary (as exhausting as it may be.)
- Don't beat yourself up. Don't feel like your child "shouldn't" be asking to use media again. If they're asking, all it means is that you get to answer again. It doesn't mean that you're somehow failing as a Waldorf parent.
- Don't be afraid to use consequences and rewards. If you are really tired of your child asking for access to media again, set a boundary. Maybe asking 3 times outside of the regular media access time means time is reduced.
Finally -- fight the good fight. This is definitely a cause worth getting behind. Reducing media will make a huge difference for your child.
Question #3 Resources?
- Jean's list of resources at Waldorf-Inspired Learning is the best (she's why I haven't created an exhaustive post of my own.)
- If you've got a school in your area, try to make a visit happen. Even if you can't enroll your child yet, you can make connections and find out about educational opportunities.
- If you don't have a school in your area, see about visiting one for a special speaker night.
- See about attending a training course at one of the Waldorf teacher training institutes. I highly recommend Sound Circle Center in Seattle and Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento. Even their weekend courses for parents are fantastic and a great way for parents with young children at home to access some Waldorf inspiration.
- If you're looking for books, check out my other site -- Waldorf Reviews. I haven't updated in awhile, but there are some good resources there. (I recently found a post I wrote years ago about the resources I used for my anatomy block. It got me going in t
In this episode I address two questions that came to me from the A Waldorf Journey Teacher Tribe Facebook Group. If you'd like to become a member, head on over and send a request and I'll approve you quick as a wink. (I'm pretty careful about spam, though, so if your profile isn't clear that you're an honest-to-goodness hopeful member, send me a message through FB.) The other thing I mention in this podcast is Patreon. Please take a look A Waldorf Journey on Patreon and consider supporting the podcast with a donation. I just love this platform that allows content consumers to support creators with cash donations. Your cash donation will help pay the hosting fees that come along with creating a podcast like this. You can make one time or per episode donations. Every little bit is appreciated.
Student Absences This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I talk a lot about my philosophy of how to manage student absences, what teachers should be responsible for and how to communicate with parents about it. My basic idea: Waldorf Education is a living, breathing thing that cannot be recreated for absent students. Most often I find that it is just best to let work go, rather than try to help absent students catch up. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it, though, so share your ideas in the comments below or on the Facebook group.
Pre-Teen Struggles Sort of a two-part question -- I talk about how to cultivate an attitude in yourself that can help you through those challenging, adolescent-attitude moments with your students, and I also talk about how to guide students through struggles that they might have with one another. Two pieces of advice:
- Be ready to resolved struggles, especially after recess.
- Give students a formulaic script to begin difficult conversations and guide them through step-by-step. Starting with a respectful script can get the conversation off on the right foot, even if they need to break from the script to really get at the heart of the matter.
Some resources I've used: I Statements The following script spent a few months at the top of our chalkboard in 4th grade.
I feel ______________ when _______________ because ______________. I would like ________________.
We found that just about any conversation could start out this way, but it took awhile for the students to get the hang of it. We did lots of interactive modeling and working through sample imaginary situations before using it to work through a real one. The format involves the other person first echoing what the person said and then making their own I statement. Talk it Out by Barbara Porro I former colleague recommended this book to me and it is a fantastic one for helping students learn to manage their own conflicts. Please take some time to leave a star rating or review in iTunes or drop me a note (meredith@awaldorfjourney.com) to let me know what you think of the podcast or if there are any topics you'd like to hear me talk about.
I recently put out a call for questions on social media and received some great topic ideas. I thought about plowing through all of the questions in one episode but realized that many of the questions deserve their own episode. This is one of those questions.
In this episode I go through the comments and reactions I get when I tell people I've taught the same group of students for five years. I share my own thoughts about the experience and the various looping models I have seen in place at various Waldorf schools.
What kind of looping arrangement does your school work with? Do you like it? What do you consider to be the biggest benefits of teaching the same students for several years. Drawbacks?
Participate in the conversation by commenting on the website.
In this episode I am happy to address the topic that I hear about the most from Waldorf parents -- media and screen-time. Though the benefits of limiting screen-time are clear, many Waldorf parents struggle with how to make limited media a reality in their homes.
Some of the things you'll hear about in this episode include . . .
- My kindergarten parent evening story that brought home the importance of limiting media exposure
- A teacher's perspective on why you should limit media exposure
- Strategies for making it easier to minimize media exposure in your home
- Suggestions for healthy ways to engage with media when you do decide to allow screen-time
It's a complicated and challenging topic that can inspire guilt and shame in parents who don't manage it as well as they would like, and my goal is to minimize those negative feelings by empowering parents to make conscious decisions that work for their own families.
Media Episode Notes Some of the things I mention in the podcast . . .
My new ebook The Waldorf Home. Now available for purchase and download
Our Facebook group A Waldorf Journey | Teacher Tribe
The Facebook page A Waldorf Journey
American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations
Are you interested in hearing some thoughts about the challenges of media for older children and teenagers? Social media brings along with it a whole different set of challenges that parents need to think through and carefully guide for their children. Is this a challenge you are facing? Let me know in the comments if this is a relevant topic for you and your family!
Resources Other media-exposure and screen-free resources
Media Mindfulness from the Denver Waldorf School
Media and Waldorf Education YouTube video from the Marin Waldorf School
Media Philosophy from the Waldorf School of the Peninsula
My students and I had a difficult reaction to the presidential election and the day after turned out to be one of the most difficult days of my teaching career. That day inspired the topic of this episode -- Working with Children When You're Emotional.
There are lots of different ideas out there about whether parents should conceal their emotions from their children or not. In this episode I talk a bit about my thoughts on the matter and share some of my own experiences.
I apologize for the coughing and my shaky voice -- I'm still recovering from a cold.
Some of the things I mention in this episode:
My new ebook The Waldorf Home. Please check out the website for more information. It's all about using the power of connection to create a more conscious and intentional homelife. I'd love to hear your questions and stories about creating a Waldorf home. Email me at meredith@awaldorfjourney.com. Your content could be featured in the book!
Check out this Psychology Today article about showing emotion in front of children.
Read the blog post about my post-election lesson plan.
I'd love to hear about your experiences discussing the election, or other upsetting topics with your children. What do you do when you're emotional and you must go on caring for your children? These are the things that challenge us most as parents and teachers. Let's support each other with our ideas.
This week I talk about a lively conversation that happened recently in the Facebook group. I hope you'll enjoy the episode. Here are links to some of the things I talk about.
The blog post for this episode.
A Waldorf Journey Facebook Group
Learning Disabilities of America website
Trainings Remedial Education Training Program at Rudolf Steiner College
Rudolf Steiner Centre Healing Education And Remedial Training
Books The Extra Lesson by Audrey McAllen -- Unfortunately this book must be out of print. It is sold out at Rudolf Steiner College bookstore and ridiculously expensive on Amazon.
The Symphony of Reflexes by Bonnie Brandes
Therapies and Remedial Strategies The Handle Institute
Therapeutic Eurythmy
Orton-Gillingham
Barton Method
Lindamood Bell
Cranio-Sacral Therapy
Email me at meredith@awaldorfjourney.com.
When I first started teaching I remember feeling overwhelmed by the idea of filling two hours with creative, inspiring and interesting content. I worried that I would present all of my material within a half hour and my students would be expectantly looking at me for more for the last hour and a half of main lesson.
These days my inclination is to go the other direction. I never have enough time to bring all of the content and experiences I want to share with my students.
Whichever side of the spectrum you tend to gravitate towards, the key is planning with purpose and consciousness. Make sure you are aware of the amount of time you are spending on each component of your lesson and be clear about the content you want to share during the time you have with your students.
The Waldorf main lesson typically is made of 4 components --
- Warm-Up
- Review
- New Content
- Bookwork
Each component could be an entire podcast of its own, which I hope to get to one day, but until then, you can read my blog post series on each component by following the links above.
How you order these parts is up to you, and that's what I go into in this episode. Take a listen for more information about the different scenarios.
Scenario #1 * Warm-Up * Review * Bookwork * New Content
Scenario #2 * Warm-Up * Review * New Content * Bookwork
Scenario #3 * Warm-Up * New Content * Review * Bookwork
What structure to you prefer? Share in the comments below. Or join the Facebook group!
I'm so grateful to have this interview with Natalie Norman to share with you this week. Natalie is our school's fifth grade teacher and college chair and she has shared with me her very thoughtful and intentional meditative practice. I know that this is an area of our work that doesn't come easily to many Waldorf teachers, and Natalie gives some great suggestions for getting started and setting yourself up for a successful meditative practice.
Here are some of the resources that Natalie mentions in the course of our conversation.
Guided Meditations Abraham Hicks' General Well-Being Meditation on YouTube
Wayne Dyer I Am Meditation on YouTube
General Meditation Books The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer
The Law of Attraction by Esther Hicks
Steiner / Anthroposophy Books Finding Your Self by Torin Finser
Knowledge of Higher Worlds by Rudolf Steiner
Anthroposophy in Every Day Life by Rudolf Steiner
Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path by Rudolf Steiner
This week I had the good fortune to interview Janet Allison of Boys Alive! for the podcast.
Janet is a family coach and Waldorf mentor and evaluator. She is the author of Boys Alive! Bring Out Their Best and the host of BOY TALK a monthly podcast in which she interviews "parenting experts and expert parents" on a monthly theme.
For more information about Janet's work, check out her website or email her at janet@boysalive.com.
During the interview Janet mentioned a few resources that you parents and teachers might find useful.
The Boys Alive! private Facebook group is a fantastic resource for parents seeking support from a community of parents and teachers caring for boys together. The group is closed, so just request membership to become a part of the great things that are going on there.
Check out the Boys Alive! blog where you can find an extensive index of topics that parents and teachers of boys face.
During our conversation, Janet mentioned a series of posts she did about boys and gun play. You can find that series by following this link.
Resource Books The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian
The Wonder of Girls by Michael Gurian
Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children by Sharifa Oppenheimer
I've just returned from a family vacation to the redwoods and I'm ready to jump in with both feet getting ready for school to start. There's a lot to do but it's coming together and I've got a plan. I'll share that with you today.
The Calendar
We've got three weeks before school starts and here's how I'm using them.
this week -- my last week of curriculum planning
- week 1 -- Europe leading to colonization
- week 2 -- the colonies
- week 3 -- the revolution
- week 4 -- the French Revolution
Things I'm thinking about:
Balancing Depth and Breadth
I like to teach history through biography and they are great for going deep with the content. To study someone's life and learn how that person's life influenced the world and formed the world you live in today is a really powerful thing, but it's easy to get stuck on one person's story and not cover the breadth of content that is needed.
My plan for this block is to tell one or two biographies in a given week and use the in-between days for covering the gaps and moving through the historical content. I also plan to use my students' reading to give them more in-depth views, as well.
Social Learning
I share some of my thoughts about social learning, why I'm not naturally drawn to it and why I'm trying to turn that around and give my students more experiences of social learning.
Shameless Self-Promotion
Here is the form to receive the main lesson book evaluation form (see blog at www.awaldorfjourney.com).
My Record-Keeping and Feedback Course has just gone live and I'm really excited to keep it affordable so more people can realize the value of giving feedback to parents and students. You'll get lots of pdf downloads and some audio recordings of my thoughts about how to give parents and students feedback throughout the grades.
Enrollment in my Curriculum Planning E-Course comes to a close at the end of the month. If you're feeling like you could use some guidance in planning your year, this course is for you. It lays out all of the things you need to think about in putting your year together and I think you'll find it really valuable. I'm also happy to include three mentoring hours. I'm determined that you'll get what you need out of this course, so don't hesitate to email me if you've got any questions -- meredith@awaldorfjourney.com
This week's Calendar of the Soul verse:
I feel strange power, bearing fruit
And gaining strength to give myself to me.
I sense the seed maturing
And expectation, light-filled, weaving
Within me on my selfhood's power.
How I Plan My Blocks | A Waldorf Journey Podcast, Episode #5 Thanks so much for listening. Please take a moment and head to iTunes and leave a star rating or review so other listeners can find the podcast.
At the beginning of this episode I talk about a recent interview that I heard with the founder of Patreon Jack Conte. I’m really inspired by the idea behind Patreon and I’d be so honored if you became a patron of A Waldorf Journey Podcast. You can do this by hitting this link.
Record-Keeping Post I’m still thinking about record-keeping, which was the topic of the last podcast, and I wrote a blog post about putting together a record-keeping plan recently. In that post I included an email form and if you fill it out I will send you a sample of the Main Lesson Book Evaluation form that I used with my students in 5th grade. I think you’ll find the form really helpful. I’ve included the form in these shownotes, as well, so feel free to fill it out and I’ll get that sent off to you. (And if you’re already a subscriber of A Waldorf Journey, don’t worry, you won’t get duplicate content.)
Block Planning In the rest of this episode I talk about the process I used to plan my Physics and Meteorology block. To make sure it’s helpful for more people, I keep it pretty general, not discussing specific content (well, not very much) but more about the process. Here are some links to things I talk about in the episode.
Dick Blick sketchbook.
A Little History of the World by EM Gombrich
Hydraulics and Aeromechanics: A Demonstration Manual for Use in the Waldorf School Eighth Grade Physics Main Lesson by Mikko Bojarsky
Golden Guide Weather by Paul E. Lehr
Eric Sloane Weather Book
Waldorf Curriculum Planning E-Course
I've just finished writing my reports and I've got lots of thoughts about how to streamline the report-writing process. But thinking about this has got me going to back to the reason why we write those reports in the first place. In this episode I go through my thoughts about the purpose of the Waldorf end-of-year report, whether you're at a school or in a homeschooling environment.
I'm just back from my teacher training week at Rudolf Steiner College and I'm full of ideas for planning for the coming school year.
I hope you enjoy the podcast and if you do, I'd love it if you'd head to iTunes and leave a review or a star rating. Those reviews and star ratings are how people find the podcast, so help spread the word.
Notes This Week Thoughts after my Art of Teaching Grade 8 experience at Rudolf Steiner College.
Discussion about future plans.
Planning
Starting with the big picture and narrowing focus.
8th Grade Block Rotation September/October -- Meteorology/Physics
November -- History
December -- Play/Platonic Solids
January -- Chemistry
February -- The Short Story
March -- History
April -- AnatomyMay -- Geography
June -- History/Current Events
Summer Reading Meteorology/Physics
- The Golden Weather Book
- The Invention of Clouds -- biography of Luke Howard
- William Beebe biography (the co-inventor of the bathysphere)
American Revolution
- Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution by AJ Langguth
- 1776 by David McCullough
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
- The American Soul by Jacob Needleman
French Revolution
- Essential Histories: The French Revolutionary Wars by Gregory Fremont-Barnes
Geography
- Seeds of Change: 6 Plants that Transformed Mankind by Henry Hobhouse
- Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast
End of Main Lesson Verse
May wisdom shine through me
May love glow in me
May strength penetrate me
That in me may arise
A helper for humanity
A servant of sacred things
Selfless and true.
Free 3-Part Video Course Subscribe on the blog to my free 3-part video course about planning your own Waldorf curriculum.
video #1 -- Why plan your own curriculum? What are the challenges you face and how can you overcome them? Why are you the best person to plan curriculum for your students? Planning for the year, month, week and day.
video #2 -- Things to think about when planning your year. A step-by-step guide to thinking about the big picture of your Waldorf curriculum.
video #3 -- Guiding thoughts for planning your month, week and day.
To get the link for the free video, subscribe to my newsletter list. You'll receive my Ultimate Guide to Chalkboard Drawing, as well. If you're already subscribed, you'll get the link to the first video automatically.
I hope you'll share this video course offer with other teachers and homeschoolers who you think might be interested. I'm excited to create a community of teachers working and planning together on A Waldorf Journey and you can help me make that happen!
This week's Calendar of the Soul verse is the 16th week.
To bear in inward keeping spirit bounty
Is stern command of my prophetic feeling,
That ripened gifts divine
Maturing in the depths of soul
To selfhood bring their fruits.
This week I'm on my own (after a failed interview experiment), talking about one of the questions I get asked the most. "What is it like for students who begin attending a Waldorf school during the grades?"
I share some of my observations of students who have joined my classes in the upper grades and talk about the things to consider when thinking about transferring to a Waldorf school.
If you're enjoying listening to the podcast, please leave a comment or a star rating in iTunes so more people can find my podcast.
I hope you enjoy!
~ Meredith
Thanks for listening to Episode #1 of A Waldorf Journey Podcast.
This week I share mostly about myself, my journey to Waldorf Education and a little bit about my experiences as a teacher. I've also got some book recommendations for improving your meditation practice, now that the busy school year is over.
Stairway of Surprise by Michael Lipson
Enlivening the Chakra of the Heart by Florin Lowndes
The Calendar of the Soul -- St. John's Tide, June 24
The radiant beauty of the world
Compels my inmost soul to free
God-given powers of my nature
That they may soar into the cosmos,
To take wing from myself
In cosmic light and cosmic warmth.
