The child knows
Human beings live in time. This means that the relationship with their own life changes at different times. [more]
Teachers, do your homework
Having worked for many years as a class teacher, school principal and trainer, I keep seeing how many colleagues and students there are who seem to have little idea whether or not Rudolf Steiner actually said anything on the subject of homework – and if so, what. And even when they were familiar with Steiner’s remarks, they clearly found it difficult to draw the conclusions that arise from them: that would have required a radical abandonment of what we have hitherto been familiar with – both in 1919 and almost 100 years later. [more]
One step at a time. An experience report on introducing cursive handwriting
Maria-Anna Schulze Brüning and Stephan Clauss have published a heartfelt plea calling for the preservation of cursive handwriting. Their conclusion is devastating: every sixth pupil no longer has usable longhand. How, then, can children learn good handwriting and when is the right time to introduce it? [more]
Publisher's View
Envelopment
“Today it’s the school’s birthday!” calls Lena full of anticipation as she puts on her costume for the class play with which she and her class 2 will welcome the new and muuuuuch younger class 1 pupils in an hour. [more]
Living lessons
Language learning in blocks
Block teaching is a particular feature of Waldorf education. At the same time there is a debate as to whether this principle can be extended beyond the classic main lessons to other subjects. [more]
Spotlight
Children need a private life!
“Have we got off now, Mum?” – “Yes.” – “Two days?” – “Two days and this afternoon.” The shoes fly off, followed by the clothes. [more]
Editorial
At a loss
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation has published a study which looked at educational and parenting guides and the underlying styles of education since 1945.* If we look at the curve of their development, we can see that authoritarian and liberal styles of education alternate in monotonous regularity about every ten years. It could thus also be read as the intergenerational fluctuation in the relationship between grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren, whereby it is surprising to note that certain styles of education stubbornly persist. [more]
Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen e.V.