What is a Waldorf School, and what is a Charter School?

Last September marked 90 years since the first Waldorf School opened its doors in Stuttgart Germany, and an important change came to the world’s educational landscape. Since that time, more than 900 Waldorf schools and 1,600 Waldorf early childhood programs have been founded on five continents. Each has its own spirit, responding to its location, the children and parents involved, and the teachers who guide it. In Eugene, we will celebrate our 30th year serving the community this fall; a good time to examine what a Waldorf school is, and why we work to keep it that way.  Occasionally we get questions about what exactly a Waldorf school is, and also about the relationship between Waldorf schools and charter schools that use Waldorf methods.

Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher and artist active at the turn of the last century, worked to promote cultural renewal. Just as a healthy human being thinks, feels and does tasks out of freedom, our society has these three parts as well. Steiner proposed a three fold way of looking at the cultural, economic and legal realms as a way to address imbalances in society. These imbalances manifested then in World Wars, economic disparity, a growing industrialism, and cultural misunderstanding, and continue to be seen today.

The three realms can come into balance and be healing to our world when they are connected with three guiding principals: Freedom (in the cultural realm, we are all free to express our selves and work in artistic ways), Equality (in the legal realm, each of us are equal), and Fraternity (in the economic realm we have a responsibility to care for and support one another.)

In this model, schools are creative and cultural institutions, and must be free from pressures from the other two realms. The work of schools is to create free human beings. Being a good citizen and a skilled worker are important, of course, but those concerns should not have precedence over the individual’s own spirit.

Many teaching methods can support children in building self-esteem, critical thinking, and personal empowerment. However, these qualities must also come with a sense reverence for the world, of responsibility for one another, and of capability to act directly to affect positive change in the world. Waldorf education is uniquely capable in this regard, especially in its spirit and in the methods that have been born from that spirit. However, it bears stating that a school using Waldorf methods without this spirit of freedom and love is not a Waldorf school in the whole sense and purpose of Waldorf education.

Waldorf methods, which have been successful in many different venues, were developed through extensive research by individual teachers and groups working together from Steiner’s indications over the last 90 years. This ongoing work is based on an understanding of child development that considers children’s growth and development physically, emotionally, intellectually and as a individual, unique spiritual being. If any of those aspects are neglected, one does not get a complete and accurate picture of who the child is in a living and evolving way.

Our hope is that charter schools will continue to show that there are alternatives to the currently-dominant, mechanistic mode of public education.  For many parents, Waldorf education is the best alternative, one that is currently only available in its full form at an independent Waldorf school.

- Marina Taylor, with the College of Teachers

Storytelling in Waldorf Early Childhood Classrooms

In Waldorf Schools, children swim in a sea of stories everyday; fairy tales, legends, myths, or biographical stories, depending on the age and developmental level of the children.  Waldorf teachers deliver lessons to the children through clear and beautiful speech, based on a solid and loving relationships developed over time.  All the subjects in Waldorf Schools, including math, reading, history and science, are taught through a living interaction between human beings, in the preschool, kindergarten and grade school.

In the Early Childhood realm, the teachers engage themselves purposefully in an activity, like baking, sewing, or sweeping. Young children learn through imitation. They want to participate with and imitate the adults around them. In a Waldorf early childhood classes the children are allowed to play freely under the warm guidance of the teacher who is engaged in an activity. This activity may resonate with the children who often then incorporate the activity in their play. During the preschool and kindergarten morning, activities are constantly interwoven and enriched with stories.

Benefits of Storytelling and Repetition

Storytelling is vital in the life of a young child. In a Waldorf classroom, often stories are told rather than read from a book. While telling a story that the teacher has memorized, a relationship is established between the child and the adult, a relationship of the heart. “Learning by heart” is different than “learning by rote”. Teachers make the story theirs, and picture and imagine each part. Then, when they pass the story to the young child, a connection is made where the child can live into those pictures. Only then, can the child receive the story in reverence. A connection between the heart of the teacher and the heart of the child is created, and the child’s soul and spirit are nourished.

When hearing a story, children can create their own imaginary pictures, just as the teacher has done. These pictures are not materialized or imposed upon the children. The children are free to create what is necessary for them, in their own life and development, and dream in a healthy way into the stories.

The teacher works to be conscious of using good language syntax, and the content of the story is rich. In the Eugene Waldorf kindergartens teachers choose specific fairy tales from the Brother Grimm, appropriate to the age of the children. The vocabulary selected in these stories draws on words rarely used in everyday language. The phrases themselves are poetically written and rich in pictures. The teacher uses also simpler stories drawn from the realm of nature and the seasons. Often the teachers write their own stories for special occasion or from inspiration.

In a Waldorf class, the same story is repeated many times.  The younger the child, the longer the period of time during which the same story will be repeated. Children love to hear stories again and again. It can give them security and allow them to enter more deeply and imaginatively into the content and language of the story. It allows them to relax for they feel held by a continuum which is extremely nourishing to them. Repetition gives order to children’s worlds, which they need in order to grow in the healthiest fashion.

Many Kinds of Puppet Shows

In a Waldorf Kindergarten, the children listen to and experience the same story for several weeks.  First the teacher tells the story to children for a few days. Then the teacher creates a puppet show out of the same story with simple marionettes. The puppet show will be presented for a few days. Finally, the teacher will involve the children in a play of the story. Often all the children participate in the play. There are very few props, but the children enjoy wearing capes, a crown or a hat to distinguish the characters they represent. The teacher tells the story and the children move along following the story line. By that time, they know the story very well and can recite parts of it.  The children love to act out the story and prior to the play, some will ask the teacher:  “May I be the queen? May I be the bad son?”  The plays are done for a few days, so children can experience different roles.  Then the teacher moves on, introduces a new story, and the rhythm repeats itself.

The puppets used for the puppet shows are handmade by the teachers out of natural material, cotton, wool, silk. They are simply made, often with no facial features, and the differences between them lie principally in the color of the cloth chosen for the outfit. For example, a prince wears a yellow garment and a red cape while a king wears red and purple. A baker will wear white, a woodman brown and dark green and so on. A simple puppet for a three year old child might be a standing puppet, meaning that it can stand on its own without the help of the storyteller. These puppets move about in scenes but do not have much flexibility to gesture on their own.

Marionettes made out of silk can do more. They have arms that the storyteller can move. The marionette can bow, kneel, carry objects, and gesture. These marionettes are more appropriate for children six and older. Six year old children will relish the challenge of manipulating the marionettes themselves. They create their own characters and use them in puppet shows of their own creation to share with classmates. At times, the teacher may call on some children to help with presenting a puppet show. Most puppet shows are done on a table where the scenery is built out of simple material and silk of appropriate colors with minimal added details.  The soothing gentle colors of the fabric help the child to dream into the story.

In general, the teacher tells the story with a melodious voice without dramatization.  This helps avoid personal interference within the story which will prevent the children from creating their own inner worlds.  Some puppet shows are done on the floor and all the children can participate. Some are done on teachers’ laps, and some from a “story apron”. Within these guidelines the teachers are free to create puppet shows that are suitable to the age of the children, their specific needs, or a specific situation in the classroom or a child’s life. Creating a puppet show is a work of art and heart.  The possibilities are infinite.

Storytelling with Movement

Another form of storytelling is presented in the “circle” or “movement activity”.  The teacher creates a simple story out of songs, verses and poems. The theme often reflects the seasons. Teachers speak the story while moving along the “circle” and making gestures related to the meaning of the actions in the story. The children naturally and enthusiastically imitate their teachers.  This activity helps the children to move in a social context, to follow the lead of the teacher and to interact with their peers. It also allows the children to use their sense of balance, movement, hearing, speech, and touch while listening to poetry and music. This activity challenges the children in many ways, but because this is presented in an artistic way and with much joy, the children are eager to participate.  The same circle story will be repeated for a number of days with slight variances.

Storytelling is an important part of the developmental foundation built in the formative years between birth and seven years. Children in Waldorf classrooms have a healthy, strong relationship to each other, their teachers, and to learning throughout their lives.

By Marie Christine Lhomond, Early Childhood teacher at Eugene Waldorf School, and Marina Taylor, teacher and PR and Enrollment Coordinator at Eugene Waldorf School.

In Waldorf schools one highlight of the year is a play that emerges in each class from the curriculum. Every child in the class participates, uniting the class artistically and socially. The art of articulation and expressive speech demands the full attention of each student. Music weaves throughout the plays and eurythmy adds yet another dimension. The plays help to deepen the students’ understanding of the main lesson work. They become the Romans, Vikings, or the Greeks, or they might become the wolf, dragon, or demon. The characters become actively real to them. The curative opportunities are endless. A shy child might be given a bold, outgoing part; or a boisterous, choleric student given a sensitive, compassionate part.

Out of imaginative play, first grade students bring a fairytale play. The class learns the whole play, for the children are too young to hold individualized parts or to stand facing an audience alone. Groups of students step forward to enact various parts, then step back to join their class, speaking in chorus.

Stories of saints and fables fill the second grade curriculum. These students practice facing their audience, speaking clearly, and producing beautiful gestures and movements.

The developing children in third and fourth grade can maintain individualized roles. They work with more demanding parts, music, and eurythmy. They mostly imitate the class teacher’s expressive guidance. Third grade plays have many Old Testament stories from which to choose. Often fourth grade plays feature Loki, the trickster (a favorite character with the children!) There is a wealth of humor, tragedy, and romance in the Norse legends. The class awakens to the understanding that the smallest part is as significant to the whole play as the largest part. Only by the children working together and doing their best can a play have a chance to succeed.

The study of myth leads us seamlessly into the study of history.  We look at ancient myths of India, Persia, and Mesopotamia, and slowly awaken to the cultures of Egypt and Greece. The fifth grade student who is leaving childhood and moving into preadolescence is grandly met by the beauty, grace, and harmony that permeate the ancient Greek culture. Greek myth lends itself well to artistic interpretation.

The study of actual human beings in real life historical situations weaves through the sixth grade curriculum. Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages offer rich material. In this period, conflict and strife struggle with law and order. This is reflected in the social structure of the sixth grade and transformed within their play.

The study of biographies continues through the seventh and eighth grades. In the seventh grade, the class teacher finds material for the class play in the Age of the Explorers, the Renaissance or in their geographical studies.

The eighth graders complete their travels through the ages of humankind, arriving in our present. Delving into the industrial age, they explore the idea of freedom through the French and American revolutions. A Shakespearean play is often produced in this year. Shakespeare offers a beautiful command of the English language.

A play entertains, inspires, instructs and transforms. What magic happens between a player and the lines of a play? What transfers between a performer and an audience? What takes place among the players as they depend on each other to deliver their lines? We have personally witnessed tremendous transformations in students through class plays. We have seen the students gain self-confidence, admiration, appreciation and acceptance among their peers. We have seen them uncover strength, sensitivity, and courage in their performance. We have seen each student reach a new understanding of what it means to “become human.” Through this artistic endeavor, we observe classes evolving socially and appreciating each other. Our curriculum at the Eugene Waldorf School continues to impress us in its richness, artistry, and depth.

Written by Robin Morris, former class teacher.

Each December the Oberufer Shepherd's Play is performed for EWS students and friends by our faculty. The name Oberufer Play applies not only to The Shepherd’s play, but also to a Paradise Play and a Three Kings Play.

Oberufer is an island in the Danube, east of Vienna, close to the borders of Hungary. This island was settled by farmers from the Lake Constance region sometime in the 15th Century, and due to the relative isolation of island life, their traditions and folkways remained intact for centuries.

One of their traditions was to perform these plays each year. In fall, when the harvest was in, the players were chosen regardless of religious affiliation or status, and received their parts from an esteemed farmer who would direct the plays for years, and then pass this honorable responsibility on to his son. The songs and words were passed on by word of mouth for generations.

In the middle of the 19th century, a professor from Vienna, Karl Julius Schröer, who was researching folklore and regional traditions, discovered the Oberufer Plays. He was charmed and impressed by them and returned a few years later to write down as much as he could. Years later this professor became the teacher and revered friend of Rudolf Steiner.

Towards the end of the 19th century Professor Schröer spoke to Steiner about these plays. His enthusiasm and concern about the possible loss of such precious folkways touched Steiner, who quickly realized their beauty and proceeded to bring order to the sketchy script and the music. In 1910 the first revived performance took place in Berlin, Germany.

From then on, these plays have become part of the Christmas time tradition for many Waldorf schools all over the world. They were first translated by Cecil Harwood, from England, who tried to keep intact the medieval way of speaking—the simple beauty of expression.

—Written by Ilse Kolbuzowski, now a retired teacher and mentor at our school.

This Saturday, December 5, we will host our annual Winter Light Faire. We gather together to embrace the seasonal change as it envelopes us with cold winds, bare trees and gray skies. When the sun is at its palest, and the wind bites at our ears, the lights in our hearts shine the brightest. At this darkest time it is vital that we are able to share that light with one another. This faire is our reminder to celebrate that light; it is a time when we open up our school and offer to our whole community the magic and joy that lives here on a daily basis. The faire is both a fundraiser for our school, and our biggest and best-attended open house of the year.

The Winter Light Faire is a great first impression for visitors to our school. A new family or friend coming to our faire will find answers to many questions. Come to the candle dipping room, and you can see how nourishing the use of natural, environmentally-friendly supplies is to our children. Come to a puppet show, and parents and children alike can experience the reverence and beautiful stories our kindergarteners experience daily. Visit in the School Information room and look through student work from throughout the grades. Join the cakewalk and cheer for whoever wins (even if you don’t get a cake this time, maybe a friend will share theirs). As we celebrate the richness of the potato latkes and take a spin with the dreidel, listen and participate in live music and singing everywhere, we can easily see the gifts of a Waldorf community for the whole family.

This year, if you're a Winter Light Faire veteran please consider inviting someone you know who has never been to a Winter Light Faire. Let us share our hard work and our community. Remember, the faire is an all-community endeavor and takes everyone's hard work, love and intention to create a successful and fulfilling event for all. No matter how small the deed...each gift is essential. The best way to keep our hearts and souls light and warm in the wintertime is to open up, share our gifts with each other and enjoy the fresh, crisp winter air.

The Advent season has traditionally been the season for preparations for Christmas. As the days grow shorter and darker, we begin to light the candles in our homes to guide our way towards this warm, light-filled festival. In many homes there will be an Advent wreath decorated with four candles representing the four Sundays of Advent. It is a season of sharing where family members join for baking and wrapping gifts, candlelight, and singing. It is a magic time full of secrets and treasures. To mark the beginning of Advent, each year we create the Advent Garden for our preschool and kindergarten children and their families in the Great Hall. The children are led one by one into the pathway of a spiral garden lit by candlelight and decorated with stars and crystals. Each child walks into the spiral to light his/her own candle from the center candle.

Times for the early childhood classes to walk the Advent Spiral on Sunday, November 29 are as follows:

Rosebud PS, 4:00 pm Starflower K, 5:00 pm Rose K, 6:00 pm

Please be on time to avoid interruptions once the festivities have started.
Please see your class teacher for details.

From 7:00 to 8:00 pm, adults will have an opportunity to walk the Advent Spiral if they wish. One may bring their own candle and holder, enter the silent mood of the garden, walk the spiral and quietly leave when ready. This time is for adults only, as the children will be with their classes for their walk. We hope you enjoy this wonderous gift.

Monday November 30, grade school faculty and students will walk the Advent Spiral. Parents may walk the Spiral at the adult walk on Sunday. Please speak with your class teacher if you have questions.

May our lights shine brightly together to cast forth the cold darkness.