Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out

by Jack Petrash, John Taylor Gatto (Foreword by)

Overview

Written by a teacher with more than 25 years of experience, this book offers a jargon-free view of Waldorf education and its philosophy of the importance of a three-dimensional education. Whether you're a Waldorf parent or teacher, or you just want to learn more about these innovative educational concepts, this book contains important ideas on learning that you can apply today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780876592465
Publisher:	Gryphon House Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2002
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	217,865
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jack Petrash has been a teacher for over 30 years, much of that time at the Washington Waldorf School in Maryland where he has taken three classes of children from grade one through grade eight. In addition to teaching, he is the director of the Nova Institute, dedicated to working with parents and teachers to promote a deeper understanding of children.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	7
	Introduction	9
Chapter 1	Broadening Horizons	11
	Doing the Right Thing	13
	Measuring a Student's Progress	15
	The Journey Toward Wholeness	20
Chapter 2	Head, Heart, Hands	23
	Ain't Misbehavin'	23
	Capacities for the Future	25
	Developing Thinking	25
	Developing Feeling	27
	Developing Willing	30
	Three Stages of Childhood	31
	Preschool	31
	Grade School	31
	High School	32
	The Balanced Development of All Three Key Capacities	32
	Dimensions of the Day	33
Chapter 3	The Waldorf Preschool	35
	The Importance of Play	39
	Active Play: Indoors and Out	42
	The Importance of Work	45
	The Importance of Imitation	46
	The Importance of Stories	48
Chapter 4	The Waldorf Grade School	51
	Teaching Reading	52
	Teaching Through Art	59
	Mathematics and Art	60
	Science and Art	62
	The Grade School Curriculum	64
	The Role of Stories in the Curriculum	65
	Stories that Heal	70
	The Role of Music in the Curriculum	72
	The Waldorf Class Teacher	75
	The Journey from Warm to Very Cool	79
Chapter 5	The Waldorf High School	83
	Good Habits of Mind	84
	In-Depth Study	86
	Truth, Beauty, and Goodness	87
	Truth	88
	Beauty	88
	Goodness	89
	The Pedagogy at Work	90
	Communicating Clear Thinking Through Mastery of Language	92
	Understanding Our Human Heritage	93
	Preparing Students for the Future-Elective Courses	94
	Social and Civic Responsibility	95
	Small Is Beautiful	96
	Balanced Development in the High School	99
	Restoring Balance	101
Chapter 6	The Essential Parent	103
	Actively Engaged at Home	104
	Emotionally Engaged at Home	108
	Helping Children Think for Themselves	109
	The Challenge of Homework	111
	Empowering Parents	112
Chapter 7	A Teacher's Journey	115
	What Makes a Good Teacher?	116
	The Active Teacher	117
	The Emotionally Active Teacher	119
	Imbuing Lessons with Feeling	120
	Infusing Discipline with the Right Feeling	122
	The Thoughtful Teacher	124
	The Reflective Teacher	126
	Teaching as a Path of Self-Development	126
Chapter 8	Towards a Truly Human Education	131
	The Fullness of Humanity	133
	Preserving Spiritual Connections	134
	Spiritual Well-Being	138
	The Unspoken Lessons	139
	The Spoken Lessons	142
	Moral Education	143
	References	147
	Index	151

Interviews

Teachers and parents of children ages 3-6

Editorial Reviews

The Waldorf philosophy of education began in Germany in the 1920s. Rudolph Steiner, its author, devised a system of education that focuses on the individual and proposes to educate or develop all areas of a child, the mind, the body and the spirit. This book, which explains in everyday language the Waldorf philosophy and practices, is written by a former Waldorf teacher. Waldorf Schools sprung up in America in the early part of the 20th century and many continue today, primarily in larger cities. The book focuses on the three areas of development in the Waldorf philosophy¾thinking, feeling and willing (perseverence)¾within the three stages of childhood, preschool, grade school and high school. The author, having experienced teaching at all levels since a teacher follows the same students throughout their school experience, does a deft job of explaining the focus of each age level. He gives examples of the curriculum students at each age might experience. Again, the primary focus is the development of the whole child, not just the thinking child, on which most public schools focus. Parents exploring alternative methods of education, particularly in light of the new voucher system, will find this book helpful in their research efforts. It's a philosophy that has adapted to the changes in modern life without compromising its founding principles. 2002, Gryphon House Books,
— Meredith Kiger

Children's Literature