Waldorf Education

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire" William Butler Yeats, poet Waldorf education is one of the largest and fastest-growing independent-school movements in the world. Today, more than 160 Waldorf schools in various stages of development are operating in North America, and over a thousand Waldorf schools operate in 64 countries globally. A first-time visitor to a Waldorf school notices that the building’s design and atmosphere feel warmer than most schools, and that the classrooms are decorated with objects from nature and with art made by the teachers and students. During each morning’s “Main Lesson,” the children are engaged in writing their own illustrated textbooks under their teacher’s careful guidance. Activities such as drama, drawing, storytelling, painting, singing, knitting, sculpting, and playing musical instruments take place in the classroom, integrated with the day’s academic activities. The visitor will learn that Waldorf teachers move up through the grades with their class from first through eighth grade, creating continuity and community that is unique to Waldorf education.

The first Waldorf school was founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919, when Emil Molt, owner of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory, asked Rudolf Steiner to create a school for his employees’ children. Steiner, himself a noted scholar, author and educator, agreed to take on the task, under these conditions: that the school be open to all the workers’ children; that it be coeducational; that it be artistically and culturally enriching; that it be comprehensive (that is, not split into academic and vocational tracks); and that the curriculum and program be directed by the teachers.  This inclusive and forward-thinking spirit guides Waldorf education to this day, and the first-time visitor soon learns that the unique qualities, which at first seemed merely charming, are firmly based on enlightened and carefully drawn insights into child development. Steiner saw the folly of treating children like receptacles of information; in the words of the poet William Butler Yeats “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Steiner challenged teachers to perceive and respond to children’s developmental needs at each stage of their lives, describing a path of education that is unhurried, humane and holistic. Waldorf education honors and respects children, as the curriculum and culture works to unfold each child's latent abilities. The intended outcome is young people who are confident, independent thinkers who will creatively meet the challenges of our world.

Just days before the first Waldorf school opened its doors, Rudolf Steiner asked the first Waldorf teachers to “stick firmly to the following four principles”:  The teacher must be a person of initiative in everything done, great or small.  The teacher should be one who is interested in the being of the whole world and of humanity.  The teacher must be one who never compromises in the heart or mind with what is untrue.  The teacher must never get stale or grow sour.*  The spirit of idealism, competence, commitment, and engagement with the world that was needed to create the first Waldorf School is urgently needed in our world today. Sunbridge College invites you to discover Waldorf education. More information on Waldorf Education: What is Waldorf Education Waldorf Education… an Introduction