This course will be taught remotely in real-time. Details here. 

Professional development for Waldorf teachers and home schooling parents

This course offers you an invaluable opportunity to focus entirely on your upcoming seventh grade school year, in five days brimming with discussions, presentations, and practical activities.

With the insights of anthroposophy, gleaned through a daily look at child development focusing specifically on your class’s age group, you will get to know the seventh grader as they explore new horizons both within and without. Under the guidance of master teachers, you’ll discover ways to enliven your teaching and how to approach the blocks so that they may meet the seventh grader in a deep and meaningful way. There will be time and space to consider and hone your skills in such practical matters as main lesson books, block planning, projects and activities, and classroom management.

In addition to inspiration and guidance, which will support your teaching throughout the year, you will gain many invaluable opportunities for building connections among a community of parallel colleagues from across the country, to carry with you into your teaching.

Your course will be chock-full of key seventh grade topics, including:

• Teaching history, including the late Middle Ages, Age of Exploration, and the Renaissance
• Teaching creative writing and history through biographies
• Introducing and practicing algebra
• Expanding into world geography
• Seventh grade sciences, including chemistry, physics, and physiology

Grade-specific resource materials useful for your year, including poems, songs, stories, and main lesson book ideas, will be provided to you electronically.

NOTE: This course is taught with the expectation that you have a background in Waldorf education.

Lead Instructor

Wendy Kelly is a class teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan, where she has been a teacher mentor, co-chair of the College of Teachers, and founding member of the Media Committee. Previous to joining the Steiner School faculty in 2011, Wendy was a class teacher for 10 years at Green Meadow Waldorf School. A former professional modern dance performer, teacher, and choreographer, she worked with 7th and 8th graders while directing a junior dance company in the Philadelphia area. Wendy holds a BA in Dance and a BA in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Temple University, and an MSEd from Sunbridge College.

Participants who took Approaching Grade Seven with Wendy last year had this to say:

• Wendy was very engaging, held space well for group discussions, and was very open when teachers presented new ways of teaching the subject matter or challenged existing ideas around the subject matter. It’s always difficult to find the balance between introducing orthodox Waldorf curriculum and presenting new, challenging ideas, but she explored that space well.
• I enjoyed hearing from all the knowledgeable contributors. Everything was well organized and was a good balance of class time. I really appreciate all of the wonderful resources that were provided and for the Google Classroom access for the year!! Thank you.
  
• Wendy had a great energy that was contagious even through zoom! She was very knowledgeable and also down to earth and easy to approach.
• The course was very well planned out and executed. Main highlights included; dialogue on ethics of teaching age of exploration and how to improve the block; physiology block; Wendy’s starting each block with a verse and movement-based activity
  

Your course also includes math and physics with Rob Welcher (class teacher at Urban Prairie Waldorf School) and chemistry with Amy Stemkoski (middle school science teacher at The Waldorf School of Garden City).

Schedule

This course takes place July 17-22 in a synchronous online classroom.

Sunday evening: 7-7:30pm technical check-in; first session starts promptly at 7:30 and ends at 9
Monday-Thursday: 4.5 hours of formal instruction delivered between 10-4:30
Friday morning: Last session runs 10-12
ALL TIMES LISTED ARE EASTERN (NY) TIME ZONE

NOTE: Participants should be prepared to work on course-related assignments outside of their regularly scheduled instructional sessions (including some that may be assigned in advance), as well as to be available to attend (optional) late afternoon and/or evening instructor-led discussions.

Cost
$600 includes all resource materials, yearlong access to your Sunbridge Grade Seven Google Classroom, and a $60 non-refundable deposit. See main summer page for discount options.

You will be expected to procure some materials to use during your course. A materials list will be sent to you three weeks before your course start date.

Questions?
Please contact Barbara Vitale, admissions and summer coordinator, at [email protected] or 845-425-0055 x20

Sunbridge reserves the right to make faculty substitutions when necessary. See registration form for refund policy.