Professional development for Waldorf teachers and homeschool parents
This course offers you an invaluable opportunity to focus entirely on your upcoming second grade school year in five full days filled with discussions, presentations, practical activities, and the arts. 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 second grade child in depth.
Under the guidance of an experienced class teacher, you’ll discover ways to enliven your teaching and how to approach the blocks so that they may meet the second grader in a meaningful and lively 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.
Your course will be chock-full of key second grade topics such as:
– Selecting and crafting story content of legends and saintly figures
– Developing new steps toward literacy
– Developing new steps in arithmetic
– Artistic activities integral to the second grade curriculum, such as singing, drawing, and modeling
These subjects will be supported by explorations in art, music, and movement, giving you practical tools to take into your school year.
In addition to inspiration and guidance which will support your teaching throughout the year, you’ll gain many invaluable opportunities for building connections among a community of parallel colleagues from across the country, to carry with you into your teaching.
Useful, grade-specific resource materials, including poems, songs, stories, and main lesson book ideas, will be provided to you when you arrive on campus.
Instructor Karen Crandall is a class teacher at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, NY, where she currently teaches fifth grade and provides mentoring support for the second grade class teacher. This is Karen’s third class cycle. She led her first class, grades one through eight, from 1993-2001 and her second class from 2007-2012. Karen has chaired the Teacher Development Committee in her school since 2010 and has been leading the All School Study in Anthroposophy since 2013. She holds a BFA from Penn State University and an MSEd from Sunbridge College.
Students who took a Grades course with Karen in summer 2016 had this to say:
~ This is my 3rd year participating in the grade intensive with Karen. I come back because it is absolutely satisfying and nourishing to my soul. I get so much inspiration and understanding from Karen’s words. Love her!
~ Karen brings a delightful perspective and suggestions for practical use, but continues to encourage us to do what is right for us and to continue to study.
~ I liked the pace and how the feeling, thinking and willing parts were balanced. Karen’s approach was layered and very effective for me.
~ It was helpful that Karen demonstrated the work she does in the class as if she was actually in the class.
~ The quality was outstanding – invaluable. Excellent balance of philosophy with practical practice. I grew on many levels, as a teacher/professionally AND personally.
Schedule
Sunday, July 2: Optional campus tour 5:30-6pm; Registration 6-7pm; First session runs from 7-9pm
Monday, July 3-Thursday, July 6: Classes begin each day 8-8:30am and run through 5:30-6pm, with an hour for lunch and short mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks.
Friday, July 7: Classes begin 8-8:30am and end between 12-1pm, with a mid-morning break.
Fee
$795 (includes all materials and non-refundable $75 registration fee). Discounts may apply; see registration form for details.
Visit https://www.sunbridge.edu for further information.
