Length

Sunbridge’s Early Childhood Teacher Education program is divided into seven terms:

Unless physical distancing necessitates otherwise, all sessions are held on campus.

Curriculum

Classes include the following areas:

• Child development and Waldorf education
• Anthroposophical studies and human development
• Artistic and handwork activities of Waldorf early childhood education
• Professional and social aspects of Waldorf early childhood education
• Inner development of the educator

Coursework

In addition to in-person classes, students complete study assignments and independent projects, as well as attend some online evening classes, between sessions.

Fieldwork

For the purpose of our fieldwork requirements, “in-service” refers to Sunbridge students who are:

• Working as lead or assisting teachers AND
• Actively working at least three days a week AND
• Working in a WECAN/AWSNA-affiliated early childhood setting (including WECAN-affiliated home-based programs)

Sunbridge students who are in-service teachers are required to complete a total fieldwork experience of three weeks (lead teachers) and four weeks (assisting teachers) during the length of the Sunbridge program. Sunbridge students who are pre-service teachers are required to complete a total fieldwork experience of eight weeks. This experience is comprised of the following observation and student teaching requirements:

Observation Requirement: In-Service Teachers

During the length of the Sunbridge program, in-service students are required to observe in a WECAN/AWSNA affiliated Waldorf school for five days: three in the three early childhood classrooms (Birth-3, Nursery, and Kindergarten), one in a grade school classroom (1-8), and one in a high school classroom.  Students may choose to observe all five days in one school, or to observe in different schools. The five days need not be consecutive, but three of those days must occur in the first year. All observations must take place in classrooms other than the student’s own. Students are encouraged to visit and experience other Waldorf schools as often as possible.

Observation Requirement: Pre-Service Teachers

During the length of the Sunbridge program, pre-service students are required to observe 10 days in a WECAN/AWSNA affiliated Waldorf school, five days of which must occur during the first year; these observations must include at least five days in the early childhood classrooms (Birth-3, Nursery, and Kindergarten), two in a grade school (one in grades 1-4, 1 in grades 5-8) and one in a high school classroom. The observation days need not be consecutive.  Students may choose to observe in one school, or in different schools.

In addition to the required observations, students are encouraged to visit and experience Waldorf schools as much as possible and especially to have regular exposure to a WECAN/AWSNA early childhood setting. We particularly encourage pre-service teachers to familiarize themselves with Waldorf early childhood settings prior to entering our program.

All students are required to keep a journal of their observations and submit the journal to their advisor for review.  All observation experiences must include Birth-3, Nursery, and Kindergarten.

Student Teaching Requirement: In-Service Teachers

Over the course of their studies, in-service students who are currently practicing as lead teachers are required to complete two weeks of student teaching. Each week (made up of five consecutive days) needs to be in a classroom other than their own. In-service students who are currently practicing as assisting teachers are required to complete two weeks of student teaching: one week (five consecutive days) in their own class and one week (five consecutive days) in a class other than their own. In addition, in-service assisting teachers are required to complete one week (five days, which need not be consecutive) of observations in an early childhood classroom/s other than their own; this observation week is in addition to the five observation days required during the first year.

Student Teaching Requirement: Pre-Service Teachers

Over the course of their studies, pre-service students are required to do a total of six weeks of student teaching under the guidance of a highly experienced teacher in a WECAN/AWSNA affiliated school.  

All students may complete their fieldwork requirements the year following the fulfillment of the required coursework.

Certificates for completion of coursework will be issued at commencement and the final certificate will be issued upon the fieldwork completion.

Mentoring 

Each in-service student is assigned a faculty mentor—a master Waldorf early childhood educator who will visit the student in their work with young children for two consecutive days each year to offer support and guidance in practical aspects of their work and in their development as an educator. These visits are accompanied by two hours of telephone conferences as a precursor and/or follow-up to the visit.

Enrollment Requirement for Pre-Service Teachers

In order to provide these individuals with an essential foundation for their Sunbridge studies, all incoming pre-service teachers are required to attend an online orientation to Waldorf early childhood education. Our 2025 online orientation (or “primer”) takes place Friday, May 30th, from 7:30 pm-9:00 pm ET and Saturday, May 31st, from 9:00 am-10:30 am and 11:00 am-12:30 pm ET. There will also be some asynchronous work assigned.