Over the last week I have been a visitor at the Freie Waldorf Schule in Hildesheim where Klaus and Renate work. In fact they, along with a handful of others, were the founder members of the school, which is a great testament to their commitment to the Waldorf education system. This commitment is ongoing, and a lot of time and energy is needed in order to provide the best education for the pupils. We have seen the dedication that Klaus and Renate have to their work and it is admirable.
At present I don't have my Waldorf Education or Rudolph Steiner books with me so that I can quote directly, but I know the approach to education is vastly different to that that my children have experienced in the mainstream state English education system. Not only are the philosophies of Steiner different, the principles behind learning, the styles of teaching, and so on, but the "look and feel" of the school is different due to the emphasis on natural forms being used where possible. The building has a creative buzz which is evident from the outside.
Inside, pastel shades of paint are mottled on the walls, and large bright garish displays don't exist in corridors: wooden framed cabinets containing examples of handicraft work are on display as an affirmation of common aims achieved. The wooden doors and ceilings make the school feel "homely" and welcoming. Classrooms have a simple wipe clean floor and in the lower classes of the school, beautiful wooden benches replace chairs and tables. Children change footwear in the classroom and wear soft comfortable slip on white shoes (similar to ballet shoes). Chalk boards are used sparingly, and the children have a supply of wax crayons and plain paper exercise books in their bags. This is the basic toolkit in the classroom.
I visited the school every morning and on every occasion was welcomed and greeted like an old friend. The class teachers of Classes 1-4 were more than expert at their job and for me, it was a pleasure to be back in a classroom, and also observe another teacher. What I was most interested in was the way in which the children learnt, and for me, it was a revalation to see children actively involved in their learning where the only stimulus was the teacher retelling a story. No Big Book, no posters, no interactive whiteboard, no alphabet, no number line. Just a warm, friendly room, like a extension of the home, where the teacher facilitates the learning for the pupils, the pupils care for her/him and each other and everyone is safe and secure.
As the approach is so very different from how I am used to working and from what I am used to observing in English schools, what have I learnt from my visits? I know that I want to teach (still!) even after some time out of teaching. I have seen first hand how children of all ages can acquire skills over a period of time due to a repetitive nature of work. I have witnessed the delight on a child's face when they have made a sound for the first time on a musical instrument. I have been in awe at the amount of English a 7 year old German child knows...it's far more than my English children know of French! And I have seen children respond to a calm relaxed ethos as opposed to the humdrum of English school life which is run with a timetable and an expectation that lessons must have outcomes, and levels MUST be achieved at every step of the way and not when a child is emotionally and developmentally ready. I've questioned WHY we do this to our children in England. We are no better in the education stakes than Germany.
What can I do with my new found knowledge? Well, I know how I would like to organise a classroom, what style of chairs and tables would help the posture of the children, what I would and would not display on the walls, what lessons would be important and what I would let slip by the wayside so to speak, and even how I expect the children to sit and take note. Plain books allow more creativity, the use of the primary colours means the children are able to mix and match colours with accuracy. Paints too are light and watery and not ready mixed, and handiwork focuses on traditional crafts such as making wool, knitting, sewing, woodwork.
And the main thing that I would happily live without...the interactive whiteboard!
(With most grateful thanks to Klaus and Renate Föppl and the teachers at the Freie Waldorf Schule, Hildesheim)
