Deeper Insights on Shaded Drawing in the Classroom
In 1938, Rudolf Steiner Publishing in London and the Anthroposophic Press in New
York, published a book by Assya Turgeniev, titled “The Goetheanum Windows”. In the introductory chapter of this book, Ms. Turgeniev recounted the
following.
“Whoever heard the simple, casual, apparently random remarks of Rudolf Steiner
and was able to remember them, to listen to them again and again, found that
they unfolded—often years later—meanings which were answers to questions of almost immeasuable significance.
They became both friend and guide, reminding one of old problems and raising
new ones. For in these words there was nothing rigid; they were seeking and
creating new forms of perception, and they included the questioner as an active
particpator in the work. As I was allowed by destiny to be a witness of Rudolf
Steiner’s artistic work in light and shade, it is my duty to try, however imperfectly,
to reproduce what memory has been able to preserve.”
In her description of the “Shaded Drawing Exercise”, Audrey McAllen points to the connection between the diagonal line and the
will, and notes that shaded drawing calls on attention and patience.
Seminars and Workshops
The following lectures, seminars and hands-on workshops are available to Waldorf
Schools or teacher groups. Please contact me for additional information.
Of General Interest
1. Faith. Love and Hope: A Deeper Look at the Pedagogical Law
2. Faith, Love and Hope in School Administration and Planning
3. The Waldorf School as a Learning Community
4. Working with the Dimensions of Intelligence
5. Exploring the Twelve Senses
6. Ten Best Ways to Make Parenting Harder
On strengthening capacities
for the whole class
for the whole class
1. A Scaffold for Waldorf Teaching: How to create and support a school-wide
understanding of whole-class strengthening work
2. Strengthening Capacities for the Whole Class: How to create/promote and
support a school-wide repertoire of whole-class remedial work
On developmental movement
1. 16 Keys to Developmental Movement Needs
2. Rough and Tumble Play
3. “Zoo-Robics” Exercises and Postural Control
4. Games and Movement for Grades 1, 2 and 3
5. Ball & Balance Activities
6. Copper Rod Exercises
7. Painting Handwriting
8. Shaded Drawing
• • • • • • • •
EXAMPLE:
“Zoo-Robics” Exercises and Postural Control
From first grade through eighth - curriculum and approaches
EVENT TYPE Lecture/seminar with audience discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, parents
TIME 1.5 to 2 hours
How much creeping and crawling does it take to prepare a child for school and
life? Many child development specialists believe that tens of thousands
(perhaps as many as 50,000) crawling type steps are needed to properly
myelinate the brain for academic readiness. Given today’s popularity of strollers, walkers, baby bouncers, backpacks, etc. it is
unlikely a modern infant/toddler will take that many crawling steps.
Audrey McAllen, a Waldorf school remedial teacher for many years, has suggested
many creeping and crawling exercises, based on her deep experience with the
early movement patterns and primitive reflexes of children from birth to age 3.
She describes these in her book The Extra Lesson and other publications on
child development. I will add to these, dozens of agilities, animal
imaginations and tumbling activities. For more information, —> see zoorobics.pdf
On strengthening capacities for the whole class
To stand in front of students, parents and colleagues as a Waldorf educator is
to take on a responsibility for a never-finished journey of research,
professional development, and–especially–self-development. For newer teachers, the goal of penetrating the basis of
Rudolf Steiner’s pedagogy can only seem formidable, at best. In “The Spiritual Ground of Education", Steiner stated the following:
“Each child in every age brings something new into the world from divine regions,
and it is our task as educators to remove bodily and psychical obstacles out of
its way; to remove hindrances so that his spirit may enter in full freedom into
life. ... If we realize the full import of this we shall say to ourselves: the
main task of the teacher or educator is to bring up the body to be as healthy
as it possibly can be; this means, to use every spiritual measure to ensure
that in later life a man's body shall give the least possible hindrance to the
will of his spirit. If we make this our purpose in school we can develop the
powers which lead to an education for freedom.”
Thus, helping children accomplish the developmental stages of growth is
fundamental to our curriculum... —> Read more
The Hierarchy of Readiness for Learning: What Kind of Help is Needed?
In seating a student behind a desk at the beginning of first grade, we as
teachers and parents are hoping or expecting that the child is ready, or soon
will become ready, for classroom work. But realistically, every child will
struggle with some aspect of this new environment: it might be a challenge to
sit in balance on a chair, or to listen quietly, or to muster the fine motor
skills for writing. It bears repeating: every child will meet some individual
barriers during the move to the new civilization into which he or she has now
been placed by parents and teachers. Therefore, the child at this age will be
best served by a curriculum that breathes in and out, flows between difficult
new tasks on the one hand, and...
—> READ MORE
Rudolf Steiner on the Topic of Painting-style Handwriting
In June of 1921, Rudolf Steiner spoke to the teachers of the Waldorf School in
Stuttgart, as they were about to establish the first Waldorf tenth grade. The
first six of these eight lectures provide a wonderful review of guidance for
teaching the elementary grades. In other words, before taking up the topic of
teaching adolescents, Steiner went back over with the faculty, what children
between 7 and 14 need in order to be nicely prepared for this next phase.
During the fourth lecture, Rudolf Steiner stated: "We really ought to get
people to write in a way that is akin to painting. Writing in that way is far
more hygienic." By this, I believe he was indicating a ‘painterly’ style of handwriting (i.e. with a pen or pencil, not the use of a brush per
se.) However, in my opinion, the painting handwriting exercises on these pages
are consistent with Steiner's advice. And in my experience, the effort to
provide students throughout the elementary grades with them, will be well
rewarded! Following is excerpted from the July 15, 1921 lecture. ...
—> READ MORE
© 2102 Jeff Tunkey • Revised 1/22/2012