Seminars and Workshops for Waldorf School Groups
Seminars of General Interest
Faith, Love and Hope: A Deeper Look at the Pedagogical Law
EVENT TYPE Lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, Board, Administration
TIME 2-3 hours
We will begin with a brief review of three of Rudolf Steiner’s fundamental topics that can be of such great help to us as teachers, or
really, in any dealings with other people in any walk of life. Firstly, the
human as a fourfold being; secondly, Rudolf Steiner’s “Pedagogical Law” that can and should guide us as teachers or adults in working with this
fourfold architecture. And thirdly, Steiner’s description of the twelve human senses. Then we will add two ‘hidden gems’ to our studies – two seemingly non-pedagogical lectures by Steiner. By this, I mean to say that
these lectures are not in the traditional canon for teacher trainings or
faculty meeting studies, as are books like Study of Man or Balance in Teaching.
Yet, they can be a powerful lens on our true work as teachers or co-workers in
a Waldorf School.
Faith, Love and Hope in School Administration and Planning
EVENT TYPE Lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, Board, Administration
TIME 2-3 hours
On January 4, 1917, Rudolf Steiner provided the basis for a true psychology of
the individual, during which he stated the following: “The nature of man is complicated, and very much of what actually goes on within
the human being remains more or less beneath the threshold of consciousness,
merely sending its effects up into consciousness. True self-knowledge cannot be
won without first obtaining insight into the working of the sub-consciousness
weaving below the surface in the impulses of soul. These, it could be said,
move in the depths of the ocean of consciousness and come to the surface only
in the wake of the waves they create.”
In this workshop, we will work to see how Rudolf Steiner‘s indications for an individual psychology might also be applied to the inner
workings of a school; his description of the fourfold human being can be
extended to become a guide to the process of school leadership.
Exploring the Twelve Senses
EVENT TYPE Lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, Administration
TIME 2-3 hours
The Waldorf approach to human development works with the picture that we have
much more than the five traditional senses… in fact, twelve! If you’re like most people, you might initially have a mystified or puzzled reaction to
hearing someone say humans have twelve senses—not just the five that science usually describes. However, the twelve senses
approach – first described by Rudolf Steiner some 90 years ago – is similar in many ways to the “Multiple Intelligences” education theory popularized by Harvard professor Howard Gardner in the 1990s.
In any event, the idea of the 12 senses isn’t meant to be analyzed in a literal or scientific way, but rather to be carried
as a picture that might shine new light on how parents and teachers can
contribute to the healthy growth of children. The particular definitions for
the capacities to be described as the spectrum of 12 interrelated senses, can
be quickly grasped by placing them in the light of ‘common sense’ everyday expressions. Taking up the picture of twelve human senses can give us
fresh insights into the task of nurturing healthy childhood development in the
classroom and at home. For more information, see 12senses.pdf
The Waldorf School as a Learning Community
EVENT TYPE Lecture and discussion
AUDIENCE Teachers, Board, Administration
TIME 2 hours
Because we want our students to become life-long learners, we must model this in
our school environment. Therefore, it should be possible for every adult
connected to the school (not only teachers, but also parents, staff and board
members) to continue learning as part of their journey with the school. speaking with commitment and building a vocabulary for breakthrough results.
The article titled Quality Development refers many times to the phrase “self-stated aims”; creating these aims will require a new consciousness about how we speak in and
outside of meetings. Rudolf Steiner provided indications for what can happen
when our speech culture lacks postural control, condones expressions of
unregulated feelings, or spills into thinking too far outside the box. Griping,
gossiping and passively holding back are some of the more extreme forms of
uncommitted speech. The path to committed speech can include sharing
biographies, exploring mutual values, finding points of alignment.
