Waldorf-Inspired Education
Although Waldorf-inspired education is relatively new to American public schools, the Waldorf education movement began over 80 years ago. Private and government run Waldorf schools also known as Steiner schools, after founder Rudolf Steiner, are thriving all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Graduates from Waldorf schools have been successful in all aspects of our society. Many Waldorf graduates find success in education, the arts as well as the sciences, and public service. Now, as Waldorf-methods schools enter the public arena, a broader population of children will benefit from and succeed with this exceptional child-centered educational experience.
Waldorf curriculum emerged from a pedagogical model of the child that stresses the developmental stages of childhood. At the heart of the philosophy is the conviction that education is an art. Whether the subject is arithmetic, history or physics, the presentation must live it, must speak to the child’s world, through direct experience, and is often filled with art, music, movement and imagination. The goal is to teach children in a safe, protective and naturally beautiful environment using methods that fill them with delight, wonder and enthusiasm. Class teachers engage the whole child through a multi-year relationship, addressing children not solely as beings of intellect (head), but physical (hands) and emotional beings (heart) as well.
