The Spirit in Waldorf Education

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable still exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty. This feeling, is at the center of true religiousness." — Albert Einstein

An important characteristic of a Waldorf Education is that it offers a spiritual view of humanity. The human being is seen as a bridge between two worlds, the earthly and the heavenly. Although our bodies have a mammalian nature, there is also something uniquely dignified, noble, and heavenly in our nature. This spiritual aspect has been named in a variety of ways throughout history. It has been called our our angel, and at other times our genius.

Waldorf education, with its naturally integrated honoring of the human spirit, is founded on the deeply significant works of Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy.

Rudolf Steiner

Rudolf Steiner was a pioneer in alternative education. He created a movement that saw individuals as spiritual beings rather than economic fodder or shapes for society to mold.

According to the Steiner Waldorf School Fellowship, ‘the priority of the Steiner ethos is to provide an unhurried and creative learning environment where children can find the joy in learning and experience the richness of childhood rather than early specialization or academic hot-housing.’

Rudolf Steiner was born in Austria in 1861, and was educated as a scientist and philosopher.

He developed deep insights into the spiritual essence of the earth, universe and humanity. He named these insights "ANTHROPOSOPHY" - the wisdom of the Human.

Steiner, having highly developed spiritual faculties, was not only able to verify for himself the existence and working of spiritual entities, but was able to show his contemporaries how to develop their inherent spiritual gifts to achieve the spiritual growth and development appropriate for their era.

In the course of his life Rudolf Steiner was asked for guidance in many fields and endeavors, and was able to inspire others to begin original work for the renewal of education, scientific research, social research and other fields.

An impressive number of Rudolf Steiner's collected works - totaling over 350 volumes - are available in English and other languages. These books and others on numerous subjects by authors applying his philosophy to their fields —such as such as parenting, farming, architecture, medicine, and psychology to name a few— are available from the Waldorf School Association Bookstore

Open To The Mystery

Because a Waldorf School endeavors to awaken and maintain a child's experience of the mysterious through awe and wonder, parents often ask if it is a religious school. This is a difficult question to answer because the term religious can be understood in so many different ways. Perhaps the most accurate answer would have to be both, "No and Yes."

In the sense that a religious education is associated with a creed or a catechism that children are asked to memorize and accept on faith, the answer is decidedly "no." There are no tenets presented to Waldorf students that are intended to become their set of beliefs. Neither are Waldorf Schools sectarian and for that reason they can thrive equally in a Buddhist country like Japan, an Islamic country like Egypt, or on a kibbutz in Israel.

But in the sense that a Waldorf education helps children remain open to the mysterious dimensions of life, to the complex web of meaning that connects human destiny with other individuals and events, to the over-riding sense that there is something present in life that is greater and wiser than we are, the answer is "Yes."

In keeping with the origin of the word religious, derived from the Latin religare (to reconnect or bind together), it is the task of Waldorf Education to help children remain open and connected to this inexplicable aspect of human existence. For this reason it is appropriate to describe Waldorf in a broad way as a spiritually-based education.

At the heart of the Waldorf approach is the understanding that young children are innately spiritual and arrive in this world with the ability to recognize the mysterious and the sublime. The words of the poet William Wordsworth seem to convey this best:

"There was a time when every meadow grove and stream,
The Earth and all the World did seem,
Appareled in celestial light,
The glory and freshness of a dream."

The Good, The Beautiful, + The True

A PRESCHOOL teacher protects this unconscious awareness in the young child by creating an environment where a child can sense that the world is good. Through activities, routines, and stories, children encounter the inherent goodness in human existence, the wonder and bounty of nature, the comfort of loving human care. These elements reassure, welcome, and invite a young child to embrace all of life.

IN GRADE SCHOOL children's spiritual awareness diminishes slowly over time as their sense of self, their independent individual awareness, becomes more pronounced and distances them from the immediacy and oneness of early childhood. It is at this time that Waldorf teachers provide children with the experience that the world is beautiful. Through arts-infused instruction, through a program rich in poetry, painting, and music, and through science study that explores the splendor of our natural world, the children's feelings are nourished by this aesthetic quality.

IN HIGH SCHOOL a young person's growing capacity for critical thinking longs to know that the world is true as they grapple to understand modern life by recognizing patterns and underlying causes of human behavior and in world events.

These experiences:

• that the world is GOOD for the preschool child
• that the world is BEAUTIFUL for grade school child
• that the world is TRUE for the high school student

enable Waldorf graduates to engage life. It was Rudolf Steiner's contention that when children are educated in a sound three-dimensional manner, they are able to sustain their deeper nature.

In being introduced to these experiential stages, here, we may gain insight into how Waldorf graduates achieve emotional maturity and a rounded and grounded sense of self, one that is progressive and able to create independent thought and compassionate values in their adult lives.

3 Stages Of Development In Waldorf Education

‘Where is the book in which the teacher can read about what teaching is? The children themselves are this book. We should not learn to teach out of any book other than the one lying open before us and consisting of the children themselves.’

~ Rudolf Steiner, Human Values in Education

The Physical: Birth – Age 7

The first stage on the path to ‘ethical individualism’ is that of the physical where the child, having recently left the ethereal plane, has gently integrated the physical body through ritual, a safe environment and a deep connection with nature.

The child learns through non-self-conscious imitation in a nurturing environment to help them with this; the kindergarten is decorated like a home, kept warm and they are encouraged to help out with physical activities such as chopping vegetables to make their own soup, painting or polishing wood, and simple crafts like finger knitting and sewing.

Rather than being directly ‘taught’, the imagination and thought processes are allowed to develop through song, story and puppet shows of their own accord and pace, discipline delivered through gentle song (basically a telling off told in a loving and forgiving way) and daily work and play outside to keep them grounded and steeped in reality.

The religious element is designed to be much more about ritual and celebrating festivals than enforcing any ideology on the child, and in an ideal environment, to show the child that the world is good and that their every need is met.

The teacher may observe their play and reflect back to them their processes but avoid labeling and practice non-attachment with each child.

Teachers in the Early Years in Steiner education generally do not pick up children, instead taking them on their knee if they’re upset and although the emphasis is put on nurturing the child through their engagement in day-to-day activities and self care, they become highly self sufficient, seeking answers and direction from within rather than the external. The teacher keeps commands and input to a minimum, simply holding the space and being in the background.

‘Live through deeds of love, and let others live with tolerance for their unique intentions.’ Steiner, Philosophy of Freedom

The Imagination: Age 7 – 14

Deciding when the time is right to bring a child into slightly more formal classroom settings where they can begin to learn the alphabet and numbers depends on how formed their character is and is usually dependent on whether they are losing their milk teeth, which is the body’s indication they are ready for the next stage of development.

Children between seven and fourteen will be assigned a class teacher who teaches the majority of subjects to them without becoming a figure of authority in order to upkeep their assertions of self and an autonomy to their learning processes.

As with the early years, the teacher encourages learning through physical movement, poetry and story and becomes a nurturing figure who oversees a class who stays together for many years with abilities mixed together in a familiar setting.

Song and story still play a big role in allowing children to access academic tools to further their educational enquiry and the imagination and feelings of the pupil are the key elements being developed between these ages.

For example, an imaginative story about the angelic realm may be told to demonstrate the more concrete rules of grammar. One angel represents a command, another represents a question, a third represents a statement, and so on.

“If we do not believe within ourselves this deeply rooted feeling that there is something higher than ourselves, we shall never find the strength to evolve into something higher.” Rudolf Steiner

The Spirit: Ages 14 – 21

From ages fourteen to twenty one children, having connected with their bodies and hearts can now be taught in a more logical, structured fashion. Students are allowed to focus on certain subjects that explore their interests having embraced their true selves and been given a grounded foundation in the world.

As the body becomes disrupted and transformed with adolescence, children are encouraged to embrace freedom and their role in the outside world. Specialist teachers will come in and they are able to spread their wings a bit more and take influences from outside forces.

Students can enjoy the slow pace of their former years where they were able to develop their social skills and emotional needs in their own time without the pressures of formal testing.

It is in this stage that pupils may enjoy their emotional maturity and see the fruits of being more in touch with their core and inner voice, a gift that allows them to choose more directly what they want to do in the world without external confusions.

‘Each individual is a species unto him/her self.’
Steiner, Philosophy of Freedom

A Lifetime Of Unfolding

And the development doesn’t stop there! Steiner went on the describe the karmic stages beyond normal school age:

The Sun: Ages 21-42 yrs

‘The next three seven-year segments are associated with the Sun (21-42 years old), and the elements of sentient soul, intellectual soul, and consciousness soul.

Mars: Ages 42 -49

The next seven-year segment is associated with Mars (42-49 years old), when the soul works hard to impress the full forces of its personality upon the world. At this time, the soul has the opportunity to a higher state of consciousness called Spirit Self.

Jupiter: Ages 49- 56

The following seven-year segment is associated with Jupiter (49-56 years old), when wisdom is dawning and the ego needs to unfold the Life Spirit.

Saturn: Ages 56-63

The final seven-year period is associated with Saturn (56-63 years old) when Saturn completes its second “return” (e.g. comes back to its position it had at one’s birth), and the soul can manifest an event higher element of Self called Spirit Man.’ ~ Thomas Armstrong

For more information, see Steiner’s Karmic Relationships Vol. VII, lecture two.

Our Genius

In his book, Education in Search of the Spirit, John Gardner states:

"in the original sense of the word, genius is a guiding, inspiring principle that is accessible, if we will, to every human being. The source of strength and guidance is not concerned with special abilities but with the whole person. An education works either to close or to open the channel between a child and his or her genius. Genius was once an intuitively perceived reality: the protective and guiding spirit that gave each person prepared to receive it the wisdom, or love, or power for good deeds on Earth. A persons genius was a higher self that could be called upon to infuse life with values transcending personal limits. Genius, says the Oxford University Dictionary, stating the ancient view, is a tutelary god or attendant spirit, allotted to every person at birth to preside over destiny in life."

How confusing and sad that in schools today, the progressive as well as the traditional, this term has come to mean something entirely different, some special privilege no longer available to all. From a spiritual perspective all children have genius. This premise raises an important question: How do we nurture and protect the child’s genius?

Unlike other spiritually-based schools that teach in a conventional manner and then add a class or two to address childrens’ deeper needs, Waldorf Schools meet the inner needs of their students through the entire educational program.

It begins with the reverence and respect that the teachers feel for each child. It occurs continually throughout the school year at timely moments when students stop to say a verse or a grace and acknowledge the existence of something greater. But more extensively, it takes place through a unique approach to teaching that engages children actively, emotionally, and thoughtfully. This truly holistic and balanced approach nurtures the deepest in each child by encouraging warm-hearted involvement, an enthusiasm for learning, and an abiding interest in the world.

This spiritual dimension of a Waldorf Education supports and strengthens children. It is the surround that quietly pervades their whole educational experience allowing them to find their way freely to a deeper, more meaningful experience of life, one that is consistent with their family's values and beliefs. This spiritually-based education provides a compass for young people affording them direction in a chaotic world and enabling them to enter adult life with confidence and courage. For Rudolf Steiner and the first Waldorf teachers this was the foundation that supported children's healthy development. In todays challenging times this foundation is needed more than ever.

Thoughts On The Intersection of Anthroposophy + Waldorf Education

More information about Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophy and work arising out of these impulses can be found at:

Anthroposophical Society in Canada www.anthroposophy.ca

General Anthroposophical Society www.goetheanum.ch

Rudolf Steiner Archive www.rsarchive.org

Adapted from various sources.

The Rudolf Steiner Centre

Fractal Enlightenment