Waldorf Homeschool Academy Building Skills and Confidence

Waldorf Homeschool Academy

“Building Skills and Confidence”

1 © 2012 The Waldorf Connection, Donna Ashton www.thewaldorfconnection.com

INTRODUCTION Jut for your consideration: I love peaches: waiting for them to ripen got me to thinking about an important aspect of child development. The development of the will and how that relates to skill building Waiting is important for children, especially in this day and age. With the focus being on instant gratification, waiting develops the will. One can wait for an anticipated event, and activity or the arrival of a guest. Learning something new is about excitement as well as effort. Sometimes a child becomes frustrated and the development of the will helps them to move through these more difficult moments. Much of this depends on temperament, but most children today need help with the will. Working with projects from scratch is also important in development of the will. Baking bread, making a necklace or sanding one’s first pair of knitting needles all help. GREETING Donna and I welcome everyone to the second class of the Waldorf Homeschool Academy Celebrate yourself Give yourself a pat on the back for getting here and taking the time for your own learning and professional development This is your time! Get ready to take notes or just listen and take notes later Schedule time before and after the call to get set up and integrate any learning The lessons are generally from 45 minutes; I suggest blocking out at least 60 minutes! MY INTENTION FOR YOU To feel confident going forward in learning new skills and sharpening areas of expertise To understand more fully how having an overview of the curriculum is so important To have a better idea of your path to excellence as a Waldorf teacher To understand more fully the artistic nature of this particular style of education HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CLASS Economy of Teaching Take advantage and have a page or two just for inspirations that come up during the lesson: don’t

assume you will remember For example: set up 2 pages in front of you, 1 for family& 1 for school ideas After the call, transfer your notesright away into your planner (your grade + back section for future

grades) That way it will be done and won’t have to remember to do it later on

Teaching Tips Teaching is about preparation and what you do after the lesson Your lesson, no matter how long, is the result of everything that you do surrounding that time Setting intentions for you and your child Taking time for self-care




Lesson preparation Skill building How you show up is a reflection of how you have prepared You teach who you are!

Teaching is an art. It’s like preparing for a musical performance Learning Practice Perfecting your piece before you go on stage Presentation Review

As a Waldorf teacher you may be: Singing Telling a story, Playing recorder Painting Modeling Knitting Form Drawing Drawing

Overall you are alternating between Presenting a narrative Giving instructions on how to do something Working in the realm of the arts Answering questions Directing a discussion

A FEW PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING *Remember: Skill building as an opportunity to develop your artistic sensibilities, which is the heart of Waldorf Education Organization Materials I need Sources for materials Record keeping Planning Gathering One touch system Looking ahead Most teaching stress comes from not feeling prepared Look through the whole year, listing all the activities and skills that you might need List out all of the materials and resources that you might need You can also look ahead to the following grade and do the same thing You can even take a look at the whole curriculum from 1

st – 8

th Grade—Highly recommended!

You are planting seeds. If you know what’s coming you can better gauge the pace of your lessons

Rhythm replaces strength Set your schedule for the block: main lesson & specialty classes Keep to your schedule, unless something really doesn’t work, that will help you and your child




Set aside time for planning and skill building—Being a Waldorf teacher is an artistic training Practice just needs to be part of your day Just like your meditations—find a time that works for you; you mightgroup everything together

5-10 minute meditation 30 minutes or artistic development (painting, singing, recorder, form drawing, etc.) 30-60 minutes of lesson prep If you can carve 90 minutes for your preparation time that would be ideal Get creative

Less is more Choose projects that you love and that are doable On the other hand, I know from experience when I’m truly inspired I’ve been able to move mountains. Sometimes it’s important to go with an inspired action—also try to be realistic You will be able to see your progress and you won’t be stressed about not being prepared for the lesson. Right level of technique for the age and grade of your child—don’t have to be Picasso Stay one step ahead and you should be fine Observe yourself as you are learning: it will help you plan your lessons Make sure to take mental notes and observe as you are teaching Planning ahead




TEACHING SKILLS PREPARATION—PRESENTATION--REVIEW

Preparation of self Meditation Finding balance Living your life according to your values: you’ll be more present for your children and yourself Having a system for note taking that takes little time and can be referenced easily Remembering that you are the example: they will imitate how you do things

Preparation ofmaterial Gathering and research Organization & Record keeping Learning the material and new skills Memorizing Seeing the lesson through their eyes Preparing for transitions and walking them through Creativity in preparation: stories, poems, images Written Preparation: sentences, paragraphs, short compositions

Presenting Skills Connecting: beginning with a little story, image, puzzle, riddle Consciousness of your presence in the room: attitude, thoughts, mood Artistic considerations—take care with everything you do as they will be imitating you Setting the mood

Tone of voice Volume Variation in tempo How you move through space How you deal with disruptions

Meeting the temperaments: variation in soul mood of the story Breath—noticing if the children are getting overwhelm or fatigued etc. Holding space—setting your guidelines—raising hand, not interrupting, etc. Being present—leaving your worries outside of the learning environment Being able to shift inwardly when necessary to meet the child Creating different moods—reverence, joy, wonder, discovery, quiet, focus Noticing when something is not landing and making the necessary changes Course correcting when necessary Observing while teaching and taking mental notes

The Art of Giving Instructions Breaking things down step-by-step When they don’t understand: finding a new angle Having patience Understanding the dynamics of your temperament with theirs Discussion Skills Asking questions instead of giving answers Letting the children come to their own conclusions Leading them to their own answers—the more they figure out on their own the better Give images instead of wordy explanations

Review So important as it guides your teaching and your planning Learning what works and what doesn’t work: Was something too hard for the children? Were your instructions clear? Were there lots of questions? Was there enough time for the activity?




SKILL BUILDING--GENERAL How do I gain the confidence to do something that seems so difficult? Remember, your courage in learning something new is a great example for your child. Even if you don’t feel confident, your child will appreciate your efforts They are naturally artistic and you will develop skills as you work through the grades Notice what it’s like to learn something new; it will help you to be a better teacher Know your strengths and challenges and remember you have options! Take a few private lessons Find a class Remember, there are many resources out there: library, online, books, friends, family Form a co-op with other homeschool parents and have a regular skill building night Gather a group of friends that aren’t a homeschool parents, they might love to have a craft circle! Locate a Waldorf School near you: they may already have a group formed or form your own.

How do build up my own confidence: Practice on a regular basis Having the right materials on hand Plan ahead and be fully prepared Practice giving the instructions Remember that their job is to surpass you, you are simply giving them the tools

What is the best way to teach? Creating images Breaking it down step-by-step as part of a story or character’s journey Imagining what it is like for the student and go through the lesson from their perspective Avoid lengthy explanations Set up clear procedures: set up, clean up, when to begin, Do you want them to be silent or is talking okay? Help them to developing respectful habits by being consistent of what you are asking them to do Avoid lengthy explanations; be clear and concise Think through the sequence and make sure it’s logical and won’t be confusion

How do I know what to teach? Although there are indications for what to teach, within those guidelines you have lots of options. It is important to give them an experience of all the arts indicated because each one gives the

children a slightly different experience Choose projects or songs that you love and of course that you know your child will love Make sure you choose things that are related to the curriculum and reflect the season or time of year If your child is having some difficulty in an area you might look for things that will help




SKILL BUILDING—SPECIFIC STORY TELLING (Images, Tempo, Speaking To The Temperaments) Prepare strong images for each presentation Don’t give away the punch line! Describe the scene and let them come to a conclusion Don’t get in the way of the story by being over expressive Let the children experience the story for themselves The younger children love repetition Fairy tales are the perfect soul food for the younger children Memorize the story: it’s best, can’t always but that should be the ideal Remember that listening to a story, although they are quiet brings them out of themselves They may need help grounding with some rhythmic activities

PLASTIC & SCULPTURAL ARTS (Quiet Work, Expression of the Soul, Individual Work) HANDWRITING (Taking Time, Patience, Focus, Quiet) Handwriting is deeply connected to a children’s personality as well as their inner development Take time to work with different aspects that are often overlooked today Take time to gently guide your child to a proper positioning: hand grip, paper position and posture Use images and make it a pleasurable experience As always be a good example and practice your writing The traditional style for cursive has been the Palmer Method Look at the suggested books on the Vimala Alphabet to get a different perspective

1

st Grade:PrintedCapitals and Lower Case

2nd Grade: Introduction to Cursive 3rd Grade: Cursive, Simple Musical Notation 4

th Grade: Cursive, Simple Musical Notation, Runes

5th Grade: Cursive, Simple Musical Notation, Introduction to Hieroglyphs and Greek Alphabet 6

thGrade: Cursive, Musical Notation, Calligraphy, Introduction to Latin

7thGrade: Cursive, Music Notation, Calligraphy

8thGrade: Cursive, Music Notation, Calligraphy, Complex Celtic Knots are a possibility

Resources for Handwriting Teaching Children Handwriting: Audrey McAllen Soul Development through Handwriting by Jennifer Crebbin A Guide to Child Health by Michaela Glöckler, Wolfgang Goebel For Adults: Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life FORM DRAWING (Quiet Work, Spatial Orientation, Individual Work) Form Drawing is motion come to rest Working with the forms is therapeutic on many levels It helps children work with inner and outer spatial orientation: Left/Right, Above/Below, In

front/Behind Because modern life can be so overwhelming from drawing is therapeutic for all children

1

st Grade: Straight Line, Curves, Simple Spirals

2nd

Grade: Mirrored Forms, Symmetrical Forms, Crossing the Axis 3

rd Grade:Asymmetrical Symmetries, Curved Axis, Balancing Inner/Outer, Crossover Patterns

4th Grade: Braided Forms, Nautical Knots can be practiced and drawn

5th Grade: Freehand Geometry

6th Grade:Geometric Drawing w/ focus on accuracy, Calligraphy




7th Grade: Perspective Drawing, Calligraphy

8th Grade: Complex Celtic Knots, Durer’s Melancholia, Geometric Solids, Calligraphy

Resources for Form Drawing Form Drawing for Beginners by Donna Simmons From Drawing Grades One through Four by Laura Embrey-Stine, Ernst Schubert Form Drawing by Hans R. Niederhäuser and Margaret Frohlich DRAWING In drawing the corrections are made by ―the will working through the eye‖ (Steiner) It’s important for them to move from the shapes into the form rather than filling in outlines Give them something to go towards as opposed to telling them ―don’t draw outlines.‖ Increasing detail as they progress thought the grades Cover the page with color in the early grades Begin with blocks and stick beeswax crayons and then in the upper grades 5

th or 6

th they can use

colored pencils for drawing. 1

st Grade: Images from the fairy tales, nature stories

2nd

Grade: Images from St Stories, Legends, Fables and Nature tales 3

rd Grade: Images from Old Testament Stories, House Building, Clothing, Farming, Gardening

4th Grade: Images from Native American Stories, Norse Mythology and Epic Stories, Local Geography

5th Grade: Freehand Geometry, Continued work in main lesson subjects

6th Grade: Charcoal Drawing, Light and Dark, Lit Surfaces and the Shadow

7th Grade: Light and Shadow, Perspective Drawing,

8th Grade: Study of Light and Shade, Geometric Solids, Projection and Perspective, Durer’s Melancholia,

Rembrandt’s etchings or trees and landscape can be studied and copied Resources for Drawing Painting and Drawing In Waldorf Schools: Classes 1-8 Thomas Wildgruber Drawing from the Book of Nature by Dennis Klocek Perspective Drawing: Herrmann von Baravalle, Ph.D. MODELING In the early grades create many opportunities for the children to model with beeswax or plasticine Modeling is developed from the interplay of the hands, which together from an inner space It is important to work from a whole piece and pull the form our of the whole instead of adding on The object is actually formed through counter pressure and is very therapeutic for the children In modeling, instead of the eye, the hand is the organ of perception

1

st Grade: Finger Plays, Shadow Puppets, Beeswax-Folk Tale Figures, Flat Transparent Forms: Leaf, Flower

Petals, Butterfly, Star, Angel, Alphabet Letters, Numbers 2

nd Grade: Beeswax and Plasticine-Fable Animals and Saints, Bowls

3rd

Grade: Beeswax and -Noah’s Ark, Clay-Villages, Cookware, Coils 4

th Grade: Beeswax--Mythological Figures, Clay-Sphere, Pyramid, Cube, Animal Forms, Maps

5th Grade: Beeswax-Metamorphosis of Plant, Flower, Mushroom, Clay-Mythical Figures, Greek Temple, Clay

Tablet, Pyramid, Animals, Convex and Concave Forms 6

th Grade: Clay-Limestone cave, Roman Coliseum, Medieval Castle, Human Figures in Groups, Animals in

Groups, Solid Geometrical Figures 7

th Grade: Clay-Human Hand w/ wrist, foot w/ankle, Masks, Animals, Puppet Heads, Human and Animal

8th Grade: Clay-Human Head, Ear, Skull, Groups of People, Platonic Solids

Resources for Modeling Learning About the World Through Modeling by Arthur Auer




PAINTING Devote most of the first lesson to the care of the materials through story Painting is nourishing for the soul and its best if painting time is quiet The children paint standing up; it gives them a better vantage point In the first few years they should not be expected to paint something specific Wet-on-wet gives the children the experience of seeing how the colors mix together

1st Grade: Wet-on-wet, Color Stories beginning with primary and secondary colors

2nd

Grade: Wet-on-wet, Continue to work with color stories and simple paintings 3

rd Grade: Wet-on-wet, The Days of Creation takes them through a sequence of light and dark as well as

above and below 4

th Grade: Wet-on-wet, Figures that arise out of the color, related to main lesson

5th Grade: Wet-on-wet: Ancient Civilizations

6th Grade: Wet-on-wet: Geology, Physics, Roman Civilization, Middle Ages

7th Grade: Wet-on-wet: Practice in a single color and perspective w/color

8th Grade: Wet-on-wet& Veil Painting

HANDWORK & CRAFTS (Sustainability, Skill Building, Creativity, Human ingenuity) Gives the children a feeling that they can be self-sufficient, they can do things on their own Very important to create things from scratch and for the children to be involved in every step of the process 1

st Grade: Knitting Needles, Knitting (Training the fine motor skills)

2nd

Grade: Knitting/Pearling, Crochet (supports the pencil grip) 3

rd Grade: Knitting/Pearling,Crochet, Felting, Plant Dying, Spinning Fleece into Yarn (Practical Useful

Projects) 4

th Grade: Cross-stitch, Embroidery (Focus and Patience), Introduction to the Forge (Make a simple hook)

5th Grade: Knitting in the Round, (socks, mittens, hats), woodworking

6th Grade: Sewing Animals, Marionette, Table Puppets

7th Grade: Needle Felting, Doll and Clothing, Leather Work, Woodworking Felting (Hats, Slippers, Mittens)

8th Grade: Machine sewn clothing, Quilting, Embroidery, Creating a Pattern

Resources for Handwork and Crafts Will-Developed Intelligence: Handwork & Practical Arts in the Waldorf School by David Mitchell and Patricia Livingston The Harvest Craft Book by Thomas Berger Toy-making with Children by Freya Jaffke The Christmas Craft Book by Thomas Berger




DRAMATIC ARTS (Lively, Outward Self Expression, Group work) MUSIC 1

st Grade: Singing, Pentatonic flute

2nd

Grade: Singing, Pentatonic flute 3

rd Grade: Singing, ―C‖ recorder

4th Grade: Singing, ―C‖ Recorder, String, (lyre, violin, viola or cello)

5th Grade: Singing, ―C‖ Recorder, string instrument

6th Grade: Singing, ―C‖ Recorder, if there is interest (Alto, Tenor) String Instrument

7th Grade: Singing, ―C‖ Recorder, (Alto, Tenor), String Instrument

8th Grade: Singing, ―C‖ Recorder, (Alto, Tenor), String Instrument

DRAMA Drama throughout the grades supports the main lesson subjects Generally each class performs a play of the teachers choice In the younger grades the plays are mostly done in chorus as the children are connected to the

group soul As they grow and mature then certain students may be ready for a few solo lines By 4

th Grade the plays usually have a few main characters with the rest reciting lines in chorus

In the 5th-8

th Grades most of the children have at least a few lines to say by themselves

The plays offer a wonderful opportunity for self expression in a role that matches the personality and temperament of a child, and at the same time the teacher may choose to cast a child in a role that stretches someone balance their temperament

MOVEMENT CURRICULUM—Unlocking any hindrances, Freedom, Joy, Coordination, Bilateral Integration The movement curriculum is a journey of discovery In the early grades much of the movement is born out of imitation and the children work together in

groups As the grow older and gain a stronger sense of self they are able to take more risks within the

games Games and physical activity help a child to learn about themselves and the social sphere

Different Types of Movement Circle time: Bean Bags, Clapping Games, Dance Songs, Recitation While Moving, Jump Rope, String Games Remedial Movement Exercises: Extra Lesson, Zoo Exercises Dance: Folk Dance, Ballroom Dance Circus Arts: Tumbling, Juggling, Unicycle Games Class: Games with age appropriate developmental challenges Bothmer Gymnastics: Not begun until the 3

rd Grade

Eurythmy: Recommended to only be taught by a trained Eurythmist Free Play: Childhood games and imaginations Games 1

st Grade: Circle Dances, Hand Clapping, String Games, Jump Rope, Hop Scotch

2nd

Grade: Circle Dances, Play Part, Hand Clapping, String Games, Jump Rope, Hopscotch, Freeze Tag, Marbles 3

rd Grade: Tag, Israeli Folk Dances, Hand Clapping, String Games, Jump Rope, Chinese Jump rope

4th Grade: Folk Dances of Native Americans, Mexicans and Spanish, International Folk Dance, Capture the

Flag, Double Dutch Jump Rope 5

th Grade: Square Dances, American Folk Dances, Capture the Flag, Dodge Ball, Softball, Volleyball

6th Grade: Morris Dances w/sticks and swords, Dodge Ball, Capture the Flag, Softball

7th Grade: Medieval and Renaissance Dances, Kickball, Basketball, Capture the Flag, Softball, Volleyball,

Juggling, Orienteering




8th Grade: English, Country Dance, Ballroom Dance, Kickball, Basketball, Softball, Capture the Flag,

Volleyball, Ropes Coursed, Rafting Hopscotch Around the World by Mary D. Lanford Looking Forward by Molly von Heider Child’s Play 1&2: Games for Children by Will van Haren & Rudolf Kischnick Child’s Play 3: Games for Life for Children and Teenagers by Will van Haren & Rudolf Kischnick Games Children Play: How Games and Sport Help Children Develop by Kim Brooking-Payne




OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN LESSON CURRICULUM 1

st Grade

Form Drawing: Straight Line, Curves, Simple Spirals

Literature: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Nature Stories, Animal Stories

English: Learning and reciting poems and verses

Handwriting: Capital and Lower Case Letters

Math: The Quality of Numbers & the 4 Processes (+, -, x, ÷)

Drawing: Crayon sticks and blocks

Music: Singing and Pentatonic Recorder

Handwork: Knitting

Painting: Wet-on-wet

Modeling: Beeswax

Foreign Language 2

nd Grade:

Form Drawing: Mirrored Forms, Symmetrical Forms, Crossing the Axis

Literature: International Fables, Saint Stories, Native American Stories

English: Reciting Poems and Verses, Writing, Word Families, Introduction to Reading

Handwriting: Capital and Lowercase Letters, Intro to Cursive

Math: Work with the 4 Processes

Drawing: Crayon sticks and blocks, Colored Pencils

Music: Singing and Pentatonic Recorder

Handwork: Knitting & Crochet


Modeling: Beeswax, Plasticine, Warm Clay

Foreign Language 3

rd Grade:

From Drawing: Symmetry, Curved Axis, Balancing Inner/Outer

Literature: Stories from the Old Testament

English: Grammar, Composition, Reading, Spelling

Handwriting: Cursive

Practical Arts: House building and Shelters, Clothing,

Science: Farming and Gardening

Math: Measurement (Time, Currency, Linear Measurement, Weight)

Drawing: Crayons sticks and blocks

Music: Singing rounds, ―C‖ Recorder

Handwork: Felting,


Modeling: Plasticine and Clay

Foreign Language

4th Grade:

Form Drawing: Braided Forms

Literature: Norse Mythology& Kalevala

English: Grammar

Handwriting: Cursive, Runes

History: Local History

Geography: Local Geography and Map Making

Science: Human Being and Animal

Local Native Americans: Cultural studies and way of life




Mathematics: Fractions

Drawing: Crayons sticks and blocks

Music: Singing, ―C‖ Recorder, String Instrument

Handwork: Cross-stitch Embroidery


Modeling: Pasticine and Clay

Foreign Language 5

th Grade

Form Drawing: Freehand Geometry

English: Composition, Grammar, Spelling, Research and Report Writing

Handwriting: Cursive, Hieroglyphics, GreekAlphabet

History: Ancient Civilization (India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece)

Geography: American Geography(vegetation, agriculture and economics)

Science: Botany

Math: Fractions, Decimals, Ratio, Proportion

Drawing: Colored Pencils


Handwork: Multiple Needle Knitting, Woodwork


Modeling: Clay

Foreign Language

6th Grade

English: Composition, Grammar, Research and Report Writing

Handwriting: Cursive, Calligraphy, Latin

History: Roman History& Middle Ages

Geography: World Geography

Science: Geology, Astronomy. Physic (Sound, Light,Heat, Static Electricity)

Drawing: Colored Pencils-Light and Dark

Math: Geometry and Geometric Drawing, Percentage and Ratio, Business Math

Music: Singing, ―C‖, Alto, or Tenor Recorder, String Instrument

Handwork: Construction of animals and/or dolls


Modeling: Clay

Foreign Language

7th Grade

English: Composition, Grammar, Research and Report Writing, Creative Writing

Handwriting: Cursive, Calligraphy

History: Arthurian Legends, Renaissance and Reformation, The Age of Discovery


Science: Physics (Mechanics, Acoustics, Light, Electricity and Magnetism), Inorganic Chemistry, Physiology, Physiology (Health and Nutrition)

Math: Algebra, Geometry

Drawing: Perspective Drawing


Handwork: Multiple Needle Knitting, Woodwork


Modeling: Clay

Foreign Language




8

th Grade

English: Short Story, Epic and Dramatic Poetry Composition, Grammar, Research and Report Writing

Handwriting: Cursive, Calligraphy

History: The Industrial Revolution, French Revolution, U.S. History to Present Day, Current Events


Science: Physics (Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity & Magnetism, Hydraulics, Aerodynamics), Meteorology, Ecology, Organic Chemistry, Physiology and Anatomy

Math: Algebra, Solid Geometry

Drawing: Portraits


Handwork: Machine Sewing, Darning, Artistic Projects, Carpentry

Painting: Wet-on-wet, highlights and shadows, Portraits, Landscapes

Modeling: Clay

Foreign Language

Waldorf Homeschool Academy Building Skills and Confidence

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