We suddenly dropped a Waldorf boarding school (A Consultant Visits High Mowing School) with all it’s practices and philosophies into the blog and schools coverage. We realize that it might be the first time that some readers have encountered the term Waldorf school, or, you might have heard the term but don’t have its meanings tied down.

For background and further reading, we offer a couple of excerpts and references covering Waldorf philosophy and practice:

From High Mowing:

“Waldorf schools offer a developmentally appropriate, experiential approach to education. They integrate the arts and academics for children from preschool through twelfth grade. Waldorf Education℠ aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and to enable them to fully develop their unique capacities.

The Waldorf curriculum is broad and comprehensive. Structured to respond to the three developmental phases of childhood — birth to 6 or 7 years, 7 to 14 years and 14 to 21 years — Rudolf Steiner stressed to teachers that the best way to provide meaningful support of the child is to comprehend these phases fully and to bring “age appropriate” content that nourishes healthy growth for the Waldorf student. Music, dance and theater, writing, literature, legends and myths are not simply subjects to be read about and tested. They are experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world…”(HM)

From Why Waldorf Works (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA):

“Waldorf Education

The Waldorf High School
In the high school, from grade nine through grade twelve, a new image of the adult stands in the young person’s mind as an ideal. Truthfulness, thoughtfulness, self-possession, consideration, strong-mindedness, warm-heartedness-these are the qualities the adolescent holds as ideals. From around age fourteen, the student looks for such qualities in his teachers. No longer blindly accepting authority, he looks to a mentor who inspires him and who is clearly worthy of emulation.

The high school student also needs teachers who have devoted themselves to and mastered particular subjects or skills-the logic in mathematics, the control of the hand and sharpening of eye in metal-work and wood-carving or the development of bodily grace, control and expression in eurythmy and gymnastics.

Students will gravitate towards particular people and areas of study according to their individual preferences and talents. At the same time each student should continue to accept the discipline each subject demands and also appreciate the insights and broader perspective that an interdisciplinary approach makes possible…”