Education in any historical period is the most important institution of society, therefore, any new methods and technologies in this area fall under the scrutiny of both specialists and ordinary citizens. This approach finds its embodiment both in appealing to such a phenomenon as Waldorf pedagogy.
Its appearance after the end of the First World War was connected, first of all, with the fact that the traditional school that had developed by that time considered students exclusively as objects of the cognitive process, which should assimilate the maximum possible amount of material. The spiritual, moral and physical development of the child faded into the background.
Waldorf pedagogy was a unique alternative to traditional methods and forms of education. It was based on a model of gradual self-development of a child for whom the teacher turned from a strict controller into a wise mentor. The first such educational institution was opened on the territory of the Waldorf Astoria tobacco factory; subsequently, Waldorf schools were widely used in Europe and North America. The founder of this system, Rudolf Steiner, made the main emphasis on the fact that the most destructive thing for a child is the desire of parents and teachers to master the entire school curriculum as quickly as possible, overtaking their physical and psychological capabilities. Waldorf pedagogy offered only to accompany the child in the process of comprehending the world with him, gradually revealing his creative and intellectual potential.
In general, the Waldorf technique adheres to the following basic principles:
- The main component of the educational process is education. Moreover, it should be based, first of all, on moral principles.
- Up to seven years, the child should avoid unnecessary intellectual stress, because otherwise he will eventually grow into a person who can only reproduce other people's thoughts, and not form his own opinion. First of all, any child should feel like a personality.
- Positive and negative assessments of the child’s activity should not be abused, as adult intervention in the process of its formation should be minimal.
- Waldorf pedagogy does not involve the use in the process of training and education of any imitative forms. For her, the main thing is that the child himself comprehends the world around him, focusing solely on his own idea of him.
- Any child is unique, each has its own unique abilities and talents. The main goal that pedagogy of the Waldorf school sets itself is to have the child himself find and fully reveal his inclinations and abilities.
Like any new phenomenon, Waldorf pedagogy, especially at first, experienced quite a lot of pressure from representatives of the traditional school. However, the further development of pedagogical thought showed that many of the ideas laid down by Rudolf Steiner turned out to be relevant and in demand. The main one is that any educational institution should prioritize the process of spiritual and moral development of the child, and not teach him the basics of all sciences.
Today, Waldorf schools are available in many developed and developing countries. Their children visit both from well-off and from poor families. Despite the fact that this methodology will soon turn one hundred years old, the methods and forms of the educational process used in such schools still look innovative and attractive for both teachers and parents.