A child is an individual with a certain character and developmental features. Many parents know that the baby needs to be taught and guided, but does the regular mass school cope with these tasks? Not always. An alternative way of teaching can be safely called a system such as the Waldorf school. What it is? How does it affect the personality of the child? We will try to answer these questions in this article.
Hidden abilities
To some extent, each child looks like a piece of plasticine, you can fashion anything out of it, making every effort to this. Would plasticine sculpt a figurine from itself? Of course not - even a child knows the answer to this question. With children the same situation. Their talents and abilities only to some extent depend on their genetics, but most of them depend on what we put into them. Perhaps not everyone will agree with these words, but it is on the basis of this that children develop in such an educational institution as the Waldorf school. What is this marvelous educational system, where instead of memorizing the multiplication table, children draw and laugh? It is in a warm and friendly atmosphere that the child performs best.
Moreover, without having tried various types of activities, it is extremely difficult to find out what the student likes the most and what he really has talent for. It is these classes that the Waldorf school conducts. Moscow is that city where some of the best Steiner schools are concentrated.
First Waldorf School
Such a wonderful education system was created and implemented by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. In addition, it was he who created the doctrine of spiritual knowledge, as anthroposophy. We will talk about this science a little later, but now we will return to the creation of the first Waldorf school. In the spring of 1919, Steiner held a meeting with employees of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory, which highlighted the problems of teaching and raising children in ordinary schools. The scientist voiced the curriculum of the Waldorf school, which he intends to introduce, and also spoke about the anthroposophical teachings and the need for spiritual development of children. Many parents were interested in his worldview and the prospects of opening a new, alternative educational institution, and, of course, they agreed to send their children to such a school. Immediately, Emil Molt (the head of the cigarette factory) bought the premises and began arranging a new school. Since the founder of the new pedagogy was Rudolf Steiner, such an educational institution is sometimes called: “Waldorf Steiner School”.
Spirit Science
That is how many scholars characterize the doctrine of anthroposophy. Translated from Greek, "sophia" is wisdom, and "anthropos" is man, respectively, science studies the characteristics of the development of the individual in the spiritual sphere. This teaching was isolated from Theosophy, and is also based on the knowledge of God and the contemplation of God. The only difference is that anthroposophy is based on German classical philosophy and the teachings of I. Goethe, F. Schiller.
It is believed that this is a mystical science that can help develop magical abilities in a person. Steiner called this field of knowledge “Goetheanism of the 20th century,” and since Goethe was a freemason for some time, it can be safely stated that anthroposophy is somehow connected with magic and mysticism. It was on the basis of these ideas that the Waldorf school was created. What is this way of self-development and why did Steiner have a huge number of followers?
The unity of the three hypostases
In the teachings of anthroposophy, man is considered not only as a whole, but also including such components as: soul, body and spirit. They, in turn, have their physical and psychological characteristics: the respiratory system, heart and spirit belong to the sphere of emotions, the nervous system and brain to the intellectual (soul), metabolism and the musculoskeletal system are the body. The science of anthroposophy studies how to harmonize these three areas among themselves: a person must be strong in spirit and body, and also have a noble soul. It is knowledge of how to achieve this and gives Waldorf school. What is this mystical science and is it related to the development of children? This question can be answered by studying the basic principles of anthroposophy in more detail.
Principles of Spiritual Science
First of all, in order for any child to develop, feel comfortable and be able to reach his potential, he needs respect. He should not feel offended or deprived of attention in an educational institution. Anthroposophy studies the methods of self-development through creativity and meditation. In different cities and schools, teaching methods may vary slightly, and this mainly depends on the qualifications of educators. For example, one Waldorf school in St. Petersburg can deviate in the educational process to creativity (drawing, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments), while the other to spiritual and spiritual development. One way or another, in any Steiner school, children during the day consider the creative, labor, and spiritual block.
Particular attention in the pedagogy of the Waldorf school is given to the study of culture and traditions. In order for the child not to feel alone, he must understand that there is a whole world around him that is very interesting and diverse. Various performances and performances performed by the children themselves help them feel more than just a schoolboy. A certain Waldorf school in St. Petersburg can become for a child not just an educational institution, but a second family, where he will be comfortable and cozy. Especially such schools are liked by children who do not have brothers and sisters. They like the friendly atmosphere in the school so much that they are ready to be at school almost all day. In a warm and friendly atmosphere, the kids really like, they find new friends and like-minded people.
Nature as part of man
Steiner Pedagogy pays particular attention to the environment. If a child does not learn to feel one with nature, he will never be able to discover his full potential. As a rule, the educational institution is located closer to nature: to clean forest air, near the river, not far from the mountains. The school itself does not much resemble a class, it is rather a cozy house where you can get together with a new family (class), work out with creativity and spiritual development. Even furniture in modern Waldorf schools, as a rule, does not contain plastic and toxic substances - everything is only natural.
Grading system
Learning at a Waldorf school is very different from lessons at a regular school. A completely different program develops in children an interest in learning, not supported by rivalry. There are no worse and better ones, each child is unique and talented in his own way. They do not give him ratings and do not reproach him for not knowing anything. In addition, a distinctive feature of such an educational institution is the attitude of teachers to tips. If the mass school scolds for hints and cheating, then here they call it help and are very welcome. In no case should a child feel lonely in moments of failure. On the contrary, at such moments, the whole class and teachers support him, help, explain what the child did not understand. Pupils form a strong belief that they are not alone in this vast world, that there are always people who will come to help, and moreover, this child will also be happy to help someone.
Training program
Naturally, the program at the Steiner school has a huge number of differences from the usual mass school. All this is explained by the fact that in such educational institutions a completely different bias and goals pursued by teachers. Children are not forced to memorize anything - this is the main credo of such a teaching method as Waldorf pedagogy. The pros and cons of this school are discussed by many scientists, but no one comes to a common opinion. This is due to the fact that this pedagogy has huge differences that contradict the regular school curriculum. For example, in grades 1-2, children are not taught reading and writing. Two years in a playful way children are taught letters and numbers.
In the lessons, as a rule, children learn drawing, sewing, knitting, gardening, foreign languages. Complex exact sciences, such as, for example, mathematics, are studied in elementary school only in a playful way: children, holding hands, dance, circle (circle), move vertically, diagonally, squarely, rectangle. “Feeling these figures on themselves,” it is not difficult for the students to draw them later, divide them in half, and find the perimeter and area.
Holidays and concerts
Waldorf schools pay a lot of attention to holidays and concerts. For each event, the children, together with teachers, prepare performances, sew costumes themselves, decorate the concert hall. This brings children together, gives them the opportunity to express themselves. Performing on stage for a shy child is an opportunity to become more relaxed and relaxed. Most often, parents and close relatives are invited as guests to such holidays. The child, feeling support, appears on the stage even more confidently. It is the Waldorf school, the feedback of parents about which is only positive, that has a beneficial effect on children, developing the most unexpected talents in them.
Waldorf kindergarten
Steiner’s pedagogy has become so popular in Europe and Asia that it has become necessary to create pre-school institutions on the basis of this teaching. After an ordinary kindergarten, a child who is sent to study at a Waldorf school has a hard time. The model of education that he saw in kindergarten is completely contrary to the new school: in a regular preschool institution, children are already beginning to learn seriousness, perseverance, letters and numbers. Waldorf Kindergarten is an educational institution for preschool children based on Steiner’s pedagogy. Here, during the game, children learn the world, make crafts, play mother-daughter, a store, and a hospital. For crafts using various natural materials: pebbles, leaflets, cones, acorns. Toys in such kindergartens are also only wooden or rag.
Approaches and methods
The main problem of ordinary public schools is the question of rudeness and cruelty of schoolchildren. Disrespect for adults, unwillingness to learn - these are the difficulties of many parents, with which they can not cope. School educators in a mass school also have a hard time.
Only a friendly and warm atmosphere can really contribute well to the educational process and personality development. The game process in which children learn, develop, learn the world contributes to the development of fine motor skills and speech. The Waldorf school has all these features. Moscow, the city in which a huge number of such schools are concentrated, but what is most interesting is that they are not subordinate to the city department of education and science. Unlike ordinary educational institutions, in such schools there is no centralized administrative management, which means that all of them are not related to each other and are not subordinate to anyone. In Steiner schools, as a rule, there are no directors; they are managed by a council consisting of teachers and parents.
Any Waldorf school, the cost of which in European countries tends to zero, develops spirituality and talent in children. Even the pencil case with which the child comes to classes, he makes with his parents himself.
Of course, adherents of strict discipline, such a school will definitely not like it. Children have virtually no boundaries. If for some reason the child does not like the lesson in the lesson or he already knows how to do this, he can safely leave the lesson. Almost the entire educational process, parents participate in the lives of children: they help organize holidays, do various crafts with them at home, and even conduct lessons. At parent meetings, they discuss who and what knows how to do well, a schedule is drawn up. And so, for example, on Monday, one of the mothers tells the children the technique of weaving beadwork, and on Tuesday - the dad of one of the students teaches them how to make wooden boats. Each child, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl, attends all classes and studies with everyone. Who said, for example, that a boy cannot knit or embroider, and a girl should not work with a tree? These are just prejudices that are not found in such an institution as the Waldorf school. Addresses and contacts of schools with Steiner pedagogy can be found on their personal sites. In addition, as a rule, Waldorf schools hold open doors every year. You can attend this event, meet teachers and parents, observe the educational process and decide for yourself whether such a school is suitable for your child.