Colloquium on English - Research Institute for Waldorf Education

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14 We left feeling that we had much more to learn and share and would welcome further colloquia on any aspect of Waldorf High School teaching. Our meetings took place in the newly opened, beautifully functional Dr. Bruce Barstow Science and Technology Building. We wish to thank the students and faculty of High Mowing School for their welcome. Virginia Buhr saw to our nurturing with her usual capable care. We were smoothly transported, comfortably lodged, and excellently sustained; meals and snacks were a delight to the eye as well as the palette. Thank you, Virginia. Thank you, too, to Douglas Gerwin for recognizing the need for this <strong>Colloquium</strong>, handling the practicalities, and pulling together such a group of dedicated disciples of The Word. I would also like to thank Roberto Trostli for his invaluable work in finding and translating Rudolf Steiner’s observations on teaching language arts and for allowing the sections pertaining to high school to be included here. Being at High Mowing brought to many of us memories of another English <strong>Colloquium</strong> held there in 1993 when both Christy Barnes and Sabina Nordhoff inspired us with enthusiasm and wisdom that has sustained many of us through the past decade. Being once again where so much had been given before was blessing beyond measure. PARTICIPANTS Betsy Barricklow (Tara Performing Arts High School) Carol Bärtges (Rudolf Steiner School, New York) Joan Caldarera (San Francisco Waldorf School) Mary Echlin (Kimberton Waldorf School) Mary Emery (Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor) Craig Giddens (Speech) Meg Gorman (San Francisco Waldorf School Anne Greer (retired, Toronto Waldorf School) Jason Gross (Kimberton Waldorf School) Frank Hall (Washington Waldorf School) Michael Mancini (East Bay Waldorf School) Christene Meyer (Highland Hall School) Allegra Alessandri Pfeifer (San Francisco Waldorf School) Leonore Russell (Waldorf School of Garden City) Patricia Ryan (High Mowing School) Linda Sawers (Washington Waldorf School) Betty Staley (Rudolf Steiner College) Philip Thatcher (Vancouver Waldorf School) — Anne Greer February 2004
Literature as Unveiling Mirror by Philip Thatcher In thinking about why we are doing what we are doing as literature teachers, I want to bring together two questions. The first is sometimes asked openly by our students, but more often presents itself in a scenario such as this: You’re in front of the class, watching the students; you see a student put down a pen or book and lean back and look at you. It could mean that we are getting close to the bone of something. It could mean, “Do you live what you’re saying?” It could mean, “Why have you asked me to read this particular book?” That is the first question I want us to consider: Why are we asking our students to read a particular book? We could answer simply, “It’s part of the curriculum.” Or we could reply, “Reading this book will be a life transforming experience for which you will be grateful; trust me.” Perhaps we don’t have to take responsibility for what we’re asking students to read. We could tell ourselves that it is because other Waldorf schools teach this book. In British Columbia’s public high schools, Lord of the Flies has been required reading for many years. I wonder if teachers ever ask themselves, “Why this book?” The second question I want to pose is this: “What makes a piece of writing literature?” Steinbeck is a writer who has always been important to me, but when I search him out in bookstores, I find him in the fiction rather than the literature section. Why aren’t Steinbeck’s books considered literature? In my experience, there are at least four books by Steinbeck that can be taught to our students: The Pearl in 9 th grade, Cannery Row in 10 th , Grapes of Wrath in 11 th , and East of Eden in 12 th . Are these books not literature? Who decides that a book is or isn’t literature? Is literature an established canon that we read to qualify as being educated? Or, does literature have to do with the quality of the writing itself? Is literature more than simply a use of words to state what I already know? Can I discover meaning through the writing itself? Is language itself a source of creation? Is literature writing that unveils essential truths about the world and ourselves - truths not simply of the present moment, but that go beyond time, that will go on speaking to me for the rest of my life? Often I embrace a book that I will read over and over again because it bears a relationship to who I am as a human being; it helps me discover my humanity. Each reading of such a book may well be a different experience. Literature is writing that has staying power, is writing that faces reality without shrinking from it, is writing that enables me to bear with the realities that I confront. Literature is Unveiling Mirror. What can a good work disclose? First, it discloses the world as it is: the good, the bad, and the ugly as does “Realism” in 20th century writing. 15
Page 1: Research Project #9 Colloqu
Page 4 and 5: 4 Title: Proceedings of the <strong
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Page 8 and 9: 8 WHSRP Mission Statement Formed in
Page 10 and 11: 10 MONDAY 13 OCTOBER 8:00 A.M. - -
Page 12 and 13: 12 From the Left: Patricia Ryan and
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Page 20 and 21: 20 Benchmarks: Transition from Midd
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80 paper is an abstract concept. Th
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82 I Am I am: yet what I am none ca
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84 I-Search Projects The purpose of
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86 Annotated Bibliography Breindel,
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88 Steiner on Writing and Spelling
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90 Understanding Spelling Difficult
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92 Is there a Phenomenological Appr
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94 7. careless: the first “as”
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96 in this Colloquium</stro
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98 It names the parts and modes and
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100 of your lesson; at times it can
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102 the students’ perception of a
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104 Through eurythmy people can lea
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106 Introduction to Grammar Grammar
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108 authority, and thus to form tho
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114 period. If you have caused them
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116 “substantiating” verbs. In
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118 Grammar in the Ninth Grade In G
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120 quy and a sonnet, and to recite
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122 Enlivening English Teaching thr
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124 Recommended Books For Waldorf E
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126 Also Recommended: Bly, Robert.
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128 reward for the first person to
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130 1) Tenth graders may wish to re
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132 Solzhenitsyn’s A Day in the L
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134 How in the act of writing itsel
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136 The Wholeness Of Imagination by
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138 Coleridge was an exact thinker
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140 ception of the universe into wh
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142 The theories must indeed come.
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144 Disturbances in Speech Developm
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150 Acquisition of Speech and the D
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