Riddle of America, The - Waldorf Research Institute

The teacher is the one person who can alter the child by alteringhimself, by continuous inner striving. If he speaks of God, theadolescent knows whether or not he means it; it is no use merelypaying lip-service.Rudolf Steiner also made interesting remarks relating to this. Hespoke about “creative renunciation.” He said that if a person who isinto gourmet food or drinks becomes a teacher, his/her words willnot “reach” the children. The words spoken by the person who hasmany desires will not sink into the children. Such teachers tend toaccuse students for not learning, instead of reflecting on one’s ownself. If one understands life from the higher realm, eat only what isnecessary and, especially, if he/she is trying to accept destiny, he/she will start to recognize his/her own words as having spiritualpower. He/she will also gain strength in his/her gaze. Not onlythat, just by having the good thought near the students, he(she) canencourage them. 12Steiner had refreshing suggestions for future teacher training to avoidcold dogmatism in the Waldorf movement.Here we must say that it is essentially unimportant whether newteachers have really learned what is often taught as pedagogy,as special methods. What is important for future teachers is that,through their training, they have become capable of looking into thedeveloping person. What is important is that they have acquired theskills that they can acquire through a thorough, real understanding ofhuman beings. What is important is that they have become capablein the presence of each child and in each moment to newly form andre-form the educational task.For the true teacher, pedagogy must be something living, somethingnew at each moment. Everything that teachers carry in theirsouls as memories robs them of their originality. New insights intothe nature of developing humans that allow the pedagogy to changeand be alive in those people who teach must replace pedagogicalnorms. We could even say that the best pedagogy (stated radically)is one that the teacher continually forgets and that is continuallyreignited each time the teacher is in the presence of the children andsees in them the living powers of developing human nature. 13296