Observing the Class Observing the Children - Research Institute for ...

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Educational Principle #10
All these things, painting-drawing and drawing-painting, and also the finding
of their way into the music realm will be, for us, during the children’s first year
at a school, a wonderful element in developing their will, which is something
almost totally removed from present-day schools. And if we can also lead over
ordinary gymnastics into eurythmy, we shall be promoting their will development
to a special degree. 10
These educational principles given by Rudolf Steiner have been used by
teachers and schools during the past ninety-three years. In addition teachers
have created their own principles and schools have worked together on their
principles. Steiner gave us direction, he did not create dogmas that anyone should
follow. No one has the answer to education. We can continually renew our work
according to what we see in our children.
Methods
For our work with children before the age of nine, Steiner gave to the
original teachers during the first lectures not only principles, but approximately
thirty-six methods. After twenty-one years of teaching I was led to these lectures
one evening by some tough questions:
• How many methods do I use in the course of a main lesson?
• How much time do I spend preparing content and how much time do
I spend preparing methods?
• Which methods do I use in the subject lessons?
• What are my methods in the social interaction in the class?
I also realized there are two sides to these questions:
• Which methods do all of my children need during the main lessons?
• Which methods of learning do my children use in order to learn when I
teach?
• Which methods do they need in the subject lessons?
• And in their social interaction, which methods do my children use each
day?
These questions led to new questions. I searched for a better understanding
of my pupils’ learning styles. In the parent conferences that semester in Princeton
I asked the parents to tell me how their children learn. We compared notes
and a picture of the peculiar needs arose. I also realized the learning style of
each child lies deep within his or her soul and it will continue throughout high
school, college and their professional lives. Therefore I decided to restudy