Posted: August 18th, 2010 | Author: Jennifer Patton | Filed under: Teachers | Tags: childhood, cognitive research, early childhood, kindergarten, salary, teacher education, Teachers, teaching method, Waldorf education | No Comments »
A few weeks old, but I just caught wind of this article in the New York Times business section. It presents research based on adult outcomes rather than test scores about how an excellent Kindergarten teacher can have an excellent long-term effect for education.
Early this year, Mr. Chetty and five other researchers … examined the life paths of almost 12,000 children who had been part of a well-known education experiment in Tennessee in the 1980s. The children are now about 30, well started on their adult lives.
On Tuesday, Mr. Chetty presented the findings — not yet peer-reviewed — at an academic conference in Cambridge, Mass. They’re fairly explosive.
This is right in line with our thinking as we develop el Rio – one of our main core values being teacher support, empowerment, and professional development.
I don’t know about $320,000 salaries – we’ll have to sell a LOT of birds. 
Posted: July 2nd, 2009 | Author: molly s. | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: challenge, LAUSD, society, teacher education, Unions | 3 Comments »
I felt that this was an important article to share… I am hoping people with more LAUSD experience will comment! I know that as a charter school you are not required to hire Union teachers – so how will this affect and/or influence El Rio Charter School and the quality of educators that will be a part of it?
LA WEEKLY ARTICLE “Free Pass From (Teacher) Jail”
Posted: July 1st, 2009 | Author: Joan Jaeckel | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: appreciative inquiry, evolving, learning organization, teacher education | 6 Comments »
INCEPTION: Waldorf education was originally conceived by a leading business owner, Dr. Emil Molt, who wanted to initiate positive social change following WWI, and a leading thinker of the day who lectured widely on the evolution of human consciousness, Dr. Rudolf Steiner. Steiner’s big idea was that society will be humanized when we treat children humanely. “There will be no ‘knuckle rapping’ at the Waldorf School”, he promised the parents, meaning the school would not intimidate, manipulate or physically coerce the students into learning or behaving.
REACH: Today, Waldorf education is a global learning organization of independent, affiliated public, government-funded and independent, K-12 schools, homeschooling initiatives, teacher and school administration colleges, childcare centers, pre-schools, early childhood teacher education centers, parenting educators, childhood development researchers, childhood learning researchers, “extra lesson” (special education) practitioners, pediatric doctors and child psychologists.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS INSPIRED BY WALDORF EDUCATION
In the United States, there are over 50 public charter schools inspired by Waldorf education affiliated with the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education. Ocean Charter School in Culver City is the first public charter school inspired by Waldorf education in Los Angeles. El Rio Charter School will be the second one.
INDEPENDENT (PRIVATE) WALDORF SCHOOLS
There are 144 independent (private) Waldorf schools, 100 Waldorf pre-schools, and 20 Waldorf teacher education colleges and institutes associated with the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.
CONTINUOUS LEARNING ORGANIZATION: The germinal idea behind Waldorf education’s curriculum, governance and teaching is ‘if you want to teach children to learn, first learn to observe, love and play like children do’. Every Waldorf teacher adapts the Waldorf concept to local culture and conditions. To keep Waldorf education alive and current, Waldorf educators continually form alliances for scientific and experiential research, share what they are learning through publications and conferences, and observe current trends and realities in order to make the curriculum relevant to student’s future success in life.
It’s the participants. Waldorf education evolves continually because if you’re involved in it, you agree to make an effort to evolve and grow as person. As a Waldorf education participant – parent, teacher, child, staff – you are on the “learning organization” path. On the learning organization path you learn from your experience as you go along. It’s an “appreciative inquiry” path on which you solve problems by finding what works and doing more of it. On the learning organization path you don’t use your energy to find what’s wrong with yourself and others or to reward and punish. You motivate with your creativity, your enthusiasm and your know-how.
For example, the Waldorf classroom of today is far more individualized than it was in the primordial ooze of its inception. Along the path, people found that the more of the right kind of attention you pay to a child, the more the child blossoms. Kids are different today and Waldorf education is different today because of it. Schools in different communities and in different parts of the world have different needs and each school adapts to local conditions. Waldorf education is not a franchise and there is no centralized formula. There are “indications” and “suggestions”, not rules. The three principles that hold all of Waldorf education together are learning to observe the child as a unique and original person, appreciating and connecting to the child unconditionally, and teaching to and being with the child at whatever level the child is actually capable of reaching without coercion or pressure.
Another principle keeping Waldorf education fresh is the principle, “if you want to teach the child to learn, be a learner yourself”. The bored, the burnt out, the tired need not apply. On the other hand, many a burnt out teacher has been refreshed learning to apply Waldorf education in their public school classroom. For example:
“The Waldorf approach taught me a a whole new way of reaching my fifth graders—most of them English Language Learners—and lighting a fire of learning in their hearts. It keeps learning fun, fresh, and exciting and gives me hope in my teaching.” Bernard Hamady, 49th Street Elementary, Los Angeles Unified, CA
To keep Waldorf education alive and current, Waldorf educators continually write books and articles, form alliances for scientific and experiential research, share what they are learning at conferences, and observe current trends and realities in order to make the curriculum relevant to student’s future success in life.
Posted: July 1st, 2009 | Author: Joan Jaeckel | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: at-risk, childcare, childhood, cognitive research, early childhood, homeschooling, learning difficulties, pre-school, public school, resources, teacher education | No Comments »
“Waldorf education” means an approach to parenting and education that produces a climate which is respectful and accepting of childhood and supportive of whatever level the individual child is capable achieving. In the U.S., Waldorf education is an initiative to move change in the mainstream educational system and an interconnected learning organization of independent and public schools, homeschooling initiatives, teacher education colleges, teacher education for at-risk students, enrichment for public school teachers, school leadership and adminstration courses, childcare centers, early childhood centers and early childhood and pre-school education, parentingsupport and resources, Waldorf researchers and cognitive researchers, “extra lesson” (special education) practitioners, curative education communities, play specialists, and research on learning difficulties. Waldorf education is also a worldwide movement.
