Waldorf CurriculumIntroduction
A curriculum could be compared to the list of ingredients
for a recipe. However good the recipe, the quality of the ingredients is crucial
but to make a start the components also need to be available. When they are to
hand, the next question is whether the cook is skilled enough to combine and
adjust flavors so that each item plays its part without overwhelming the others.
An experienced cook may be able to substitute one ingredient for another, even
to improvise in such a way that something new is created. But we should not
forget that emotion, even love, goes into the preparation of food and this will
influence how it is received. And, of course, the expectations, health and
culinary experience of the diners also makes a difference.
A curriculum guides an entire learning process. It should not, like a dish into which a chef has thrown every possible taste, explode in an overwhelming, sensation-bursting blowout; it should bring to the table ingredients that are well- balanced, digestible and nutritious, that promote health and stimulate, not stupefy, the senses. Over time, as with diet, a curriculum can introduce items that may not be immediately appealing, stronger tastes or more subtle and complex ones: intellectual chillis, subjects initially sour or astringent, as well as flavors, textures and scents that help to educate the palate. A primary school curriculum, in particular, sets out ingredients for the hors d'oeuvres of lifelong learning. Of course, many school curriculums share common ingredients, but the distinctive qualities of the Steiner-Waldorf curriculum framework are, we believe, unique:
Course OutlineSophia Institute Waldorf Courses: The Art of Teaching Waldorf Grade 5
Lesson 1 / Waldorf Curriculum / Introduction Lesson 2 / Waldorf Curriculum / Grades 4 - 6 (Part 1) Lesson 3 / Waldorf Curriculum / Grades 4 - 6 (Part 2) Lesson 4 / Waldorf Methods / Reading and Math / Introduction Lesson 5 / Waldorf Methods / Reading and Math / Reading / Grade 5 Lesson 6 / Waldorf Methods / Reading and Math / Math / Grade 5 Lesson 7 / Waldorf Methods / Sciences / Chemistry / Introduction Lesson 8 / Waldorf Methods / Sciences / Physics / Introduction Lesson 9 / Waldorf Methods / Sciences / Life Sciences / Introduction Lesson 10 / Waldorf Methods / Sciences / Geography / Introduction Lesson 11 / Waldorf Methods / Sciences / Geography / Grades 1 - 8 Lesson 12 / Waldorf Methods / Sciences / Gardening and Sustainable Living |
Tasks and Assignments for Art of Teaching Waldorf Grade 5 /AoT51Please study and work with the study material provided for this lesson. Then please turn to the following tasks and assignments listed below.
1. Summarize the study material in your own words and add comments and questions. 2. Create a side by side comparison of the Waldorf curriculum and Waldorf principles compared to other educational approaches with emphasis on Grade 5. Choose at least two other clearly identifiable approaches like Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Summerhill, Unschooling, etc. Please send your completed assignment via the online form or via email. 
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Study Material for this Lesson
Waldorf Curriculum / Introduction
The Class Teacher
Each class has a class teacher who moves up the school with
the class. Ideally the class teacher remains with the class for eight years,
though sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise. The class teacher teaches the main morning lesson comprising
the first two hours of each day and normally some other lessons with his or her
class. Specialist teachers teach foreign languages, music, games and movement,
eurythmy, handwork, etc. to each class. The class teacher provides a focus for the class and
continuity over many years of development. He or she aims to be a figure of moral
authority based on commitment, care for the children and a close relationship
with the parents. A curriculum that, from the outset, lays down the timetable
and all sorts of other things completely eliminates the art of teaching. The
teacher must be the driving
and stimulating force in the whole education system.
The Structure of the School Day
Each day begins with a two-hour period known as the main-lesson. This teaching unit is integrated and cross-curricular and includes activities to awaken and focus the children's attention, oral and written practice of basic skills, mental arithmetic, music and drawing, presentation of new material, recall and discussion of the previous day's (or earlier) work, individual working, conversation, narrative and practical work.
This is followed by 40-45 minute subject lessons, often doubled for art and crafts.
Priority is given in the morning to the more academic subjects and the afternoons are usually used for arts and crafts, outdoor activities, sport and practical work. Subjects such as music, eurythmy and foreign languages, which benefit from regular practice, are evenly spaced throughout the middle of the day whenever possible. In making up a school timetable, priority is given to the younger classes for whom a balanced rhythm of lessons and activities is especially important. The older classes are usually more able to cope with less than ideal conditions.
This is followed by 40-45 minute subject lessons, often doubled for art and crafts.
Priority is given in the morning to the more academic subjects and the afternoons are usually used for arts and crafts, outdoor activities, sport and practical work. Subjects such as music, eurythmy and foreign languages, which benefit from regular practice, are evenly spaced throughout the middle of the day whenever possible. In making up a school timetable, priority is given to the younger classes for whom a balanced rhythm of lessons and activities is especially important. The older classes are usually more able to cope with less than ideal conditions.
The Main Lesson
The main-lesson (also referred to as the 'morning lesson' in some schools) is a central feature of the Steiner- Waldorf approach. This lesson begins each school day and is normally about two hours in length. Subjects are taught in blocks of several weeks. All classes (Classes 1-12, ages six to eighteen), follow a main-lesson program.
The Main Lesson - Principles and Features
The main-lesson embraces and addresses a varied and progressive range of skills, competencies and faculties in mathematics, English, the arts, science and humanities. Each day's main-lesson is viewed as an integrated and organic whole. Meaningful connections are made across subject areas and between main-lesson themes. The class teacher chooses material, presentation and activities to suit the requirements of the curriculum and the needs of the specific class. Considerable care is given to preparation. Following a daily review process, the class teacher makes adjustments to the lesson plan as needed. It is the aim of the class teacher to make each lesson an artistic whole in which the parts relate to the whole; and the whole is permeated with rhythm, structure and purpose, as opposed to being a mere chain of events, however purposeful each link may be. This artistic
approach is thought to have a beneficial
effect on the children's learning. The main-lesson incorporates activities and content which address the children's
intellectual- cognitive, aesthetic-affective and practical modes of learning. Each lesson is structured to contain a range of the following activities:
- First part - a morning verse, recitation of poetry, singing, musical instrumental work, mental arithmetic and recall of previous material.
- Second part - presentation of new material and discussion.
- Third part - individual working, narrative, practice of basic skills.
The Main Lesson - Assessment and Learning Outcomes
The assessment of learning through the main- lesson program is an ongoing process as the teacher endeavors to draw up a detailed profile, or child study, of each pupil, which conveys a picture of the child's learning and behavior in the practical, emotional and cognitive realms, while seeking to understand and develop each child's skills, capacities and faculties. Assignments are ongoing and arise out of work covered or introduced in classroom presentations. Projects, essays, tests and artistic/practical tasks indicate the range of assignments which are given. In the course of the main -lesson the pupils' work is assessed in a variety of modes and recorded and used to build up individual pupil profiles, known as School Reports. This information is included in the personal profile and used to define points of progression, intervention strategies or appropriate remedial support. Records that are kept are shared with subject teachers,
parents and, from the Middle School upwards, with pupils.
The teachers plan their main-lessons and define their aims and expected learning outcomes. This is done individually and shared with the team of other class and subject teachers in regular weekly teachers' meetings.
The teachers plan their main-lessons and define their aims and expected learning outcomes. This is done individually and shared with the team of other class and subject teachers in regular weekly teachers' meetings.
The Main Lesson - Rhythm in Learning
The Steiner-Waldorf approach sees rhythm as a vital element in learning. The school day and the school year are structured in an organic way, which establishes a healthy balance of experience between concentration and relaxation, mental and practical work, movement and rest, listening and participating, looking and doing. Each lesson should contain a balance between the engagement of the child's thinking, their feeling and their willing. Each day has its own structured rhythm, as does each lesson. Rhythm enables repetition to occur with renewed interest. By changing activities regularly, interest and attention can be maintained as well as being physiologically stimulating. The teacher can plan a variety of activities to suit the attention span of a given class and can vary this spontaneously according to need. Such rhythms are flexible and can be directed by the teacher in response to the needs of the children, e.g. Monday morning has a different quality to Friday morning. These factors actively play into lesson planning. The celebration of the seasonal festivals gives the whole school year a balance and a sense of continuity as well as helping to form a strong community experience.
The Main Lesson - Forgetting and Remembering
The learning process itself benefits from a rhythmical approach. Steiner- Waldorf differentiates between skills needing regular practice (foreign languages, music, maths, spelling, etc.) and the introduction of new content. New experiences or teaching content are often best introduced after a period during which the assimilation of previously taught material can occur. Acquiring new skills and practicing them until they become ability are two different processes requiring different rhythms. Following a period of concentration on a given topic, say three or four weeks, this is then dropped and allowed to rest before being explicitly raised to consciousness again later. Experience shows a significant 'settling' effect, during which knowledge becomes faculty. This can be recalled at a later stage and built upon in a subsequent main-lesson. The 're-membering' or re-integrating of personal experience into a wider context is an important part of the learning process. The nature of memory itself undergoes metamorphosis, evolving from situational, reflex memory to abstract memory. Steiner-Waldorf draws strongly on these different memory types. Situational memory is strengthened by healthy routine in the younger classes, rhythmical memory is cultivated by such oral work as learning multiplication tables, number bonds, poems, proverbs, songs and foreign language vocabulary by heart. Active recall is a major skill practiced daily in most lessons, as is the remembering and reviewing of complex shared situations. Good memory is based on the individual forming a strong bond of identification to his/her experiences. This is best achieved by engaging the pupils' interest and stimulating their feeling response. The other key to memory is context. All knowledge needs to be bedded in
a context meaningful to the pupil. Imaginative teaching is crucial in the sense
that pupils are enabled to imagine or form mental pictures in relation to what
is being taught. Lack of tension is also a help to active memory, and the teacher
attempts to create a mood of relaxed awareness in the class.
The Main Lesson - Learning in Stages
In the main-lesson program, and in the subject lessons where appropriate, three broad phases of learning can be identified. Stage one generally takes place over one day - the first day. Stage two usually occurs on the next day - the second day. The third stage, or phase, may take place over the following days, weeks or, in some cases, years, since the guiding aim of the third stage is to explore and consider concepts that are not fixed and finished, but fluid and alive. By focusing on concepts that are unfinished and organic, the pupils have the time and the space to make them their own through a process of digestion, assimilation and growth. In this manner, the lesson content can be understood by the individual in a differentiated and meaningful way. The teaching is thus transformed into learning.
Stage One
The teacher presents new material or guides the children to specific learning experiences. The children receive the new content, they experience it and then, at the end of the lesson, it is hoped that they will let it sink from focused consciousness to the deeper layers of memory; Teaching content that is too unstructured or may not have sufficiently engaged the students' attention - as is the case in boring, tedious lessons.
Stage Two
On the second day, after 'sleeping on' the previous day's content, the children are called upon to remember what was previously presented. In a process of discussion, recall and 'weighing up', the pupils are now invited to express creatively individualized and differentiated learning outcomes. The content is now owned by the pupils and has been transformed. On a feeling level, a process of judgement - forming has taken place. It is felt that the literal process of sleep is an essential part of learning. Clearly the brain processes sensory information in significant ways during REM and phases of deep sleep. On the following day such experiences often have a far more integrated character.
Stage Three
As the children move through the Lower School years, towards the development of analytical, causative thinking capacities, this third stage becomes more important as a consciously-sought element in the lesson. In this stage there is a further development of understanding towards the conceptual realm. Through a guided synthesis of different experiences, judgements and perspectives, the pupils are led towards the identification of a concept, or a scientific law. The seeds of the first stage have now developed and metamorphosed through a process of experiencing, forgetting, creative remembering and individual expression towards the flowering of concepts which are lively, mobile and founded in reality. Living concepts, introduced pictorially to younger children, are revisited as the children grow up. The inner structure of the curriculum facilitates this spiral learning by building on earlier experiences.
Stage One
The teacher presents new material or guides the children to specific learning experiences. The children receive the new content, they experience it and then, at the end of the lesson, it is hoped that they will let it sink from focused consciousness to the deeper layers of memory; Teaching content that is too unstructured or may not have sufficiently engaged the students' attention - as is the case in boring, tedious lessons.
Stage Two
On the second day, after 'sleeping on' the previous day's content, the children are called upon to remember what was previously presented. In a process of discussion, recall and 'weighing up', the pupils are now invited to express creatively individualized and differentiated learning outcomes. The content is now owned by the pupils and has been transformed. On a feeling level, a process of judgement - forming has taken place. It is felt that the literal process of sleep is an essential part of learning. Clearly the brain processes sensory information in significant ways during REM and phases of deep sleep. On the following day such experiences often have a far more integrated character.
Stage Three
As the children move through the Lower School years, towards the development of analytical, causative thinking capacities, this third stage becomes more important as a consciously-sought element in the lesson. In this stage there is a further development of understanding towards the conceptual realm. Through a guided synthesis of different experiences, judgements and perspectives, the pupils are led towards the identification of a concept, or a scientific law. The seeds of the first stage have now developed and metamorphosed through a process of experiencing, forgetting, creative remembering and individual expression towards the flowering of concepts which are lively, mobile and founded in reality. Living concepts, introduced pictorially to younger children, are revisited as the children grow up. The inner structure of the curriculum facilitates this spiral learning by building on earlier experiences.
Whole Class Teaching
The Steiner-Waldorf approach is centered around whole class teaching. The teacher is a focus for the learning experience. This form is complemented by group work, differentiation into ability groups for maths, reading, etc. However, such differentiation always goes from the whole class to groups which are then re-integrated back into the whole class. A class of mixed ability children is a model for community. The task of the class teacher is to foster social awareness and cohesion within the class group. This process is enhanced by the long-term continuity offered by the class teacher. There is much emphasis on children learning from and with each other, learning to appreciate each other's gifts and developing an understanding of each other's limitations and weaknesses. The cultivation of such social awareness, empathy and the daily experience of individual and group problems being tackled constructively helps prepare pupils for life.
Pictorial and Imaginative Language
Throughout the primary
years (age six to twelve), the pictorial element is preferred to abstract
terminology. Imaginative concepts have the capacity to grow with the child's
changing understanding of the world. The teacher uses imagery wherever
appropriate in speaking to the children. Young children up to the age of eight
or nine require concrete images that evoke strong sensory impressions on the
imagination:
Hot, salty tears ran down Cinderella's cheeks, making streaks like rain on dusty windows, dripping from her chin and making dark, damp patches on her grey dress.
Children progress from an imaginative, picture consciousness to more abstract intellectual thought processes. The transition occurs after the age of ten when the ability to think in abstract, and later causal, terms begins to emerge. From this age until puberty, language changes in character from literal to a more metaphoric and moral tone in description. Simile, metaphor and comparison create images in which physical detail is transformed into evocative mood:
The north wind cut like a fish gutter's knife. The sea swelled darkly, fraying the wave crests like torn flags. His cheeks aglow with youthful enthusiasm, the young James Cook gripped the rail of the Whitby collier with pride and daring.
In adolescence, imagery must build on the layers of language to create a level of symbolic meaning:
In an image that would later be faked by the photographic department of Pravda (Truth), Lenin climbed onto the giant hulk of a locomotive derailed in the shunting yards of Finlandia Station. Unlike later icons, Lenin did not stand with feet firmly apart left shoulder forward, chest proudly inflated, jowl jutting, the lapels of his greatcoat flapping in the biting wind. He was in fact hunched forward, feet unsteady on the icy metal, cheeks white, eyes dark and bloodshot, the famous beard wispy, his lips cracked. Someone had thrust a straggly bunch of red carnations into his hands. As he tried to clear his head and address the group of ragged railwaymen below, he absent-mindedly plucked the heads off the flowers one by one.
The pictorial element is not only relevant for stories. Instructions and directions in classroom contexts can often be given in pictorial form.
We should educate children so that all their concepts are capable of growth, that their concepts and will impulses are really alive. This is not easy. But an artistic education succeeds in doing it. And the children have a different feeling when we offer them living concepts instead of dead ones, for they unconsciously know that what is given them grows with them, just as arms grow with the body. (- Rudolf Steiner)
Hot, salty tears ran down Cinderella's cheeks, making streaks like rain on dusty windows, dripping from her chin and making dark, damp patches on her grey dress.
Children progress from an imaginative, picture consciousness to more abstract intellectual thought processes. The transition occurs after the age of ten when the ability to think in abstract, and later causal, terms begins to emerge. From this age until puberty, language changes in character from literal to a more metaphoric and moral tone in description. Simile, metaphor and comparison create images in which physical detail is transformed into evocative mood:
The north wind cut like a fish gutter's knife. The sea swelled darkly, fraying the wave crests like torn flags. His cheeks aglow with youthful enthusiasm, the young James Cook gripped the rail of the Whitby collier with pride and daring.
In adolescence, imagery must build on the layers of language to create a level of symbolic meaning:
In an image that would later be faked by the photographic department of Pravda (Truth), Lenin climbed onto the giant hulk of a locomotive derailed in the shunting yards of Finlandia Station. Unlike later icons, Lenin did not stand with feet firmly apart left shoulder forward, chest proudly inflated, jowl jutting, the lapels of his greatcoat flapping in the biting wind. He was in fact hunched forward, feet unsteady on the icy metal, cheeks white, eyes dark and bloodshot, the famous beard wispy, his lips cracked. Someone had thrust a straggly bunch of red carnations into his hands. As he tried to clear his head and address the group of ragged railwaymen below, he absent-mindedly plucked the heads off the flowers one by one.
The pictorial element is not only relevant for stories. Instructions and directions in classroom contexts can often be given in pictorial form.
We should educate children so that all their concepts are capable of growth, that their concepts and will impulses are really alive. This is not easy. But an artistic education succeeds in doing it. And the children have a different feeling when we offer them living concepts instead of dead ones, for they unconsciously know that what is given them grows with them, just as arms grow with the body. (- Rudolf Steiner)
The Place of Textbooks
The teaching in a Steiner-Waldorf school comes essentially through the teacher and not via text books. The teacher chooses the material and presentation to suit the particular group of children. This is the case in all subjects. Imaginative, oral and practical presentations of lesson material, thoroughly prepared by the teacher, engender interest and enhance the authority of the teacher in the eyes of the children. The fundamental mode of delivery for lesson content is the immediate and direct interface between pupils and teacher, with the latter supported by appropriate materials and resources, including prepared work sheets, texts, vocabulary lists, maps, diagrams, etc. Reference books, such as dictionaries and atlases, are made use of as appropriate, but always in support of the teacher's main presentation. Likewise, assignments and projects arising out of the lesson theme require that the pupils develop competence in a range of reading techniques and manual information-retrieval skills by the time they reach age twelve (Class 6).
The Authority of the Teacher
In the Early Years period, the presence of inner authority working through the teacher's gestures, speech, actions and mood allows the young child to imbibe a living example of authority, the essence of which may be emulated in later years. The inner attitude of the teacher is reinforced by strong rhythms and routines which quieten behavior. In the Lower School period, children need clear guidance and boundaries. It is the role of the class teacher to provide these and to exemplify models of conduct. This authority manifests in the presentation of lesson material and in the whole social and pedagogical life of the. class. In adolescence the emphasis on authority as a pedagogical gesture shifts to the teacher as an authority in a given subject field. Based on his or her own integrity and search for truth, the teacher can lead the young person towards enthusiastic inquiry into what is
true. The focus now moves to the development of independent judgement based on
sound observation.
Together these three broad approaches, or aspects, of authority - imitation, guidance and respect for expertise - provide a setting in which ethical individualism and individual morality may flourish.
Together these three broad approaches, or aspects, of authority - imitation, guidance and respect for expertise - provide a setting in which ethical individualism and individual morality may flourish.
Discipline
Early Years
Young children imitate. It is in their nature to do so. The young child is sensitive to the environment in all its aspects - the material and the human - the physical, emotional and spiritual. In order to cultivate discipline in the early years, it is incumbent on teachers and parents to create a healthy environment for a child to imitate. Children unconsciously respond to the moods created by adults. The extent to which conscious activity has structured this environment in a meaningful - as opposed to a haphazard - way is important. Children notice whether adults are sincere in their gestures, speech and general bearing. Adult relationships are observed, and children have a deep need to know that the world is good. Educators and parents have a responsibility to strive towards an honest morality. In many life situations this may be the only 'good' available - yet it is the most important. Time and again this has been demonstrated in times of war and social disaster: love is the absolute essential in Early Years education. By consciously working with rhythm - daily, weekly and the yearly cycle through the seasons and the festivals - and using rhythmical repetition as a pedagogical tool, the teacher promotes and provides discipline for the young child.
Lower School
In the Lower School, rhythm, form, boundaries and teacher-authority unite to provide a meaningful structure within which the children are held and nurtured. Well-prepared lessons, employing a suitable range of teaching strategies, foster a mood of positive discipline. When pupils are inspired and encouraged to develop specific skills and capacities, while working at a suitable pace and level, conditions are present in which good discipline can flourish. The teacher's quest for self-development and professional excellence provides an important role model for pupils. When authoritative guidance inspires the teaching, independence is conferred on the child and conditions are laid down for the development of self-discipline in later years. The approach to discipline seeks to follow what may be called an 'artistic' approach. In presenting lesson material, setting of tasks and assignments, the teacher has the responsibility to create and inspire structure in classroom management and classroom life. In consciously providing a space, the teacher offers freedom. In this creative space there is room for dynamic interplay between absorption and assimilation, guidance and discovery, teaching and learning.
Upper School
In the Upper School classes, the process of cultivating and developing discipline continues and the focus now shifts towards conscious self- discipline, taking responsibility for one's actions and accepting the consequences of one's behavior. When infringements occur, students are guided to understand the full consequences of their actions and given the opportunity to redress the harm done. Exclusion is very much a last resort since dialogue is crucial and youngsters need to come to terms with their responsibilities within the context of the social group. Alienation through rejection or humiliation can only make matters worse. Young people clearly need to test the boundaries they are given and they should be given every opportunity to do this in a positive and constructive way. They also need to learn how to discuss such matters and in particular to understand complex situations from a variety of perspectives.
Rules and Their Application
Rules and codes of conduct are designed to promote care and respect for the people and objects in the child's environment. Social harmony, health and safety and a positive, creative learning environment are the guiding motives of school rules. Rules and codes of conduct should be clear, transparent and comprehensible to teachers, parents and pupils, in principle and in detail. Rules and the consequences deriving from their infringement should be age-appropriate. Where infringements do occur, the incidents are looked at on a case by case basis. The emphasis is on the deed that has been done and attention is given to making good what has been harmed. Sanctions are not applied in an automatic, 'fixed penalty' manner. Rather, individuals and individual situations are considered and appropriate sanctions and consequences are applied. Codes of behavior are regularly reviewed in the weekly staff meeting and are discussed with older pupils and parents.
Young children imitate. It is in their nature to do so. The young child is sensitive to the environment in all its aspects - the material and the human - the physical, emotional and spiritual. In order to cultivate discipline in the early years, it is incumbent on teachers and parents to create a healthy environment for a child to imitate. Children unconsciously respond to the moods created by adults. The extent to which conscious activity has structured this environment in a meaningful - as opposed to a haphazard - way is important. Children notice whether adults are sincere in their gestures, speech and general bearing. Adult relationships are observed, and children have a deep need to know that the world is good. Educators and parents have a responsibility to strive towards an honest morality. In many life situations this may be the only 'good' available - yet it is the most important. Time and again this has been demonstrated in times of war and social disaster: love is the absolute essential in Early Years education. By consciously working with rhythm - daily, weekly and the yearly cycle through the seasons and the festivals - and using rhythmical repetition as a pedagogical tool, the teacher promotes and provides discipline for the young child.
Lower School
In the Lower School, rhythm, form, boundaries and teacher-authority unite to provide a meaningful structure within which the children are held and nurtured. Well-prepared lessons, employing a suitable range of teaching strategies, foster a mood of positive discipline. When pupils are inspired and encouraged to develop specific skills and capacities, while working at a suitable pace and level, conditions are present in which good discipline can flourish. The teacher's quest for self-development and professional excellence provides an important role model for pupils. When authoritative guidance inspires the teaching, independence is conferred on the child and conditions are laid down for the development of self-discipline in later years. The approach to discipline seeks to follow what may be called an 'artistic' approach. In presenting lesson material, setting of tasks and assignments, the teacher has the responsibility to create and inspire structure in classroom management and classroom life. In consciously providing a space, the teacher offers freedom. In this creative space there is room for dynamic interplay between absorption and assimilation, guidance and discovery, teaching and learning.
Upper School
In the Upper School classes, the process of cultivating and developing discipline continues and the focus now shifts towards conscious self- discipline, taking responsibility for one's actions and accepting the consequences of one's behavior. When infringements occur, students are guided to understand the full consequences of their actions and given the opportunity to redress the harm done. Exclusion is very much a last resort since dialogue is crucial and youngsters need to come to terms with their responsibilities within the context of the social group. Alienation through rejection or humiliation can only make matters worse. Young people clearly need to test the boundaries they are given and they should be given every opportunity to do this in a positive and constructive way. They also need to learn how to discuss such matters and in particular to understand complex situations from a variety of perspectives.
Rules and Their Application
Rules and codes of conduct are designed to promote care and respect for the people and objects in the child's environment. Social harmony, health and safety and a positive, creative learning environment are the guiding motives of school rules. Rules and codes of conduct should be clear, transparent and comprehensible to teachers, parents and pupils, in principle and in detail. Rules and the consequences deriving from their infringement should be age-appropriate. Where infringements do occur, the incidents are looked at on a case by case basis. The emphasis is on the deed that has been done and attention is given to making good what has been harmed. Sanctions are not applied in an automatic, 'fixed penalty' manner. Rather, individuals and individual situations are considered and appropriate sanctions and consequences are applied. Codes of behavior are regularly reviewed in the weekly staff meeting and are discussed with older pupils and parents.