Germans are Funny - A Guide to Teaching Foreign Languages by Conrad Rehbach

Not a textbook or lesson planner, but ideas and inspiration for activities in-and-outside-of-the-classroom for teaching German as a foreign language, or other foreign languages, to students grades 6 – 12.

“The book ‘Germans are Funny’ by Conrad Rehbach will be very helpful to many. It offers ideas and inspiration to educators well beyond the foreign language teachers. The pedagogical insights are deep and meaningful, and convey to the educator possibilities on how to teach adolescents in a ‘head, heart, and hands’ approach. 

Although primarily targeted towards the teacher of foreign languages, this book is of interest to anyone involved in education of students grades 6 – 12. The author draws on a lifetime of work with this age group. New insights are presented in this book, concerning the developmental stages of the adolescent, from  the revolutionary rebellious spirit to the beginnings of objectivity towards the self and others. The author reminds us to always make room for the necessary humor, and to see the potential absurdity of every situation, a mindset which is one of the fruits of labor in working with this age group.”  - Sophia Institute Board of Review

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A few spots remain to join a small group of participants for three days of craft making overlooking the beautiful Mendocino coast in Westport, CA.

Master handwork teacher, Alecia Dodge, will guide the group through three different crafts from 2/15 - 2/18. Outside of crafting time you can enjoy ocean views from the house or walk down to the beaches nearby. Affordable onsite accommodation is available. Register by February 3 at theinhabitedheart.com
Alecia Dodge has been teaching in Waldorf Education for over 28 years. As a handwork teacher, she taught for fourteen years at the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara followed by four years at Waldorf School of the Peninsula. She returned to the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara as a class teacher in 2010 and graduated that class in 2017. Prior to becoming a Waldorf teacher, she was an entrepreneur, owning and operating her own dressmaking/ design shop in Berkeley.

A second collection of stories gathered from Waldorf early childhood teachers all over the country longing to share what they love with those who love children. Because it is in the sharing—the telling—that a story comes alive, the more you tell stories, the more you will hear, “Tell me another story.” 

$25 Order Now

East Coast Collaborative Arts Conference
Elemental Awakening ~ Nature Spirits in Story and Puppetry Arts
July 23rd - 28th 2020 in Hawthorne Valley, New York, United States

We invite you to a journey of midsummer dreaming and elemental awakening in Hawthorne Valley’s forests and fields as we attune to the earth’s beauty and wisdom. In this collaborative conference of storytelling and puppetry arts we will explore pedagogical, therapeutic, and creative dimensions of our relationship with nature. As we work with children, how can we align with healing forces on the Earth and humankind? How can we inspire younger generations to take up the legacy of responsible stewardship of our fragile planet? We will share stories that touch the sacred and eternal truths of life as we travel together to thresholds of awakening - and return empowered to share the gifts of inspiration.

Our presenters this year include:
Nancy Mellon - Listening to the Sage Spirit - Inspirational Storytelling  
Jennifer Aguirre - Presenting from the Sphere around Us - Story Apron Art
Amelia McIsaac - Foraging for Color - Dyeing with Local Plants
Susannah White - Animal Companion Puppets and Creating a Forest Lap Stage 
Janene Ping - Elemental Dreaming - Forest Puppetry with Children 
Marjorie Rehbach - Silk Marionette Nature Spirits

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On 1 January, the Harmony Amateur Eurythmy Club in Taiwan had a three-minute performance at the National Taichung Theatre – with real instruments. For some years, the National Taichung Theatre has been offering amateur music groups the chance to perform on its stage. The Harmony Amateur Eurythmy Club was selected from 200 groups, and it was the first time the theatre has welcomed dancing performances.

The art of eurythmy is not very well known in Taiwan. This caused some issues in its communications with the technical staff at the National Taichung Theater. They could only offer an electronic piano, which did not match the aesthetic of the performance. It took some time to discuss with them why the group needed a real piano to have live music. Finally, the solution was to perform with real instruments: a flute and bassoon. It was very challenging for the group had only a very short time for preparation. Before going on stage, there was only one practice and one dress rehearsal with two wonderful musicians whom the group had never worked with before. When the performance started, the audience was so quiet and the mood changed immediately compared to previous dance pieces. This was the only group to perform with live music. After the performance, the host commented that it felt as if she could see the music visible on the stage. The club members know that their efforts could make more Taiwanese learn a bit more about eurythmy.

The Harmony Amateur Eurythmy Club has practised three mornings a week by themselves after the first intensive lesson given by Shiori Ogihara in 2016. They aim to support their self-education and bring new art elements to the community.

Picture: Three-minute theatre performance: Harmony Eurythmy Group. Photo: Nationaltheater Taichung. Contact shishan.college@gmail.com / Video youtu.be/NVC0ygyHCZA /// Shy Tyng Kai, Leichuan Waldorf School, Taichung (TW) /// Jessie Huang, Leichuan Waldorf School, Taichung (TW)

By Shannon Boyce
 
Have you ever stopped to consider your voice and how important it is to everyday life?  Whether with strangers or loved ones, your voice is what builds relationship.  And there are very few professions you can do without using your voice.
 
Do you realize billions of dollars are spend every year on beauty and health products for body hygiene?  Most people have some sort of daily routine for personal hygiene, yet how many people do you know who have a daily routine for vocal hygiene?  Most people don’t think about their voices unless they are ill and lose their voice or become hoarse from yelling so much either at home from the stress of family life or out of excitement such as at a sporting event or concert. 

Voices are becoming lower and lower in their pitch range and more and more people have raspy, edgy, harsh, loud, pressed or chronically hoarse voices.  And sadly, this is true not only for adults but children too.
 
This loss of vocal health is also spilling over into a lack of ability to voice ourselves as human beings. 

Have you ever noticed how defensive people are towards each other nowadays?  When this happens the voice becomes very thin and seems to be right at the edge of one’s skin.  There is a superficial pleading to the defensive voice that makes it shallow, tight, and difficult for others to listen to as opposed to the voice that comes from a calm and well-grounded place, which has strength, intelligence, and resilience at its core.   
 
Our voices should be taken seriously, especially for Waldorf teachers in the classroom and for parents, as our voices radiate either a sense of well being or lack of well-being. 

For the young child who imitates the world around him/her, it is especially important that the adults in his/her life seriously consider the quality of their voice.  It is only the most healthy and natural voice that can penetrate the heart of the child.  Therefore, you must ask yourself, “Am I using my most healthy and natural voice or a fake unnatural voice?” This means that we as adults must wake up to the questions concerning our own vocal health and development.  We must understand that our voices are a most precious and sensitive instrument.
 
“But, I just can’t sing, no one wants to hear ME sing”.  For many people singing around other people feels really scary.  You might be comfortable singing in the shower but that is as far as it goes.  Or maybe you long to sing but were traumatized as a child and told to stop singing and just mouth the words.  This is one of the worst things that can happen to a child. 

Everyone has a birthright to sing.  As a Waldorf educator, perhaps your training lacked sufficient instruction in singing and you still feel this is a skill you must improve upon for your own well being and for the sake of the well being of the children in your classroom. For parents, singing with your children can be such a joyful way to connect and bond to your child and perhaps you long to feel more confidence in your singing voice.    
 
In today’s crazy, stressed out, fast-paced world, many people are looking for ways to find moments of peace through yoga, meditation or some other form of spiritual practice.  Learning to sing with a free and open voice can awaken inner harmony. 

Therefore, I encourage you to consider attending one of the open singing retreats being offered this summer out of the impulse of “The School of Uncovering the Voice” founded by Valborg Werbeck Svärdström and endorsed by Rudolf Steiner as a singing training based in Anthroposophy. 
 
Looking back over my 10 years of singing study out of this impulse, I can say it has not only been an incredible path towards vocal freedom but also primarily an extraordinary cathartic journey toward uncovering my selfhood.  It has helped me in my roles as a voice teacher, a parent, a spouse, and a friend.  I am more relaxed in how I can express myself to others.   

By attending one of the open singing retreats you will learn exercises that will connect and lead you to a right relationship with your physical voice as well as deepen your relationship to your own inner voice.  You will come to know the worlds of tone and sound in a way that changes your inner and outer life.  It will also change your personal relationships; people will want to come to listen to you as you begin to uncover the calm relaxed voice living inside of you.  You will come to know the meditative, spiritual and healing power of the voice.  Learning to be with your voice will connect you to the purest parts of yourself and guide you to develop your more realized self.
 
The open singing retreats provide a safe, welcoming and deeply renewing space.  It is for anyone who longs to sing at any level from the so-called “non-singer” to the professional.  The west coast singing retreat will take place June 14-16, 2019 in Davis, CA at the Davis Waldorf School.  The east coast singing retreat will take place July 5-7, 2019 in Spring Valley, NY just 30 min north of NYC in Rockland County at The Threefold Educational Foundation.
 
For more information contact: For the West Coast- Sheryl Adler healing.round@gmail.com or www.werbecksinging.com
For the East Coast- Shannon Boyce shannonaliciaboyce@gmail.com or www.threefold.org

​Member Salon
Regional Biodynamic Groups
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
7:00-8:30 pm ET, 6-7:30pm CT, 5-6:30pm MT, 4:00-5:30pm PT 

This interactive online salon will be facilitated by BDA staff member Kaitlin Downs and will focus on exploring the work of regional biodynamic groups. Whether through group study of the Agriculture lectures, preparation making, exploring a local farm, or enjoying a meal together in community, joining a local biodynamic group is one of the best ways to be able to dive into biodynamics!  
 
Count Me In

This book is a First Edition, never before translated into English, series of six lectures. Rudolf Steiner gave these lectures early in the year of 1919 at Zurich, Switzerland. Here Steiner proffers ideas to solve the social problems and necessities required by life, by studying the life sciences and social life, and the living conditions of the present-day humans. He expresses how the social will should be the basis of a new scientific order, and what the role of the modern worker should be.These six lectures are a translation from the German edition "Die soziale Frage," (Bn/GA/CW Number 328 in the Bibliographical Survey, 1961), published by the Rudolf Steiner-Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach, Switzerland, 1977. They are published as transcripts unrevised by the lecturer. This First English edition was translated by Hanna von Maltitz, and was edited by James D. Stewart, e.Librarian at the "Rudolf Steiner Archive & e.Lib."Illustrations and artwork were created by Hanna von Maltitz. Thanks to the Basil Gibaud Memorial Trust, this translation has been made available for everyone. The text of both the printed and eBook editions has numerous links to on-line web content that will enhance the reader/researcher in their understanding of the text: search all lectures, read/research the original German texts, compare the English translation to the original German paragraph by paragraph, and explore other related material. You can research Rudolf Steiner's works on-line ... or buy the book to read and study at home.

Visit the on-line version of this book by clicking here. Or buy this book at Amazon.com, to read or study at home.

By Ben Linstrom

Every year, there is a time when each class in grades 1 through 8 stops the regular routine of main lesson blocks and immerses in preparation for a class play. It is an essential part of Waldorf education that we call pedagogical drama, because the plays specifically relate to the content of the Waldorf curriculum through the grades.

​For students, this is when what they’re learning truly comes to life for them. It may be historical or cultural, and it relates to what they have been learning in the classroom during main lesson. Routine and rhythm are important for our main lesson classes and for the children to know how their days flow. When it comes time for the class play, that routine stops and gives way for three or four weeks to have the entire class pool their talents to work on this artistic project for part of each day. Teachers think deeply about which play will work best for their class at that time.  It begins with the class reading through the play. A number of plays have been written by Waldorf teachers that have been shared between schools and regions. There are also books on pedagogical theater, with examples of different plays from different classes. Usually the teacher arranges or rewrites the play for their class specifically; some teachers go so far as to write their own play. This process begins with the teacher thinking about what play will suit the class when they begin summer lesson planning, looking out at the year to come. Sometimes the revising happens because we are imagining particular students in particular roles, and we want the role perfectly suited for that child. For students who go through the whole eight years, they get a chance to be in a variety of roles over the years. 

When it comes time for the class play, the teacher presents the play to the class, and the class reads through the play together. Teachers are involved with choosing which parts students will play. A lot of times the roles are specifically picked to empower the children in the class. Sometimes it’s the least expected person that you can imagine who would be in a lead role in the play. Last year, I let students write persuasive essays about which character they wanted to be. Once the roles are identified, the students work on their lines and start to become different characters.

There are so many positive benefits of doing this kind of work. One that is crucial is how much it is dependent on teamwork, everyone relying on one another. A play is a true team effort, and it succeeds or fails on the whole of the class working in alignment - whether helping somebody get into their character or working on lines with other students or building the set together, learning the music together. All of these essential tasks allow the class to become more cohesive. That is one reason why every class performs its annual play. For individual students, the support from classmates while you inhabit a very independent role buoys their effort. Each individual student must memorize his or her lines, must work on speaking with clarity, gaining confidence to stand on a stage, in front of a group of people.

Another benefit of the Waldorf class play is that our graduates have a strong ability as high school students to stand in front of their class and confidently deliver a presentation. They can inhabit a character and convey a message with ease. That comes from years of working on their class plays. On a deeper level, as the students are studying these different places and times in history, they do more than just learn about it from a book or a story. We sing songs from this place, we do crafts, we read literature, they write essays, they make their main lesson books. And then, some of the characters from the cultural and traditional stories they’re learning come to life as they enact them and embody them, profoundly deepening the learning process. Class plays follow the themes of each grade. First grade focuses on fairy tales. In second grade, it’s saints. Third grade is the ancient Hebrews, and fourth grade focuses on local geography or Norse mythology. In fifth grade, students study ancient Greece, Egypt and India. Sixth grade is ancient Rome, seventh grade is the Renaissance, and in eighth grade, it’s all revolutions, as the children themselves step into that phase of their development.

The plays not only reflect, but truly intensify, what each year seeks to impart to students. Deep learning that they will understand and remember long after they move on to a new grade. And, we can’t ignore the beauty of this gift that each class play gives to the rest of the school, an opportunity to encourage and applaud peers in a different grade, who are courageous enough to share their talents and their hard work with the school community. As we work on the class play, the children ask more questions about the time periods we are studying. They eagerly read books on their own to deepen their connection with the subject matter. They embody the archetypal characters in a way that enables them to learn about human psychology, what it means to be the villain or the thief or the hero or the henchman. Students get to know new sides of themselves, perhaps empathizing with characters in the story that they might not have connected with in other modes of learning.

And of course, there is so much more that invites their cooperation and talent. Set design, set building, lighting and music. Especially as the grades go up, the children have more and more creative vision and freedom for their plays. They can add lines or actions to more fully develop their character. They can own their roles. Our tradition of class plays is a rich world of learning that is a beautiful part of a Waldorf education.

Ben Linstrom is the current 5th grade teacher at Detroit Waldorf School.

From detroitwaldorf.org