Waldorf Administration
Spiritual Science and Pedagogy
a lecture by Rudolf Steiner
I consider it a particular honor to be able to speak to you about the relationship of my work in spiritual science to your pedagogical work. You will allow me to make two introductory remarks. The first is that I will, of course, need to clothe my thoughts in apparently theoretical words and ideas, since to discuss points of view, we need words. However, I expressly note that I do not speak theoretically. I would not even speak about today's topic if I did not direct a portion of my activity toward the practical, particularly concerning educational methods and their effectiveness. Thus, what I wish to bring to you today comes directly from practice.
The second thing I would like to say is that at present spiritual science is extremely controversial. I therefore can quite understand (especially because I represent spiritual science) that there may be many objections today because its methods are, in many cases, foreign to modern points of view. Perhaps we can help make spiritual science more understandable through the way we introduce it and attempt to make it a true living force in such an important practical area as education. Can we name any areas of life that are unaffected by pedagogical activities and interests? At an age when children can develop themselves into everything possible, we entrust them to those who act as teachers. Teachers can provide what humanity needs only through the warmest participation in the totality of human life. When I speak about the special topic of spiritual science and pedagogy, I do this because, particularly now, the science of the spirit should become an active part of life. Spiritual science should be present to reunite the separate human cultural interests that have been driven apart in the last centuries, particularly in the nineteenth century. Through spiritual science, through a concrete point of view, we can unite the specialties without becoming paralyzed by the requirements of specialization. Today, there is also a very important reason to think about the relationship of spiritual science to pedagogy: education has influenced all human thinking and activity, including modern science and its great achievements. More than people know, the scientific way of thinking that has led to such glorious results in science has won influence over everything we do, particularly over what we do in education. Although I am unable to develop the foundations of spiritual science here, I wish to take note of one thing, namely, the relationship of the scientific method to life. Think, for example, about the human eye, this marvel through which we experience the outside world in a particular realm of the senses. The eye, this marvelous organ, is constructed so as to see the world and at the same time (I speak comparatively) always to forget itself in this seeing. In a sense, when we really want to investigate this instrument of external vision, we must completely reverse the standpoint of observation that modern science can only approximate. While seeing, we cannot at the same time look back at the essence of our eyes. We can use this picture to relate the scientific method to life. In modern times we have carefully and conscientiously developed the scientific method so that it gives the different sciences an objective picture of the external world. In doing this, we have formed a basic mood of soul such that we forget the human self in the scientific observation of the world, such that we forget everything directly connected with human life. Thus, it has come about that the more we develop in a modern scientific sense, the less we can use this science to see what is human. The desire of spiritual science to bring about that reversal of observation that again turns to human beings arises from an understanding of science that goes beyond the understanding conventional science has of itself. This reversal can only occur when people go through those stages of soul life that I have described in How To Know Higher Worlds, and in an abbreviated form have indicated in the second part of An Outline of Occult Science.These are the processes that really carry this life of the human soul beyond normal life, and beyond the normal scientific world. To come to such a manner of looking at things, you must have what I would like to call intellectual modesty. In a recent public lecture here, I gave a picture of what is necessary. Suppose, for example, we observe a five-year-old child. Suppose we put a book of Goethes lyrical poetry in the hands of a five-year-old child. This book of Goethes poems contains a whole world. The child will take the book in hand and play around with it, but will not perceive anything that actually speaks to people from this volume. However, we can develop the child, that is, we can develop the soul powers sleeping in the child, so that in ten or twelve years the child can really take from the volume what it contains. We need this attitude if we are to find our way to the science of the spirit. We must be able to say to ourselves that even the most careful education of our intellect, of our methods of observation and experimentation, brings us only so far. From there on, we can take over our own development. From that stage on, we can develop the previously sleeping forces ourselves. Then we will become aware that previously we stood in the same relationship to the external nature of our spirit-soul being, particularly the essence of our humanity, as the five-year-old child to the volume of Goethe's lyrical poetry. In essence and in principle, everything depends upon a decision for intellectual modesty, so that we can find our way to the science of the spirit. We achieve the capacity to really observe ourselves, to observe the human being, when we practice specific thinking, feeling and willing exercises developed to make thinking independent, to train the will, when we become increasingly independent from physical willing and thinking. If we can observe the human being, then we can also observe what is so extremely important, the developing human. Today, there is certainly much talk about the spirit, talk about independent thinking. The science of the spirit cannot agree with this talk for a simple reason. Spiritual science develops inner spiritual techniques to grasp and understand concrete spirituality, not the spirit about which people speak nebulously as forming the basis of things and people. Spiritual science must go into detail concerning the essence of the human being. Today, we want to speak about the essence of the developing human. I would say that people speak quite abstractly about human individuality and its development. However, they are quite correctly conscious that the teacher especially needs to take the development of this human individuality into account. I only wish to point out that insightful teachers are very clear about how little our modern science of education is able to identify the orderly stages of human development. I would like to give two examples. The oft-mentioned Viennese educator Theodor Vogt represented the reformed Herbartian school of thought. He said that we are not advanced enough in our understanding of human history to derive a view of child development from human historical development in the same way biologists derive the individual human embryonic development from the development of the species. The pedagogue Rein repeated this point of view. It culminates in accepting that today we do not have research methods of any sort that could identify the basis of human development. The development of such capacities as those I have just cursorily mentioned (you can read more in my books) enables us to approach the riddle that meets us so wonderfully when we observe how, from birth onward, an inner human force increasingly appears in every gesture. In particular, we can see how it manifests through speech, through the relationships of people with their surroundings, and so forth. Usually people observe the different manifestations of human life much too superficially, both physiologically and biologically. People do not form a picture of the whole human being in which the body, soul and spirit intertwiningly affect one another. If you wish to teach and educate children as they need, you must form such a picture. Now those who, strengthened by spiritual scientific methods, observe the developing child will find an important developmental juncture at approximately the time of the change of teeth, around six or seven years of age. There is an oft-quoted saying that nature makes no leaps. To a certain degree, this is quite correct. However, all such views are basically one-sided. You can see their correctness only if you recognize their one-sidedness, for nature continuously makes leaps. Think about a growing plant, to name only one example. Fine. You can use this saying, nature makes no leaps. However, in the sense of Goethe's law of metamorphosis, we must say that, despite the fact that the green leaf is the same as the colorful flower petal, nature does make a leap from the leaf to the colorful petal, and yet another leap from the petal to the stamen, and another quite special leap to the fruit. We do not get along well in life if we abstractly adopt the point of view that nature, or life in general, does not make leaps. And this is particularly true with people. Human life flows along without leaps, but in this other sense, there are such leaps everywhere. Spiritual Science and Pedagogy - continued below |
Course Outline
Waldorf Administration
Lesson 1: The Threefold Structure Lesson 2: The Parent Handbook Lesson 3: The Faculty/Staff Handbook Lesson 4: Finances and Budgets Lesson 5: Licensing/Research Project |
Spiritual Science and Pedagogy - continued
Around the age of six or seven there is a particularly important turning point that has far-reaching consequences for human structure and function. Modern physiology does not yet have a correct picture of this. Something also occurs in people in the spirit-soul realm. Until this time, human beings are fundamentally imitative beings. The constitution of their body and soul is such that they totally devote themselves to their surroundings. They feel their way into the surroundings. They develop themselves from the center of their will so that they mold the force lines and force rays of their will exactly to what occurs in their surroundings. More important than everything that we can bring to the child through reprimanding words, through preaching in this stage, is the way in which we ourselves behave in the presence of the child. Since the intangibles of life act much more strongly than what we can clearly observe on the surface, we must say that what the child imitates does not depend only upon the observable behavior of people. In every tone of speech, in every gesture that we as teachers use in the presence of the child during this stage, lies something to which the child adapts itself. As human beings we are much more than we know by the external reflection of our thoughts. In life we pay little attention to how we move a hand, but the way we move a hand is the faithful reflection of the whole state of our souls, the whole reflection of our inner mood. As adults with developed soul lives we pay little attention to the connection between the way we step forward with our legs, the way we gesture with our hands, the expressions on our faces, and the will and feeling impulses that lie in our souls. The child, however, lives into these intangibles. We do not exaggerate when we say that those in the young child’s surroundings who inwardly strive to be good, to be moral, who in their thinking and feeling consciously intend to do the child no wrong, even in what is not spoken—such people affect the child in the strongest possible manner through the intangibles of life.
In this connection we must pay attention to what, if I may express myself so, actually lies between the lines of life. In that we slowly find ourselves caught in the web of a more materialistic life, particularly in relation to the intimacies of existence, we become accustomed to paying relatively little attention to such things. Only when we value such things again will a certain impulse enter pedagogy, an impulse particularly necessary in a time that refers to itself as social, as a socially minded period.
You see, people cannot correctly value certain experiences if they do not take into account observations of the spirit-soul nature that is the foundation of human beings. I am speaking to you about everyday events. A despairing father comes, for example, and says, “What shall I do? My child has stolen something!” We can, of course, understand how a father can despair about such things. But, now we attempt to understand the situation better. We can say, “Yes, but what were the complete circumstances?” The child simply took some money from the drawer. What did the child do with the money? The child bought something for a friend, candy, for instance. So, the child did not steal for selfish reasons. Thus, we might possibly say the child did not steal at all. There can be no talk about the child having stolen. Every day the child has seen that Mother goes to the drawer and takes money out. The child has seen that as something normal and has only imitated. This is something that has resulted from the forces that are the most important at this stage, imitation and mimicking. If you direct the child properly in this sense, if you know how to properly direct the child’s attention, then this attention will be brought to all sorts of things that will have an important influence at this stage.
We must be quite conscious that reprimands and preaching at this stage do not help. Only what affects the will can help. This human characteristic exists until the moment when the remarkable physiological conclusion of childhood occurs, when “hardening” makes its final push and the permanent teeth crystallize out of the human organism. It is extremely interesting to use spiritual scientific methods to look at what lies at the basis of the developing organism, what forms the conclusion, the change of teeth. However, it is more important to follow what I have just described, the parallel spirit-soul development that arises completely from imitation.
Around the age of seven, a clear change in the spirit-soul constitution of the child begins. We could say that at this age the capacity to react to something quite differently than before emerges. Previously, the child’s eye was intent upon imitating, the child’s ear was intent upon imitating. Now the child begins to concentrate upon what adults radiate as opinion, as points of view. The child transforms its desire to imitate into devotion to authority. I know how unpleasant it is for many modern people when we make authority an important factor in education. However, if we wish to represent the facts openly and seriously, programs and slogans cannot direct us. Only empirical facts, only experience can be our guides. We need to see what it means when children have been guided by a teacher they can look up to because this teacher is a natural authority for them. That the developing human can take something into its thoughts, can live into something, because the respected adult has these thoughts and feelings, because there is a “growing together” between the developing being and the adult being, is of great importance in the development of the child. You can know what it means for the whole later life of the child only when you (I want to say this explicitly) have had the luck of having been able to devote yourself to a natural authority in the time between the transformation at around six or seven years of age and the last great transformation around the time of puberty, at about fourteen or fifteen years of age.
The main thing is not to become mired in such abstractions, but instead to enter into this very important stage of life that begins around the age of six or seven years and concludes with puberty. At this age the child, having been properly raised or spoiled through imitation, is turned over to the school by the parents. The most important things for the child’s life occur in this period. This is quite true if we keep in mind that not only each year, but each month, the teacher must carefully discover the real essence of developing children. This discovery must be not only general, but as far as possible in large classes, the teacher should also carefully consider each individual child. After the child enters school, we see the residual effects of the desire to imitate alongside the beginning devotion to authority until around the age of nine (these things are all only approximate, of course). If we can properly observe the interaction of these two basic forces in the growing child, then the living result of this observation forms the proper basis not only for the teaching method, but also for the curriculum.
Excuse me if I interject a personal remark, but I encountered this very question when the Waldorf School was formed this year. Through the understanding accommodation of our friend Emil Molt and the Waldorf-Astoria firm in Stuttgart, we were able to bring a complete unified elementary school to life. We were able to bring to life a school that, in its teaching methods and in the ordering of its curriculum, is to result entirely from what the science of the spirit can say about education. In September of this year it was my pleasure to hold a seminar for the faculty I assembled for this school. All of these questions came to me in a form very fitting to our times. What I want to talk to you about now is essentially an extract of everything given to the faculty during that seminar. These teachers are to guide this truly unified elementary school according to the needs of spiritual science and contemporary society.1
(1.Translators’ note: The needs of society are to be understood as both the requirements of the Department of Education and the inherent needs of a more humanly formed social organization.)
We concerned ourselves not only with teaching methods, but particularly with creating the curriculum and teaching goals from a living observation of growing children. If we look at the growing child, we will find that after the age of six or seven much still comes from that particular kind of will that alone makes the child’s desire to imitate possible to the degree I described previously. It is the will that forms the basis of this desire to imitate, not the intellect. In principle, the intellect develops from the will much later. That intimate bond between one human being, the adult teacher, and another human being, the growing child, is expressed in a relationship between will and will. Thus, we can best reach the child in these first elementary school years when we are able to properly affect the will.
How can we best affect the will? We cannot affect the will if during these years we emphasize outer appearances too strongly, if we turn the child’s attention too strongly to material life. It turns out that we come particularly close to the will if in these first years we allow education to be permeated by a certain aesthetic artistry. We can really begin from this aesthetic artistry. We cannot, for example, begin with that teaching of reading and writing that does not arise from the proper connection between what we teach and the powers that come from the core of the child’s soul. The letters and characters used in reading and writing consist of something quite removed from life. You need only look back at earlier characters (not those of primitive peoples, but, for example, those of the highly developed Egyptian culture) to see that writing was still quite artistically formed. In the course of time, this has been lost. Our characters have become conventions. On the other hand, we can go back to the direct primary relationship that people once had to what has become writing. In other words, instead of giving abstract instruction in writing, we can begin to teach writing through drawing. We should not, however, teach through just any drawings, but through the real artistic feeling in people that we can later transform into artistically formed abstract characters for the growing child. Thus, you would begin with a kind of “written drawing” or “drawn writing,” and extend that by bringing the child true elements of the visual arts of painting and sculpture.
Psychologists who are genuinely concerned with the life of the soul know that what we bring to the child in this way does not reach simply the head, it reaches the whole person. What is of an intellectual color, what we permeate only with intellect, and particularly with convention, like the normal letters of reading and writing, reaches only the head. If we surround the instruction of these things with an artistic element, then we reach the whole person. Thus, a future pedagogy will attempt first to derive the intellectual element and the illustrative material from the artistic.
We can best take into account the interaction of the principles of authority and imitation if we approach the child artistically. Something of the imitative lies in the artistic. There is also something in the artistic that goes directly from subjective person to subjective person. What should act artistically must go through the subjectivity of people. As people with our own inner essence, we face the child quite differently when what we are to bring acquires an artistic form. In that way, we first pour our substance into what must naturally appear as authority. This enables us not to appear as a simple copy of conventional culture and the like, but humanly brings us closer to the child. Under the influence of this artistic education, the child will live into a recognition of the authority of the teacher as a matter of course.
At the same time, this indicates that spirit must prevail since we can teach in this way only when we allow what we have to convey to be permeated by spirit. This indicates that spirit must prevail in the entire manner of instruction, that we must live in what we have to convey. Here again I come to something that belongs to the intangibles of teaching life. People so easily believe that when they face the child they appear as the knowing, superior person before the simple, naive child. This can have very important consequences for teaching. I will show this with a specific example I have used in another connection in my lectures. Suppose I want to convey the concept of the immortality of the soul to a child. Conforming myself to the child’s mood of soul, I give the example by presenting a picture. I describe a cocoon and a butterfly creeping from it in a very pictorial way. Now, I make clear to the child, “In the same way that the butterfly rests in this cocoon, invisible to the eye, your immortal soul rests in your body. Just as the butterfly leaves the cocoon, in the same way, when you go through the gates of death, your immortal soul leaves your body and rises to a world that is just as different as the butterfly’s.”
Well, we can do that, of course. We think out such a picture with our intellect. However, when we bring this to the child, as “reasonable” people we do not easily believe it ourselves. This affects everything in teaching. One of the intangibles of education is that, through unknown forces working between the soul of the child and the soul of the teacher, the child accepts only what I, myself, believe.
Spiritual science guides us so that the picture I just described is not simply a clever intellectual creation.We can recognize that the divine powers of creation put this picture into nature. It is there not to symbolize arbitrarily the immortality of the soul in people, but because at a lower level the same thing occurs that occurs when the immortal soul leaves the body. We can bring ourselves to believe in the direct content of this picture as much as we want, or better, as much as we should want the child to believe it. When the powers of belief prevail in the soul of the teacher, then the teacher affects the child properly. Then the effectiveness of authority does not have a disadvantage, but instead becomes a major, an important, advantage.
When we mention such things, we must always note that human life is a whole. What we plant into the human life of a child often first appears after many, many years as a fitness for life, or as a conviction in life. We take so little note of this because it emerges transformed. Let us assume we succeed in arousing a quite necessary feeling capacity in a child, namely the ability to honor. Let us assume we succeed in developing in the child a feeling for what we can honor as divine in the world, a feeling of awe. Those who have learned to see life’s connections know that this feeling of awe later reappears transformed, metamorphosed. We need only recognize it again in its transformed appearance as an inner soul force that can affect other people in a healthy, in a blessed, manner. Adults who have not learned to pray as children will not have the powers of soul that can convey to children or younger people a blessing in their reprimands or facial expressions. What we received as the effect of grace during childhood transforms itself through various, largely unnoticed, phases. In the more mature stages of life it becomes something that can give forth blessing.
All kinds of forces transform themselves in this way. If we do not pay attention to these connections, if, in the art of teaching, we do not bring out the whole, wide, spiritually enlightened view of life, then education will not achieve what it should achieve. Namely, it will not be able to work with human developmental forces, but will work against them.
When people have reached approximately nine years of age, they enter a new stage that is not quite so clearly marked as the one around the age of seven years. It is, however, still quite clear. The aftereffects of the desire to imitate slowly subside, and something occurs in the growing child that, if we want to see it, can be quite closely observed. Children enter into a specific relationship to their own I. Of course, what we could call the soul relationship to the I occurs much earlier. It occurs in each persons life at the earliest moment he or she can remember. This is approximately the time when the child goes from saying, “Johnny wants this,” “Mary wants this,” to saying “I want this.” Later, people remember back to this moment. Earlier events normally completely disappear from memory. This is when the ensouled I enters the human being. However, it has not completely entered spiritually. We see what enters the human soul constitution spiritually as the experiencing of the I that occurs in the child approximately between nine and ten years of age. People who are observers of the soul have at times mentioned this important moment in human life. Jean Paul once so beautifully said that he could remember it quite exactly. As a young boy, he was standing before a barn in the courtyard of his parents’ home, so clearly could he recall it. There, the consciousness of his I awoke in him. He would never forget, so he told, how he looked through the veil at the holy of holies of the human soul.
Such a change occurs around the age of nine, in one case clearly, in another case less clearly. This moment is extremely important for the teacher. If you have previously been able to arouse in the growing child feelings tending in those directions of the will called religious or moral that you can bring forth through all your teaching, then you need only be a good observer of children to allow your authority to be effective when this stage appears. When you can observe that what you have previously prepared in the way of religious sensitivities is solidly in place and comes alive, you can meet the child with your authority.
This is the time that determines whether people can honestly and truly look from their innermost depths to something that divinely courses through the spirit and soul of the world and human life. At this point, those who can place themselves into human life through a spiritual point of view will, as teachers, be intuitively led to find the right words and the right behavior. In truth, education is something artistic. We must approach children not with a standardized pedagogy, but with an artistic pedagogy. In the same way that artists must be in control of their materials, must understand them exactly and intimately, those who work from the spiritual point of view must know the symptoms that arise around the age of nine. This is the time when people deepen their inner consciousness so that their I-consciousness becomes spiritual, whereas previously it was soulful. Then the teacher will be able to change to an objective observation of things, whereas previously the child required a connection to human subjectivity. You will know, when you can correctly judge this moment, that prior to this you should, for example, speak to children about scientific things, about things that occur in nature, by clothing them in tales, in fables, in parables. You will know that all natural objects are to be treated as having, in a sense, human characteristics. In short, you will know that you do not separate people from their natural surroundings. At that moment around the age of nine when the I awakens, human beings separate themselves from the natural environment and become mature enough to objectively compare the relationships of natural occurrences. Thus, we should not begin to objectively describe nature before this moment in the child’s life. It is more important that we develop a sense, a spiritual instinct, for this important change.
Another such change occurs around eleven or twelve years of age. While the child is still completely under the influence of authority, something begins to shine into life that is fully formed only after sexual maturity. The child’s developing capacity to judge begins to shine in at this time. Thus, as teachers we work so that we appeal to the child’s capacity for judgment, and we allow the principle of authority to recede into the background. After about twelve years of age, the child’s developing capacity for judgment already plays a role. If we correctly see the changing condition of the child’s soul constitution, then we can also see that the child develops new interests. The child previously had the greatest interest, for example, in what we (of course, in a manner understandable to a child) brought in describing natural sciences. Only after this change, around eleven or twelve years of age, does this interest (I understand exactly the importance of what I say) develop into a true possibility of understanding physical phenomena, of understanding even the simplest physical concepts.
There can be no real pedagogical art without the observation of these basic underlying rhythms of human life. This art of education requires that we fit it exactly to what develops in a human being. We should derive what we call the curriculum and educational goals from that. What we teach and how we teach should flow from an understanding of human beings. However, we cannot gain this understanding of human beings if we are not able to turn our view of the world to seeing the spiritual that forms the basis of sensible facts. Then it will become clear to us that the intangibles that I have already mentioned really play a role, particularly in the pedagogical art.
Today, where our pedagogical art has developed more from the underlying scientific point of view, we place much value upon so-called visual aids (this is the case, although we are seldom conscious of it). I would ask you not to understand the things I say as though I want to be polemic, as though I want to preach or derogatorily criticize. This is not at all the case. I only wish to characterize the role that the science of the spirit can have in the formation of a pedagogical art. That we emphasize visual aids beyond their bounds is only a result of the common way of thinking that has developed from a scientific point of view, from scientific methods. However (I will say this expressly), regardless of how justified it is to present illustrative materials at the proper time and with the proper subjects, it is just as important to ask if everything we should convey to the child can be conveyed by demonstration. We must ask if there are no other ways in which we can bring things from the soul of the teacher to the soul of the child. We must certainly mention that there are other ways. I have, in fact, mentioned the all-encompassing principle of authority that is active from the change of teeth until puberty. The child accepts the teacher’s opinion and feeling because they live in the teacher. There must be something in the way the teacher meets the child that acts as an intangible. There must be something that really flows from an all-encompassing understanding of life and from the interest in an all-encompassing understanding of life. I have characterized it by saying that what we impart to children often reveals itself in a metamorphosed form only in the adult, or even in old age.
For example, there is one thing people often do not observe because it goes beyond the boundaries of visual aids. You can reduce what you visually present the child down to the level the child can comprehend. You can reduce it to only what the child can comprehend, or at least what you believe the child can comprehend. Those who carry this to an extreme do not notice an important rule of life, namely, that it is a source of power and strength in life if you can reach a point, for example at the age of thirty-five, when you say to yourself that as a child you learned something once from your teacher, from the person who educated you. You took it into your memory and you remembered it. Why did you remember it? Because you loved the teacher as an authority, because the essence of the teacher so stood before you that it was clear to you when that teacher truly believed something, you must learn it. This is something you did instinctively. Now you have realized something, now that you are mature. You understand it in the way I have described it —“I learned something that I learned because of a love for an authority. Now the strength of maturity arises through which I can recall it again, and I can recognize it in a new sense. Only now do I understand it.”
Those who laugh at such a source of strength have no interest in real human life, they do not know that human life is a unity, that everything is connected. Thus, they cannot value what it means to go beyond normal visual aids, which are completely justifiable within their boundaries. Such people cannot value the need for their teaching to sink deeply into the child’s soul so that at each new level of maturity it will always return. Why do we meet so many inwardly broken people these days? Why do our hearts bleed when we look at the broad areas in need of such tremendous undertakings, while people nonetheless wander around aimlessly? Because no one has attended to developing in growing children those capacities that later in life become a pillar of strength to enable them really to enter into life.
These are the things that we must thoroughly consider when we change from simple conventional pedagogical science to a true art of education. In order for pedagogy to be general for humanity, teachers must practice it as an individual and personal art. We must have insight into certain inner connections if we want to understand clearly what people often say instinctively but without clear understanding. Today, with some justification, people demand that we should not only educate the intellect. They say it is not so important that growing children receive knowledge or understanding. What is important is that they become industrious people, that the element of will be formed, that real dexterity be developed, and so forth. Certainly, such demands are quite justifiable. What we need to realize though, is that we cannot meet such demands with general pedagogical phrases or standards; we can only meet them when we really enter into the concrete details of human developmental stages. We must know that it is the artistic aesthetic factor that fires the will, and we must be able to bring this artistic aesthetic factor to the will. We must not simply seek an external gateway to the will. That is what we would seek if we sought out people only through physiology and biology. That is what we would seek if we were not to seek them through the spiritual element that expresses itself in their being and expresses itself distinctly, particularly in childhood. There is much to be ensouled, to be spiritualized.
In our Waldorf School in Stuttgart, we have attempted for the first time to create something from what is usually based only upon the physiological, at least in its inner strength and its methods. Namely, we have attempted to transform gymnastics into the art of eurythmy. Almost every Saturday and Sunday in Dornach you can see a eurythmy performance. Eurythmy is an art form in which we use the human organism, with its possibilities for inner movement, as an instrument. What you see as an art form also has the possibility of ensouling and spiritualizing human movements that otherwise occur only in gymnastics.
Thus, people not only do what may affect this or that muscle, they also do what naturally flows from this or that feeling of the soul into the movement of the muscles, into the movement of the limbs.
Because it is based upon a spiritual scientific vitalization of life, we are convinced eurythmy will be significant for both pedagogy and healing. We are seeking the necessary healthy relationship between inner experiencing, feeling and expression of soul, and what we can develop in people as movement. We seek to develop these natural connections. We seek through the recognition of the ensouled and spiritualized human being what people usually seek only through physiology or other external facts. We can also affect the will not only when we apply the most common of arts to the principles of teaching in the early elementary school years. We can equally affect the will in a very special way when we allow soul-spirituality to permeate something also thought to cultivate the will, namely, gymnastics. However, we must recognize soul-spirituality in its concrete possibility of effectiveness, in its concrete form.
Thus, we must recognize the connections between two capacities of the human soul. Modern psychology cannot see this because it is not permeated by spiritual science. If we can look objectively at that important moment that I have described as occurring around nine years of age, we will see, on the one hand, that something important happens that is connected with the feeling capacity, the feeling life of the child. People look inwardly. Quite different feeling nuances occur. In a certain sense, the inner life of the soul becomes more independent from external nature in its feeling nuances. On the other hand, something else occurs that we can see only through a truly intimate observation of the soul. Namely, we learn because we still have what we might call an organically developed memory. Jean Paul noticed this and expressed it brilliantly when he said that we certainly learn more in the first three years of our life than in three years at the university. This is so because memory still works organically. We certainly learn more for living. However, around the age of nine a particular relationship forms between the life of feeling and the life of memory that plays more into conscious life.
We need only to see such things. If we cannot see them, then we think they are not there. If you can really see this intimate relationship between the life of feeling and memory, then you will find, if you pay attention, the proper standpoint from which to appeal to memory in your teaching. You should not appeal to memory any differently than you appeal to feeling. You will find the proper nuances, particularly for teaching history, for everything you have to say about history, if you know that you must permeate your presentation of what you want the children to remember with something that plays into their independent feelings. You will also be able to properly order the teaching of history in the curriculum if you know these connections. In this way, you can also gain a proper point of view about what the children should generally remember. You will be able to affect the feeling to the same extent you intend to affect the memory, in the same way you previously affected the will through artistic activity. Slowly, you will gain the possibility, following this stage of life, of allowing will and feeling to affect the intellect. If, in education, we do not develop the intellect in the proper way out of will and feeling, then we work in a manner opposing human developmental forces, rather than supporting them.
You can see that this whole lecture revolves around the relationship of spiritual science to pedagogical art, and how important it is to use spiritual science to provide a true understanding of human beings. In this way we obtain something from spiritual science that enters our will in the same way that artistic talents enter the human will. In this way we can remove ourselves from a pedagogy that is simply a science of convention, that always tells us to teach in this or that manner, according to some rules. We can transplant into the essence of our humanity what we must have in our will, the spiritual permeation of the will, so that from our will we can affect the developmental capacities of the growing child. In this manner, a truly effective understanding of human beings should support education in the spiritual scientific sense. The developing human thus becomes a divine riddle for us, a divine riddle that we wish to solve at every hour. If, with our art of teaching, we so place ourselves in the service of humanity, then we serve this life from our great interest in life.
Here at the conclusion, I wish to mention again the standpoint from which I began. Teachers work with people at that stage of life when we are to implant all the possibilities of life into human nature and, at the same time, to bring them forth from human nature. Then they can play a role in the whole remainder of human life and existence. For this reason we can say there is no area of life that should not, in some way or another, affect the teacher. However, only those who learn to understand life from a spiritual standpoint really understand life. To use Goethe’s expression, only those who can form life spiritually will be able to form life at all. It seems to me that the most necessary thing to achieve now is the shaping of life through a pedagogy practiced more and more in conformity with the spirit. Allow me to emphasize again that what I have said today was not said to be critical, to preach. I said it because, in my modest opinion, the science of the spirit and the understanding that can be gained through it, particularly about the essence of humanity, and thus about the essence of the growing child, can serve the art of education, can provide new sources of strength for the pedagogical art.
This is the goal of spiritual science. It does not desire to be something foreign and distant from this world. It desires to be a leaven that can permeate all the capacities and tasks of life. It is with this attitude that I attempt to speak from spiritual science about the various areas of life and attempt to affect them. Also, do not attribute to arrogance what I have said today about the relationship of spiritual science to pedagogy. Rather, attribute it to an attitude rooted in the conviction that, particularly now, we must learn much about the spirit if we are to be spiritually effective in life. Attribute it to an attitude that desires to work in an honest and upright manner in the differing areas of life, that wishes to work in the most magnificent, the most noble, the most important area of life—in the teaching and shaping of human beings.
Around the age of six or seven there is a particularly important turning point that has far-reaching consequences for human structure and function. Modern physiology does not yet have a correct picture of this. Something also occurs in people in the spirit-soul realm. Until this time, human beings are fundamentally imitative beings. The constitution of their body and soul is such that they totally devote themselves to their surroundings. They feel their way into the surroundings. They develop themselves from the center of their will so that they mold the force lines and force rays of their will exactly to what occurs in their surroundings. More important than everything that we can bring to the child through reprimanding words, through preaching in this stage, is the way in which we ourselves behave in the presence of the child. Since the intangibles of life act much more strongly than what we can clearly observe on the surface, we must say that what the child imitates does not depend only upon the observable behavior of people. In every tone of speech, in every gesture that we as teachers use in the presence of the child during this stage, lies something to which the child adapts itself. As human beings we are much more than we know by the external reflection of our thoughts. In life we pay little attention to how we move a hand, but the way we move a hand is the faithful reflection of the whole state of our souls, the whole reflection of our inner mood. As adults with developed soul lives we pay little attention to the connection between the way we step forward with our legs, the way we gesture with our hands, the expressions on our faces, and the will and feeling impulses that lie in our souls. The child, however, lives into these intangibles. We do not exaggerate when we say that those in the young child’s surroundings who inwardly strive to be good, to be moral, who in their thinking and feeling consciously intend to do the child no wrong, even in what is not spoken—such people affect the child in the strongest possible manner through the intangibles of life.
In this connection we must pay attention to what, if I may express myself so, actually lies between the lines of life. In that we slowly find ourselves caught in the web of a more materialistic life, particularly in relation to the intimacies of existence, we become accustomed to paying relatively little attention to such things. Only when we value such things again will a certain impulse enter pedagogy, an impulse particularly necessary in a time that refers to itself as social, as a socially minded period.
You see, people cannot correctly value certain experiences if they do not take into account observations of the spirit-soul nature that is the foundation of human beings. I am speaking to you about everyday events. A despairing father comes, for example, and says, “What shall I do? My child has stolen something!” We can, of course, understand how a father can despair about such things. But, now we attempt to understand the situation better. We can say, “Yes, but what were the complete circumstances?” The child simply took some money from the drawer. What did the child do with the money? The child bought something for a friend, candy, for instance. So, the child did not steal for selfish reasons. Thus, we might possibly say the child did not steal at all. There can be no talk about the child having stolen. Every day the child has seen that Mother goes to the drawer and takes money out. The child has seen that as something normal and has only imitated. This is something that has resulted from the forces that are the most important at this stage, imitation and mimicking. If you direct the child properly in this sense, if you know how to properly direct the child’s attention, then this attention will be brought to all sorts of things that will have an important influence at this stage.
We must be quite conscious that reprimands and preaching at this stage do not help. Only what affects the will can help. This human characteristic exists until the moment when the remarkable physiological conclusion of childhood occurs, when “hardening” makes its final push and the permanent teeth crystallize out of the human organism. It is extremely interesting to use spiritual scientific methods to look at what lies at the basis of the developing organism, what forms the conclusion, the change of teeth. However, it is more important to follow what I have just described, the parallel spirit-soul development that arises completely from imitation.
Around the age of seven, a clear change in the spirit-soul constitution of the child begins. We could say that at this age the capacity to react to something quite differently than before emerges. Previously, the child’s eye was intent upon imitating, the child’s ear was intent upon imitating. Now the child begins to concentrate upon what adults radiate as opinion, as points of view. The child transforms its desire to imitate into devotion to authority. I know how unpleasant it is for many modern people when we make authority an important factor in education. However, if we wish to represent the facts openly and seriously, programs and slogans cannot direct us. Only empirical facts, only experience can be our guides. We need to see what it means when children have been guided by a teacher they can look up to because this teacher is a natural authority for them. That the developing human can take something into its thoughts, can live into something, because the respected adult has these thoughts and feelings, because there is a “growing together” between the developing being and the adult being, is of great importance in the development of the child. You can know what it means for the whole later life of the child only when you (I want to say this explicitly) have had the luck of having been able to devote yourself to a natural authority in the time between the transformation at around six or seven years of age and the last great transformation around the time of puberty, at about fourteen or fifteen years of age.
The main thing is not to become mired in such abstractions, but instead to enter into this very important stage of life that begins around the age of six or seven years and concludes with puberty. At this age the child, having been properly raised or spoiled through imitation, is turned over to the school by the parents. The most important things for the child’s life occur in this period. This is quite true if we keep in mind that not only each year, but each month, the teacher must carefully discover the real essence of developing children. This discovery must be not only general, but as far as possible in large classes, the teacher should also carefully consider each individual child. After the child enters school, we see the residual effects of the desire to imitate alongside the beginning devotion to authority until around the age of nine (these things are all only approximate, of course). If we can properly observe the interaction of these two basic forces in the growing child, then the living result of this observation forms the proper basis not only for the teaching method, but also for the curriculum.
Excuse me if I interject a personal remark, but I encountered this very question when the Waldorf School was formed this year. Through the understanding accommodation of our friend Emil Molt and the Waldorf-Astoria firm in Stuttgart, we were able to bring a complete unified elementary school to life. We were able to bring to life a school that, in its teaching methods and in the ordering of its curriculum, is to result entirely from what the science of the spirit can say about education. In September of this year it was my pleasure to hold a seminar for the faculty I assembled for this school. All of these questions came to me in a form very fitting to our times. What I want to talk to you about now is essentially an extract of everything given to the faculty during that seminar. These teachers are to guide this truly unified elementary school according to the needs of spiritual science and contemporary society.1
(1.Translators’ note: The needs of society are to be understood as both the requirements of the Department of Education and the inherent needs of a more humanly formed social organization.)
We concerned ourselves not only with teaching methods, but particularly with creating the curriculum and teaching goals from a living observation of growing children. If we look at the growing child, we will find that after the age of six or seven much still comes from that particular kind of will that alone makes the child’s desire to imitate possible to the degree I described previously. It is the will that forms the basis of this desire to imitate, not the intellect. In principle, the intellect develops from the will much later. That intimate bond between one human being, the adult teacher, and another human being, the growing child, is expressed in a relationship between will and will. Thus, we can best reach the child in these first elementary school years when we are able to properly affect the will.
How can we best affect the will? We cannot affect the will if during these years we emphasize outer appearances too strongly, if we turn the child’s attention too strongly to material life. It turns out that we come particularly close to the will if in these first years we allow education to be permeated by a certain aesthetic artistry. We can really begin from this aesthetic artistry. We cannot, for example, begin with that teaching of reading and writing that does not arise from the proper connection between what we teach and the powers that come from the core of the child’s soul. The letters and characters used in reading and writing consist of something quite removed from life. You need only look back at earlier characters (not those of primitive peoples, but, for example, those of the highly developed Egyptian culture) to see that writing was still quite artistically formed. In the course of time, this has been lost. Our characters have become conventions. On the other hand, we can go back to the direct primary relationship that people once had to what has become writing. In other words, instead of giving abstract instruction in writing, we can begin to teach writing through drawing. We should not, however, teach through just any drawings, but through the real artistic feeling in people that we can later transform into artistically formed abstract characters for the growing child. Thus, you would begin with a kind of “written drawing” or “drawn writing,” and extend that by bringing the child true elements of the visual arts of painting and sculpture.
Psychologists who are genuinely concerned with the life of the soul know that what we bring to the child in this way does not reach simply the head, it reaches the whole person. What is of an intellectual color, what we permeate only with intellect, and particularly with convention, like the normal letters of reading and writing, reaches only the head. If we surround the instruction of these things with an artistic element, then we reach the whole person. Thus, a future pedagogy will attempt first to derive the intellectual element and the illustrative material from the artistic.
We can best take into account the interaction of the principles of authority and imitation if we approach the child artistically. Something of the imitative lies in the artistic. There is also something in the artistic that goes directly from subjective person to subjective person. What should act artistically must go through the subjectivity of people. As people with our own inner essence, we face the child quite differently when what we are to bring acquires an artistic form. In that way, we first pour our substance into what must naturally appear as authority. This enables us not to appear as a simple copy of conventional culture and the like, but humanly brings us closer to the child. Under the influence of this artistic education, the child will live into a recognition of the authority of the teacher as a matter of course.
At the same time, this indicates that spirit must prevail since we can teach in this way only when we allow what we have to convey to be permeated by spirit. This indicates that spirit must prevail in the entire manner of instruction, that we must live in what we have to convey. Here again I come to something that belongs to the intangibles of teaching life. People so easily believe that when they face the child they appear as the knowing, superior person before the simple, naive child. This can have very important consequences for teaching. I will show this with a specific example I have used in another connection in my lectures. Suppose I want to convey the concept of the immortality of the soul to a child. Conforming myself to the child’s mood of soul, I give the example by presenting a picture. I describe a cocoon and a butterfly creeping from it in a very pictorial way. Now, I make clear to the child, “In the same way that the butterfly rests in this cocoon, invisible to the eye, your immortal soul rests in your body. Just as the butterfly leaves the cocoon, in the same way, when you go through the gates of death, your immortal soul leaves your body and rises to a world that is just as different as the butterfly’s.”
Well, we can do that, of course. We think out such a picture with our intellect. However, when we bring this to the child, as “reasonable” people we do not easily believe it ourselves. This affects everything in teaching. One of the intangibles of education is that, through unknown forces working between the soul of the child and the soul of the teacher, the child accepts only what I, myself, believe.
Spiritual science guides us so that the picture I just described is not simply a clever intellectual creation.We can recognize that the divine powers of creation put this picture into nature. It is there not to symbolize arbitrarily the immortality of the soul in people, but because at a lower level the same thing occurs that occurs when the immortal soul leaves the body. We can bring ourselves to believe in the direct content of this picture as much as we want, or better, as much as we should want the child to believe it. When the powers of belief prevail in the soul of the teacher, then the teacher affects the child properly. Then the effectiveness of authority does not have a disadvantage, but instead becomes a major, an important, advantage.
When we mention such things, we must always note that human life is a whole. What we plant into the human life of a child often first appears after many, many years as a fitness for life, or as a conviction in life. We take so little note of this because it emerges transformed. Let us assume we succeed in arousing a quite necessary feeling capacity in a child, namely the ability to honor. Let us assume we succeed in developing in the child a feeling for what we can honor as divine in the world, a feeling of awe. Those who have learned to see life’s connections know that this feeling of awe later reappears transformed, metamorphosed. We need only recognize it again in its transformed appearance as an inner soul force that can affect other people in a healthy, in a blessed, manner. Adults who have not learned to pray as children will not have the powers of soul that can convey to children or younger people a blessing in their reprimands or facial expressions. What we received as the effect of grace during childhood transforms itself through various, largely unnoticed, phases. In the more mature stages of life it becomes something that can give forth blessing.
All kinds of forces transform themselves in this way. If we do not pay attention to these connections, if, in the art of teaching, we do not bring out the whole, wide, spiritually enlightened view of life, then education will not achieve what it should achieve. Namely, it will not be able to work with human developmental forces, but will work against them.
When people have reached approximately nine years of age, they enter a new stage that is not quite so clearly marked as the one around the age of seven years. It is, however, still quite clear. The aftereffects of the desire to imitate slowly subside, and something occurs in the growing child that, if we want to see it, can be quite closely observed. Children enter into a specific relationship to their own I. Of course, what we could call the soul relationship to the I occurs much earlier. It occurs in each persons life at the earliest moment he or she can remember. This is approximately the time when the child goes from saying, “Johnny wants this,” “Mary wants this,” to saying “I want this.” Later, people remember back to this moment. Earlier events normally completely disappear from memory. This is when the ensouled I enters the human being. However, it has not completely entered spiritually. We see what enters the human soul constitution spiritually as the experiencing of the I that occurs in the child approximately between nine and ten years of age. People who are observers of the soul have at times mentioned this important moment in human life. Jean Paul once so beautifully said that he could remember it quite exactly. As a young boy, he was standing before a barn in the courtyard of his parents’ home, so clearly could he recall it. There, the consciousness of his I awoke in him. He would never forget, so he told, how he looked through the veil at the holy of holies of the human soul.
Such a change occurs around the age of nine, in one case clearly, in another case less clearly. This moment is extremely important for the teacher. If you have previously been able to arouse in the growing child feelings tending in those directions of the will called religious or moral that you can bring forth through all your teaching, then you need only be a good observer of children to allow your authority to be effective when this stage appears. When you can observe that what you have previously prepared in the way of religious sensitivities is solidly in place and comes alive, you can meet the child with your authority.
This is the time that determines whether people can honestly and truly look from their innermost depths to something that divinely courses through the spirit and soul of the world and human life. At this point, those who can place themselves into human life through a spiritual point of view will, as teachers, be intuitively led to find the right words and the right behavior. In truth, education is something artistic. We must approach children not with a standardized pedagogy, but with an artistic pedagogy. In the same way that artists must be in control of their materials, must understand them exactly and intimately, those who work from the spiritual point of view must know the symptoms that arise around the age of nine. This is the time when people deepen their inner consciousness so that their I-consciousness becomes spiritual, whereas previously it was soulful. Then the teacher will be able to change to an objective observation of things, whereas previously the child required a connection to human subjectivity. You will know, when you can correctly judge this moment, that prior to this you should, for example, speak to children about scientific things, about things that occur in nature, by clothing them in tales, in fables, in parables. You will know that all natural objects are to be treated as having, in a sense, human characteristics. In short, you will know that you do not separate people from their natural surroundings. At that moment around the age of nine when the I awakens, human beings separate themselves from the natural environment and become mature enough to objectively compare the relationships of natural occurrences. Thus, we should not begin to objectively describe nature before this moment in the child’s life. It is more important that we develop a sense, a spiritual instinct, for this important change.
Another such change occurs around eleven or twelve years of age. While the child is still completely under the influence of authority, something begins to shine into life that is fully formed only after sexual maturity. The child’s developing capacity to judge begins to shine in at this time. Thus, as teachers we work so that we appeal to the child’s capacity for judgment, and we allow the principle of authority to recede into the background. After about twelve years of age, the child’s developing capacity for judgment already plays a role. If we correctly see the changing condition of the child’s soul constitution, then we can also see that the child develops new interests. The child previously had the greatest interest, for example, in what we (of course, in a manner understandable to a child) brought in describing natural sciences. Only after this change, around eleven or twelve years of age, does this interest (I understand exactly the importance of what I say) develop into a true possibility of understanding physical phenomena, of understanding even the simplest physical concepts.
There can be no real pedagogical art without the observation of these basic underlying rhythms of human life. This art of education requires that we fit it exactly to what develops in a human being. We should derive what we call the curriculum and educational goals from that. What we teach and how we teach should flow from an understanding of human beings. However, we cannot gain this understanding of human beings if we are not able to turn our view of the world to seeing the spiritual that forms the basis of sensible facts. Then it will become clear to us that the intangibles that I have already mentioned really play a role, particularly in the pedagogical art.
Today, where our pedagogical art has developed more from the underlying scientific point of view, we place much value upon so-called visual aids (this is the case, although we are seldom conscious of it). I would ask you not to understand the things I say as though I want to be polemic, as though I want to preach or derogatorily criticize. This is not at all the case. I only wish to characterize the role that the science of the spirit can have in the formation of a pedagogical art. That we emphasize visual aids beyond their bounds is only a result of the common way of thinking that has developed from a scientific point of view, from scientific methods. However (I will say this expressly), regardless of how justified it is to present illustrative materials at the proper time and with the proper subjects, it is just as important to ask if everything we should convey to the child can be conveyed by demonstration. We must ask if there are no other ways in which we can bring things from the soul of the teacher to the soul of the child. We must certainly mention that there are other ways. I have, in fact, mentioned the all-encompassing principle of authority that is active from the change of teeth until puberty. The child accepts the teacher’s opinion and feeling because they live in the teacher. There must be something in the way the teacher meets the child that acts as an intangible. There must be something that really flows from an all-encompassing understanding of life and from the interest in an all-encompassing understanding of life. I have characterized it by saying that what we impart to children often reveals itself in a metamorphosed form only in the adult, or even in old age.
For example, there is one thing people often do not observe because it goes beyond the boundaries of visual aids. You can reduce what you visually present the child down to the level the child can comprehend. You can reduce it to only what the child can comprehend, or at least what you believe the child can comprehend. Those who carry this to an extreme do not notice an important rule of life, namely, that it is a source of power and strength in life if you can reach a point, for example at the age of thirty-five, when you say to yourself that as a child you learned something once from your teacher, from the person who educated you. You took it into your memory and you remembered it. Why did you remember it? Because you loved the teacher as an authority, because the essence of the teacher so stood before you that it was clear to you when that teacher truly believed something, you must learn it. This is something you did instinctively. Now you have realized something, now that you are mature. You understand it in the way I have described it —“I learned something that I learned because of a love for an authority. Now the strength of maturity arises through which I can recall it again, and I can recognize it in a new sense. Only now do I understand it.”
Those who laugh at such a source of strength have no interest in real human life, they do not know that human life is a unity, that everything is connected. Thus, they cannot value what it means to go beyond normal visual aids, which are completely justifiable within their boundaries. Such people cannot value the need for their teaching to sink deeply into the child’s soul so that at each new level of maturity it will always return. Why do we meet so many inwardly broken people these days? Why do our hearts bleed when we look at the broad areas in need of such tremendous undertakings, while people nonetheless wander around aimlessly? Because no one has attended to developing in growing children those capacities that later in life become a pillar of strength to enable them really to enter into life.
These are the things that we must thoroughly consider when we change from simple conventional pedagogical science to a true art of education. In order for pedagogy to be general for humanity, teachers must practice it as an individual and personal art. We must have insight into certain inner connections if we want to understand clearly what people often say instinctively but without clear understanding. Today, with some justification, people demand that we should not only educate the intellect. They say it is not so important that growing children receive knowledge or understanding. What is important is that they become industrious people, that the element of will be formed, that real dexterity be developed, and so forth. Certainly, such demands are quite justifiable. What we need to realize though, is that we cannot meet such demands with general pedagogical phrases or standards; we can only meet them when we really enter into the concrete details of human developmental stages. We must know that it is the artistic aesthetic factor that fires the will, and we must be able to bring this artistic aesthetic factor to the will. We must not simply seek an external gateway to the will. That is what we would seek if we sought out people only through physiology and biology. That is what we would seek if we were not to seek them through the spiritual element that expresses itself in their being and expresses itself distinctly, particularly in childhood. There is much to be ensouled, to be spiritualized.
In our Waldorf School in Stuttgart, we have attempted for the first time to create something from what is usually based only upon the physiological, at least in its inner strength and its methods. Namely, we have attempted to transform gymnastics into the art of eurythmy. Almost every Saturday and Sunday in Dornach you can see a eurythmy performance. Eurythmy is an art form in which we use the human organism, with its possibilities for inner movement, as an instrument. What you see as an art form also has the possibility of ensouling and spiritualizing human movements that otherwise occur only in gymnastics.
Thus, people not only do what may affect this or that muscle, they also do what naturally flows from this or that feeling of the soul into the movement of the muscles, into the movement of the limbs.
Because it is based upon a spiritual scientific vitalization of life, we are convinced eurythmy will be significant for both pedagogy and healing. We are seeking the necessary healthy relationship between inner experiencing, feeling and expression of soul, and what we can develop in people as movement. We seek to develop these natural connections. We seek through the recognition of the ensouled and spiritualized human being what people usually seek only through physiology or other external facts. We can also affect the will not only when we apply the most common of arts to the principles of teaching in the early elementary school years. We can equally affect the will in a very special way when we allow soul-spirituality to permeate something also thought to cultivate the will, namely, gymnastics. However, we must recognize soul-spirituality in its concrete possibility of effectiveness, in its concrete form.
Thus, we must recognize the connections between two capacities of the human soul. Modern psychology cannot see this because it is not permeated by spiritual science. If we can look objectively at that important moment that I have described as occurring around nine years of age, we will see, on the one hand, that something important happens that is connected with the feeling capacity, the feeling life of the child. People look inwardly. Quite different feeling nuances occur. In a certain sense, the inner life of the soul becomes more independent from external nature in its feeling nuances. On the other hand, something else occurs that we can see only through a truly intimate observation of the soul. Namely, we learn because we still have what we might call an organically developed memory. Jean Paul noticed this and expressed it brilliantly when he said that we certainly learn more in the first three years of our life than in three years at the university. This is so because memory still works organically. We certainly learn more for living. However, around the age of nine a particular relationship forms between the life of feeling and the life of memory that plays more into conscious life.
We need only to see such things. If we cannot see them, then we think they are not there. If you can really see this intimate relationship between the life of feeling and memory, then you will find, if you pay attention, the proper standpoint from which to appeal to memory in your teaching. You should not appeal to memory any differently than you appeal to feeling. You will find the proper nuances, particularly for teaching history, for everything you have to say about history, if you know that you must permeate your presentation of what you want the children to remember with something that plays into their independent feelings. You will also be able to properly order the teaching of history in the curriculum if you know these connections. In this way, you can also gain a proper point of view about what the children should generally remember. You will be able to affect the feeling to the same extent you intend to affect the memory, in the same way you previously affected the will through artistic activity. Slowly, you will gain the possibility, following this stage of life, of allowing will and feeling to affect the intellect. If, in education, we do not develop the intellect in the proper way out of will and feeling, then we work in a manner opposing human developmental forces, rather than supporting them.
You can see that this whole lecture revolves around the relationship of spiritual science to pedagogical art, and how important it is to use spiritual science to provide a true understanding of human beings. In this way we obtain something from spiritual science that enters our will in the same way that artistic talents enter the human will. In this way we can remove ourselves from a pedagogy that is simply a science of convention, that always tells us to teach in this or that manner, according to some rules. We can transplant into the essence of our humanity what we must have in our will, the spiritual permeation of the will, so that from our will we can affect the developmental capacities of the growing child. In this manner, a truly effective understanding of human beings should support education in the spiritual scientific sense. The developing human thus becomes a divine riddle for us, a divine riddle that we wish to solve at every hour. If, with our art of teaching, we so place ourselves in the service of humanity, then we serve this life from our great interest in life.
Here at the conclusion, I wish to mention again the standpoint from which I began. Teachers work with people at that stage of life when we are to implant all the possibilities of life into human nature and, at the same time, to bring them forth from human nature. Then they can play a role in the whole remainder of human life and existence. For this reason we can say there is no area of life that should not, in some way or another, affect the teacher. However, only those who learn to understand life from a spiritual standpoint really understand life. To use Goethe’s expression, only those who can form life spiritually will be able to form life at all. It seems to me that the most necessary thing to achieve now is the shaping of life through a pedagogy practiced more and more in conformity with the spirit. Allow me to emphasize again that what I have said today was not said to be critical, to preach. I said it because, in my modest opinion, the science of the spirit and the understanding that can be gained through it, particularly about the essence of humanity, and thus about the essence of the growing child, can serve the art of education, can provide new sources of strength for the pedagogical art.
This is the goal of spiritual science. It does not desire to be something foreign and distant from this world. It desires to be a leaven that can permeate all the capacities and tasks of life. It is with this attitude that I attempt to speak from spiritual science about the various areas of life and attempt to affect them. Also, do not attribute to arrogance what I have said today about the relationship of spiritual science to pedagogy. Rather, attribute it to an attitude rooted in the conviction that, particularly now, we must learn much about the spirit if we are to be spiritually effective in life. Attribute it to an attitude that desires to work in an honest and upright manner in the differing areas of life, that wishes to work in the most magnificent, the most noble, the most important area of life—in the teaching and shaping of human beings.
Tasks and Assignments for Waldorf Administration/Lesson 3
Please study and work with the study material provided for this lesson. Then please turn to the following tasks and assignments listed below.
1. Study the material provided and look up other resources as needed and appropriate.
2. Review the example faculty/staff handbook. Compare the handbook to your organization's handbook. Note changes, adjustments and additions that would be needed for your school or organization. If you are not associated with a school or organization, create the example for a fictional school or organization.
3. Additionally submit comments and questions, if any.
Please send your completed assignment via the online form or via email.
1. Study the material provided and look up other resources as needed and appropriate.
2. Review the example faculty/staff handbook. Compare the handbook to your organization's handbook. Note changes, adjustments and additions that would be needed for your school or organization. If you are not associated with a school or organization, create the example for a fictional school or organization.
3. Additionally submit comments and questions, if any.
Please send your completed assignment via the online form or via email.
Study Material for Waldorf Administration/Lesson 3
Waldorf Administration and Governance/Example of Faculty/Staff Handbook
VISION STATEMENT OF THE EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. We, the EXAMPLE Waldorf School community, come together for the education of children, and through the heart, the hands, and the mind, children are invited to explore the rhythms of the earth, the heavens, poetry, music, colors and form, movement, numbers, history, life and secret spaces within, creating a sense of wonder, gratitude, and responsibility. We are committed to bringing together a multi-cultural community and education that respects diversity and encourages reverence for all beings and our natural surroundings. Our early childhood, elementary and middle school programs are designed to meet the needs of children in each phase of their development. Waldorf learning respects the uniqueness of each child, while working in rhythm with the natural stages all children pass through. The pattern which unfolds in the individual child, in many ways reflects the pattern which has unfolded throughout human history. Since these stages are in harmony with the development of civilization itself, the great stories of all time – from fairy tales and fables to Nordic and Greek myths – become the cornerstone of the curriculum. Our community has a rich musical and festival life, celebrating the human being's relationship with the rhythms of the earth. Awareness of these relationships brings greater self-knowledge and a reverence for all of life. We practice stewardship of the land, gardening and exploring the local wilderness through the seasons. We strive to collaborate and communicate with parents, colleagues and students in a compassionate way to create a healthy social life in the school, which is reflected in the activities of the children who bring to the greater community, love through human service, beauty through artistic expression, and inspiration to light our path into the future.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I ORGANIZATION OF THE EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL 01
SECTION II EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES/SALARIES AND BENEFITS 05
SECTION III POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY/STAFF 07
SECTION IV ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COLLEGE OF TEACHERS 10
SECTION V PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 11
SECTION VI EMERGENCY POLICY AND PROCEDURES 11
FORMS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT 13
SECTION I - ORGANIZATION OF THE EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL
This Employee Handbook is designed to acquaint you with EXAMPLE Waldorf School (EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL), and provide you with information about working conditions and some of the policies affecting your employment. You should read, understand, and comply with all provisions of the Handbook. It describes many of your responsibilities as an Employee and outlines the programs developed by EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL to benefit Employees. One of our objectives is to provide a work environment that is conducive to both personal and professional growth. No Employee handbook can anticipate every circumstance or question about policy. The need may arise, and EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL reserves the right, to revise, supplement, or rescind any policies or portion of the handbook as it deems appropriate, in its sole and absolute discretion. The EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Parent Handbook has additional information on EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Operational procedures and policies. Please read the Parent Handbook and share the information with your class parents. This Handbook supersedes and replaces all previous verbal or written policies or guidelines. The policies in the Handbook are guidelines only and do not create an employment contract. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will endeavor to provide Employees with notification of changes prior to when they occur; however, notification of such changes is not required. While our Faculty endeavors to collaborate and self-administer as much as possible in their work of educating students and parents, this Handbook clarifies the administrative procedures relating to all employees. Generally, the Administrator can assist with questions and provide guidance. The College of Teachers would be more appropriate resources for formal concerns or decisions.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. All Employees are employed "at will." This means that both Employees and EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL as the Employer have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. In addition, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL maintains the following policies:
1. No EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL representative, other than the College of Teachers, is authorized to modify this at will policy for an Employee or to enter into any agreement, oral or written, contrary to this policy. Modifications to the “at will” policy by the College of Teachers and Employee must be in writing and signed.
2. This at will policy is not and may not be modified by any statements contained in this Employee Handbook or any other Employee handbooks, employment applications, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL recruiting materials, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL memoranda, policies, or other materials provided to applicants and Employees in connection with their employment. None of these documents, singly or combined, create an expressed or implied contract of employment for a definite period, or an expressed or implied contract concerning any terms or conditions of employment.
3. An Exit Interview must be completed if an employee leaves Waldorf School.
BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT. The successful business operation and reputation of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL is built upon the principles of fair dealing and ethical conduct of our Employees. Our reputation for integrity and excellence requires careful observance of the spirit and letter of all applicable laws and regulations, as well as a scrupulous regard for the highest standards of conduct and personal integrity. The continued success of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL is dependent upon our families' and donors' trust and we are dedicated to preserving that trust. Employees have a duty to EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL to act in a way that will merit the continued trust and confidence of the public. Additionally, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL expects that all Employees will conduct business in a manner that benefits the organization. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will comply with all applicable laws and regulations and expects its Trustees, Officers, and Employees to conduct business in accordance with the letter, spirit, and intent of all relevant laws and to refrain from any illegal, dishonest, or unethical conduct. In general, the use of good judgment, based on high ethical principles, will guide you with respect to lines of acceptable conduct. If a situation arises where it is difficult to determine the proper course of action, the matter should be discussed openly with the Administrator and brought to the College of Teachers. Compliance with this policy of business ethics and conduct is the responsibility of every EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Employee. Disregarding or failing to comply with this standard of business ethics and conduct could lead to termination of employment. If review by the College of Teachers requires additional support, the issue will be brought to a joint meeting with the Board of Directors. It is not possible to provide Employees a complete list of every possible type of misconduct. However, in order to provide Employees some guidance concerning unacceptable behavior, the following are some examples of types of conduct that may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination:
1. Violation of ethical and/or professional standards.
2. Disclosure of confidential information.
3. Dishonesty.
4. Discrimination/harassment.
5. Misconduct toward students, parents, or other staff members.
6. Unjustified and/or excessive absence/tardiness.
7. Embezzlement or theft.
8. Falsification or the making of a material omission on EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL forms, records or reports, including time cards or reports, or application materials.
9. Gambling on EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL property or while representing EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL.
10. Reporting, being at work or representing EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL off premises while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (this includes medications, if such use may affect the safety of co-workers, members of the public, your job performance or the safe or efficient operation of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL).
11. Actual or threatened physical violence or use of abusive language.
12. Destroying or damaging EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL or Employee property, records or other materials.
13. Unauthorized possession or removal of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL or Employee property, records or other materials.
14. Use or possession of firearms and/or other instruments regarded as dangerous weapons on work premises or field trips.
15. Use, possession, sale, trade, or delivery of illegal drugs or other controlled substances.
16. Violation of established safety and security rules.
All Employees are required to conduct themselves using common sense and good judgment at all times. Although EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL may generally counsel Employees concerning any improper behavior, no warning or counseling is required. Employment with EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL is at will. An Employee can be terminated with or without cause at any time.
Grievance Procedure. If an Employee in the Early Childhood Program has a grievance they will consult with the Early Childhood Director to discuss the concern. If a solution is not achievable they may bring their concerns to the College of Teachers. If any Grade Class or Specialty Class Teachers have concerns they will meet with the Administrator to discuss them. If a solution is not reached, they may bring their concerns to the College of Teachers.
Early Childhood/Teacher Employee Orientation
1. Orientation meetings must be attended by all Early Childhood teachers at EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL.
2. Firstaid and CPR training is required.
3. Fire Drill Procedures must be understood.
4. Recognition of Child abuse and neglect and an understanding of reporting must be reviewed.
5. The Early Childhood Director will update all Early childhood teachers on new rules and regulations.
6. All Employees must receive and sign for their Faculty Handbook and Parent Handbook.
Early Childhood/Teacher/Staff Development Plan
1. Child Growth and Development & Learning (Bi-weekly Early Childhood meetings 3.15 – 4.30)
2. Health, Safety, Nutrition & Infection Control (CPR and First Aid)
3. Family and Community Collaboration (Weekly meetings with name)
4. Developmentally Appropriate Content (Regional Waldorf Conference)
5. Learning Environment and Curriculum Implementation (Classes – at the EXAMPLE Resource Center)
6. Assessment of Children and Programs (Workshop with name – the structure of English/Developing dyslexia at an early age)
7. Professionalism (Orientation meeting Thursday 8.19.09 2 – 4 pm with Name)
8. Grade class teachers are required to attend the (bi-) weekly department meetings for (A) Early Childhood, (B) Grades 1-4, (C) grades 5-8
9. Administrative staff are required to attend the weekly administration group meetings
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT. Information regarding personnel, students and families is not to be given out. All such inquiries are to be directed to the attention of the School Administrator. Employees are not to discuss students, other employees or the school with the media. It is understood and agreed between you and EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL that confidential EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL or student information is not to be disclosed at any time, including after your employment, to people outside of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL, or to other Employees of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL who do not have a legitimate need to know. Failure to follow this policy may result in your immediate discharge and legal action may be taken against you. A confidentiality agreement will be signed and filed in the office. We will abide by the Confidentiality requirements set forth by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Confidentiality is an issue of respect and sometimes of safety as well.
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. Staff members are to be on the lookout for possible abuse or neglect of children. If members of the staff suspect either, it should be documented and kept on file. Caregivers are required to sign a statement that informs them that it is mandatory to report suspected cases of child abuse to the Department of Social Services, Program Administrator, Local Law enforcement, or the Office of the District Attorney. This includes the reporting of parents who appear to be impaired by drugs or alcohol. If a staff/volunteer member is suspected of child abuse/neglect, the Partnership will evaluate the continued employability of any staff/volunteer involved in an incident of child abuse / neglect. We will assure that the incident could not reoccur during the investigation.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will be based on merit, qualification, and abilities. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, sex, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status or sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. Any applicant or Employee who believes that, because of a disability or medical condition, he or she requires some accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact the Administrator and request such accommodation. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, performance management, termination, and access to benefits and training. Any Employees with questions or concerns about any type of discrimination in the workplace are encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of the College of Teachers. Employees can raise concerns and make reports without fear of reprisal. Anyone found to be engaging in any type of unlawful discrimination may be disciplined up to and including discharge.
POLICY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT. EXAMPLE Waldorf School maintains a strict policy prohibiting all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and harassment based on race, religion, national origin ancestry, citizenship, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, color, age or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about harassment or retaliation against individuals for cooperating with an investigation of harassment is similarly unlawful and will not be tolerated. To achieve our goal of providing a workplace free from all harassment, the conduct that is described in this policy will not be tolerated and we have provided a procedure by which inappropriate conduct will be dealt with, if encountered by employees. Because the School takes allegations of harassment seriously, we will respond promptly to complaints of harassment and where it is determined that such inappropriate conduct has occurred, we will act promptly to eliminate the conduct and impose such corrective action as is necessary, including disciplinary action where appropriate. Please note that while this policy sets forth our goals of promoting a workplace that is free of harassment, the policy is not designed or intended to limit our authority to discipline or take remedial action for workplace conduct which we deem unacceptable, regardless of whether that conduct satisfies the definition of harassment.
DEFINITION OF HARASSMENT. Harassment includes verbal, physical or visual conduct, which creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile working environment, or that unreasonably interferes with job performance. Additionally, sexual harassment includes any request or demand for sexual favors that is implicitly or expressly a condition for employment or continued employment.
Sexual harassment includes:
1. Unwanted sexual advances;
2. Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors;
3. Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances;
4. Visual conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons or posters;
5. Verbal conduct such as making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, and jokes;
6. Verbal sexual advances or propositions;
7. Verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries about an individual's body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations; and,
8. Physical conduct such as touching, assaulting, impeding or blocking movement.
Complaints of Harassment. If any of our employees believes that he or she has been subjected to harassment, the employee has the right to file a complaint with the College of Teachers. The School Administrator is also available to discuss any concerns you may have to provide information to you about our policy on harassment and or complaint process. In the event that a member of the College of Teachers is involved in a complaint, either as the purported harasser or the one being harassed, the complaint may be brought directly to the president of the Board of Trustees.
Harassment Investigation. When we receive the complaint we will promptly investigate the allegation in a fair and expeditious manner. The investigation will be conducted in such a way as to maintain confidentiality to the extent practicable under the circumstances. Our investigation will include a private interview with the person filing the complaint and with the witnesses. We will also interview the person alleged to have committed the harassment. When we've completed our investigation, we will, to the extent appropriate, inform the person filing the complaint and the person alleged to have harassed, of the results of that investigation. If it is determined that inappropriate conduct has occurred, the College of Teachers will act promptly to eliminate the offending conduct, and, where it is appropriate, will also impose disciplinary action. Such action may range from a recommendation for counseling to termination of employment, or such other forms of disciplinary action as deemed appropriate under the circumstances.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY. All Employees are prohibited from manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, selling or using any controlled substance in a EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL workplace, while conducting EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL business (including business travel), or during work hours. Such conduct is also prohibited during non-working time to the extent that in the opinion of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL, it impairs an Employee's ability to perform on the job or threatens the reputation or integrity of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. Employees are further prohibited from reporting to work under the influence of controlled substances. Employees who are taking prescription drugs that may affect their work performance should discuss their situation with the School Administrator. Employees charged with controlled substance-related violations including pleas of no contest, must inform EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL within five days of such conviction or plea. A written statement must be submitted to ECE licensing authority concerning the circumstances. Disciplinary action, up to and including termination, will be taken against any Employee who violates this policy. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL reserves the right to deal with each case at its discretion, in accordance with its current policies and practices and the specific circumstances involved. This may include requiring an Employee to participate satisfactorily in an approved drug abuse rehabilitation program, or to submit to random testing as part of a return to work agreement.
SECTION II - EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES/SALARIES AND BENEFITS
SALARIES. Salaries and wages are set by the Board of Directors in consultation with the finance committee. Payroll will be processed once monthly and paychecks distributed on the first business day of the month for the previous month. The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining a balance with cost of living increases and a living wage. Employees other than Main Class Faculty may be full time or part time, and may be hourly or salaried. Rate of pay and benefits are individually determined for each position.
Time sheets. Time sheets for hourly employees are available in the office and turned in on the last business day of each month.
PERSONAL RECORDS. CPR and First Aid certification must be on file in the office for each teacher. Documentation of all appropriate training, emergency contact numbers and the Universal Precautions and Blood Pathogen Acknowledgement form must be filed out and filled in the office. Fingerprint clearance must be current and in file.
MEDICAL BENEFITS. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will provide matching funds to full time salaried employees (teachers and administrator) for catastrophic insurance.
PERSONAL LEAVE/SICK DAYS/CRISIS LEAVE. All employees receive 6 paid sick days per year. A short-term, planned personal leave of absence without pay may be granted at the discretion of the College of Teachers. If the absence will exceed the six per person/sick days a request must be submitted in writing to the College of Teachers six (6) weeks in advance of the desired time off. Once the 6 days per year are exhausted, full time employees will continue receiving their pay, but the additional expense for substitute teachers will be deducted, if the teacher continues to provide curriculum/lesson plans.
JURY DUTY. Employees called for jury duty are excused from work. If, however, work time remains after any day of jury selection or jury duty, an employee will be expected to return to work for the remainder of your work schedule. Full pay continues; however, jury stipends are to be presented to the school.
EMPLOYEE REFERENCES. All requests for references must be directed to the administrator. No other employee is authorized to release references for current or former employees. The school will disclose only the dates of employment and the title of the last position held. If you authorize disclosure in writing, the school will also provide a prospective employer with the information on the amount of salary or wage you last earned and references concerning your professional performance.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. The EXAMPLE Waldorf School has a mentoring and evaluation program. The evaluation aspect covers self-evaluation, peer evaluation, parent surveys and master teacher visits. See appendix for schedule and evaluation form. Each employee shall have an individual evaluation and professional development plan on file.
Communication. The best way to clarify a misunderstanding, solve a complaint, or resolve a difference of opinion is to discuss the problem directly with the person with whom you share a problem. If necessary, bring your concerns to the School Administrator, and if you would like to have further clarification, you may contact the College of Teachers. An attempt to investigate your concerns and provide you with a response will be made as soon as reasonably possible. Please review the following information from the Parent Handbook: Effective Communication among all of us is an important and vital element in the successful functioning of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School. How we work together as parents, teacher, committee members and colleagues is another way we teach our children the values and ways of being that we believe are important in our world. In an effort to make the communication process clear and more effective, we ask you to follow these guidelines: Please communicate as directly as possible with the individual teacher or parent involved. This allows the quickest and most effective resolution and minimizes the negative effects of third party misunderstandings. Questions regarding your child or his or her class or teachers should be taken directly to the class teacher. Because the teacher is “on-duty” during the time parents drop off and pick up their children, it is best to call or write a note to arrange a specific time that is mutually convenient to discuss questions and concerns. It is understood that situations may arise that need immediate attention and arrangements will be made for a conference accordingly. If you have additional concerns, please talk with the Administrator to arrange a meeting to discuss your concerns or schedule a meeting with the College of Teachers. Understood in its fullness, Waldorf Education seeks to offer more than an excellent education. It seeks to create community. A true community flourishes, develops, and ultimately supports the growth of each member, particularly the children, when there is open and honest communication and trust. Teachers are expected to communicate in a professional manner using courtesy, respect, and compassionate communication skills, when speaking with parents, colleagues, and students.
Teacher / Parent Communication Guidelines. Teachers are expected to communicate in a professional manner using courtesy, respect, and compassionate communication skills, when speaking with parents, colleagues, and students. It is important that each faculty member supports the above policy. When concerns arise that require a communication with the student’s parent please observe the following guidelines: Because teachers are “on-duty” during the time parents drop off and pick up their children, it is important to call or write a note to arrange a specific time that is mutually convenient to discuss questions and concerns. It is understood that situations may arise that need immediate attention and if this occurs please seek support for your class from the Administrator. Parents may contact the Administrator or college if they have additional concerns or need help with communication and should never be reprimanded by their class teacher for seeking such help. Confidentiality is very important in Parent/Teacher Communication. Communicate is limited to the parent or student involved about the concern or incident, unless a group meeting is required and arranged. Discussions are held privately and discreetly during a conveniently scheduled time to both parties. If discussions are held with other faculty members these discussions are considered confidential. Discussions with parents should not happen in the classroom in front of other students or parents. Meetings should be scheduled before 8:30, 3:15pm, or during free periods. The Administrator is available to schedule appointments for you during the day.
Teacher / Teacher Communication. It is important that when teachers need to communicate with each other concerning a student that this happen in private and not in front of other students. Colleagues should use compassionate communication skills and remember that we have a responsibility to set good examples at all times. It is encouraged to seek the help of mentors and other colleagues.
FACULTY CONTRACT FULFILLMENT POLICY
1. Infraction identified by College. College designates College member or Administrator to meet informally with faculty member. This meeting would be documented in College minutes.
2. If infractions continue, the faculty member and the College will meet and create a written plan to address the concern. A memo will be provided to the College and faculty member in question reflecting what was agreed to at this meeting. Observation and evaluation will follow.
3. If infraction continues, College and a Board representative meet in order to discuss the situation and determine if further action is to be taken. Should the infraction be deemed serious enough, the College may choose to skip either Step 1, 2 and 3, depending on the circumstances.
Hourly Employees are expected to work under the direct supervision of the teacher they work with but are hired by the College of Teachers. Evaluations are made each semester by the teacher and the College of Teachers. If an infraction of the faculty policy occurs a written warning will be issued. If the same infraction is repeated, the employee will be referred to the College of Teachers and a remedy will be negotiated which could result in termination. If an hourly employee has a concern or grievance we do encourage direct communication with the supervising teacher or the administrator. This meeting may be held with the requested presence of a member of the College of Teachers. Further grievances should be directed to the Administrator who will schedule a meeting with the College of Teachers.
TERMINATION AND PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE. While the EXAMPLE Waldorf School appreciates as much advance notice of intention to terminate as possible, it is mandatory to provide thirty (30) days advance notice. Violation of school policies and rules may warrant disciplinary action. The school may, at its sole discretion, use whatever form of discipline is deemed appropriate under the circumstances, up to and including termination of employment. All employees terminated by the school shall receive, at the time of termination, all wages due them.
SECTION III - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY
Hours and Expectations for Faculty. Full Time teachers are expected to be on campus by 8:00 a. m. and remain on campus until their class is dismissed. If a teacher needs to leave campus for more than one hour s/he will notify the Administrator and sign out in the office when leaving and upon returning. Class Teachers will attend pedagogical and business meetings (including the weekly faculty meetings on Thursdays from 3:30 – 5:30 pm), festivals, open house events, all school meetings, work days and participate in interviews of new families. It is expected that all Faculty members will consistently attend meetings and retreat/workshops. Occasional absences due to illnesses, emergencies, or conferences are expected. Repeated absences will result in a conversation to resolve the issues necessary to support that teacher in fully participating. Through a mutual process, the faculty will seek a solution suitable to all members. All attempts will be made to honor both the individual needs and the group's responsibility to perform consistently for the school.
Guidelines for Full Time Teachers
Class Meetings. Kindergarten and Class Teachers will have a meeting with the parents of their class at least two times per school year. It is recommended that the first parent evening of each school year include a presentation of curriculum and themes and goals for the year. A discipline plan should also be presented. This information should be given to the parents in a written form and updated as changes occur throughout the year. Discussions pertaining to child development and discipline should be conducted once per year.
Attendance and Dismissal. Teachers take daily attendance on attendance sheets. The attendance sheets are handed in to the office for filing. Teachers are responsible for dismissal. Children are either released into the care of their parent(s)/guardian(s) or placed and signed in after care. If after care is full, the teacher has to make arrangements for the child to be handed into the care of the parent(s)/guardian(s). All parents/guardians are required to sign in and sign out (“sign in on arrival – sign out on departure”).
Field Trips and School Outings. Field trips must be planned in advance and all parents must be personally notified of the schedule. A complete field trip policy is in the index and must be filled out prior to the field trip departure. The Teacher must notify the office before leaving and must give the estimated time the class will return. The teacher must notify any specialty teacher or tutor affected by the absence of the class. The teacher is responsible to carry the emergency forms for each child and have a first aid kit.
Playground Duty. Each Class teacher is responsible for playground duty unless prior arrangements have been made with another colleague. Specialty class teachers will relieve Grade Class teachers on a rotating basis. All students must be present inside the playground boundaries and any games in the outside field must be closely supervised. Teachers are directly responsible for the safety of each child and there should be close supervision of the swing area, sky forts, willow tree, playing field, and casita area. There are no cell phones allowed on the playground and teachers are asked to make personal calls during breaks or ask colleagues for support to step off the playground. Any first aid emergencies or injuries are reported to the Administrator and an accident report will be filed by the teacher.
Playground Guidelines for Teachers. In order to improve the quality and safety of our playground time, we have established the following guidelines and ask for your support and effort to maintain them.
A. Supervising teachers are on recess duty. There shall be a minimum of 2 on big play yard and 2 on ball field. Recess teachers need to be present on the play yard for Snack 10:30am – 10:55am(bell) and Lunch 12:30pm – 1:10 pm(bell).
B. Supervising teachers shall not engage in talk unless it concerns the playground matters.
C. Supervising teachers shall be responsible for leaving the playground tidy.
D. Teachers who are off-duty shall support their colleagues by giving them the space to uphold their responsibilities. Let the playground teacher know if you are off campus or if you have any concern regarding one or more of your students, before you release them into the care of your colleagues. Offer back-up support, if you feel that your class needs it on a particular day. These guidelines are for all teachers who are on recess duty as well as for Aftercare teachers.
E. Climbing Trees.
F. Jump ropes may be used for jumping only, not tying up others or tying playground equipment. Children may climb UP the stairs/ladder and DOWN the slide. Sticks are left on ground for 1st/2nd Grades. Appropriate and safe stick use may be permitted for all grades.
It is essential to show the students how we are working together in this way. If anyone has concerns about these guidelines, or has a need for change, please speak to Name and Name, and the necessary steps will be taken to revise the guidelines with the support of the College and the Faculty.
School Assemblies. School Assemblies are recognized as a positive experience for classes to share and to foster a sense of our whole community. The faculty will plan a series of assemblies throughout the year.
Classroom Care. Each teacher's classroom must be neat and tidy by 3:30 PM every day. Desks shall be cleaned up and the floor space needs to be ready for vacuuming. When the children arrive in the morning, the room should be orderly, settled and beautiful. Teachers are expected to change the decorations in the classroom to decorate according with the seasons. Cubby spaces and porch areas should be kept orderly at all times. The teacher shall encourage the students to help care for the room and to instill a sense of responsibility with the class through chore lists. The classroom will be left clean and ready for the next teacher at the end of the term in June.
Subject Teachers. Class Teachers are responsible for oversight and support of the Specialty program for their class. The Class Teacher shall observe and support each Specialty program at least twice per semester. Each observation is to conclude with a session for conversation and feedback with that Specialty Teacher. Reoccurring problems or concerns should be directed to the College of Teachers for additional support and a college member will observe and support the specialty teacher. Class teachers are asked to substitute the Specialty Class if an occasional or unforeseen absence occurs. In cases of extended absence, a Specialty Class substitute will be arranged by the Administrator.
Substitute Teachers. Class teachers are responsible to have a written lesson plan accessible in case of absence.
A lesson plan needs to be kept in the Administrator’s office in case an unexpected absence.
Conferences. All grade teachers will prepare twice a year to meet individually with each set of parents for conferences in the classroom. A brief written report will be filed for each student.
Committee and All School Involvement. All full-time faculty and staff are expected to participate on one committee and sign up for one task/duty each school year. See appendix for list of current committees and tasks/duties.
Outreach and Community Service. Each class will participate in a community art show, music concert, or community service project at least twice a year.
Admissions. Teachers work directly with the enrollment coordinator to recruit and enroll students to the school. Class teachers are expected to follow up with interviews and report back with the results.
Grades and Reports. All class teachers will write a full evaluation of each child at the end of the school year. Evaluations will include academic, physical, and social development as well as providing an artistic soul picture for each child. Specialty Teachers will contribute to the Year End Reports. Semester evaluations will be prepared for Parent/Teacher conferences in the Grades Classes and must address concerns the teacher may have. Although grades are not given, assignments shall be corrected in a timely manner and provided to the students to promote their continual understanding of each subject. If a grading system is to be implemented in the upper grades, the teacher shall create a proposal outlining the grading plan and schedule to be discussed and approved by the College of Teachers. Proposals will be presented in writing to parents and students in the class before they are implemented. Our goal is to provide a clear and consistent expectation. We will also work to achieve a balance of the Waldorf understanding and grading expectations of area high schools.
Homework Policy. Students are expected to be fully engaged during their school day. Additional homework assignments are not encouraged in the younger grades to promote the balance of school and home life. Homework that is assigned in the older grades needs to serve the purpose of enriching the class curriculum. Homework is given with the consciousness that the student’s will force is developed through consistency and completion. All work assigned must be collected, corrected and returned in a timely manner to help each student’s assessment of their skill understanding. Although main lesson books often remain at school, a review will be made at the end of each block and provided to the students in the upper grades. Special reports and projects that must remain in the classroom shall be acknowledged and evaluated in a timely manner. During the orientation or first week of school, the teacher will clearly state their expectations for the coming year.
Media Policy (from the Parent handbook). We appreciate the heartfelt care and dedication that parents put into raising their children, and we thank you for entrusting them to us. In order to preserve the quality of education at Waldorf School, we are asking each parent to respectfully follow our Media Policy. We ask that you consciously strive to restrict the influence of TV, computer, and play stations in your child’s life. When your child does view electronic media, please be mindful of appropriate content. Therefore, we ask that your child does not view or play with electronic media from Sunday evening through Thursday. The passivity inherent in watching television or computer screens is increasingly recognized by educators and parents as counterproductive to the process of learning and growth in children. Growing evidence suggests that excessive and regular use of TV, computer, and play stations produces harmful effects in children even beyond the content of the material absorbed. Through frequent exposure to electronic media, the imaginative capacity of the young child is diminished, concentration skills become more difficult, and healthy brain development is affected in children of all ages. Childhood is a time to learn through physical activity, to take in nature through all the senses, to play creatively and be engaged socially. Imaginative play, listening to stories, watching and creating puppet shows, dressing up, baking, building, crafts, games, sports and other activities foster in children an active participation with each other and the world. If the class teacher feels that media is affecting a student’s classroom experience, a meeting should be scheduled with the parents and a plan implemented to remedy the situation.
SECTION IV - ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
The College consists of the main class teachers, main Kindergarten teachers, and the administrator insofar as each member has been employed in their position for a minimum of 1 year at EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. The College meets weekly. College members work with meditations and an ongoing study to help them understand the weaving of spirit into the practical life of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School. The College takes a servant leadership role within the school. College members are committed to being transparent in decision making. The College agrees that seeking and considering input as well as reporting are keys to its process.
The College has 5 main areas of decision making responsibility which include:
1. Overview of Programs and Pedagogy. Ensuring the quality of programs including decisions about adding new programs or changing existing programs.
2. Personnel Evaluation. Mentoring/teacher development Hiring/Dismissal
3. Interpersonal Relationships. Resolving conflicts between teachers; teacher/parent; teacher/Board; students; student/teacher; and student/other parent. Professional guidance (mediator, counselor, lawyer) may be sought.
4. Student Probation and/or dismissal. The College must approve decisions concerning student probation and/or dismissal.
5. Financial realm. Working with the Board to help form and implement the annual budget including:
A. Overview of Long Range Planning in conjunction with the Board
B. Review of salaries in conjunction with the Board.
Evaluation Process. The evaluation process of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School includes three separate aspects:
A. Self evaluation
B. Peer evaluation
C. Classroom visits/observations by College of Teachers and Waldorf Master teachers
The mentoring program is the continuing support and observation from year to year. We are striving to have a professional evaluation of each classroom each year. The following schedule is proposed for over-all evaluation through the grades.
EVALUATION. It is our goal that all main class teachers will receive a professional evaluation at least every other year.
Example Schedule. 1st grade: Peer/college evaluation in November, master teacher visit in January. 2nd grade: Peer/college evaluation in January. 3rd grade: Peer/college evaluation in January, master teacher visit in November, etc.
SECTION V - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
ONGOING STUDY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. Regularly scheduled activities during the school year include preparation for and participation in:
1. Weekly faculty/college meetings
2. Child studies
3. Monthly full day planning meetings which include pedagogy, child studies, curriculum, and festival planning.
4. Trainings and Conferences specific to areas of teaching. The faculty is encouraged to attend conferences during the school breaks. Main class teachers are paid and required to attend the February Conference.
5. A minimum of two teacher in-service days per year will be scheduled.
6. CPR and First Aid training are provided each year and all teachers are required to participate.
SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS. 1. The school will pay each main class teacher to attend the February Conference on Waldorf education each year. Additionally, Main Class teachers are encouraged to attend summer training or professional development, and the school will support this training financially if funds are available. Conference information shall be shared with the faculty and information regarding the training shall be filed with the Administrator. 2. The school will support colleagues through the organization of a peer visit schedule and observations with mentor support as available. Teachers will be asked to observe at least three other classes throughout the year. A short written observation will be shared with the colleague and kept in their file. Classroom observations are scheduled twice per semester by the College of Teachers or a mentor teacher, if available. These observations are designed to be supportive of the teacher and a meeting to discuss mutual concerns over classroom management, students, or curriculum will follow. 3. The College of Teachers will produce and track all forms and/or guidelines relating to the Professional Development Plan.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Each faculty member shall have an individual evaluation and professional development plan on file. This plan is created by the teacher and the College and intended to support continual growth and renewal for the teacher and class.
YEAR TO YEAR EMPLOYMENT. Employees wishing to continue in their positions must notify the College, in writing, of their intentions by February 1st, at which time a meeting will be scheduled to discuss the interests of both parties. Employees wishing to not return the following year must state that intention at that time so replacements might be sought. Employees seeking changes in positions, but wishing to remain at the school, must state their requests. The College of Teachers shall notify employees within one month's time following receipt of intentions/requests to confirm, or deny, employment.
SECTION VI - EMERGENCY POLICY AND PROCEDURES
OPERATIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FIRE DRILL EVACUATION RESPONSE
Fire Alarm Response. When the alarm sounds, students must immediately exit the building with their teachers in a quiet, orderly manner. Teachers must oversee closing of classroom doors and windows before exiting the building. Teachers must bring class Emergency Forms with them.
Fire Evacuation Route. Teachers must familiarize themselves with the evacuation routes posted near the main exit door of their classrooms. If you have any questions, please ask administration for clarification prior to the next fire drill. In general terms, each class should evacuate their classroom according to the posted primary route, and then make their way to the playfield by the safest route available.
Account for All Children. All faculty have responsibility for being certain that all their children are accounted for. If someone is missing; notify the administrative representative when they arrive at the assembly point. We will need to know who is missing and where they were last seen. Administration would then report to the firefighters when they arrive.
Responding to a Real Fire. It is administrator’s responsibility to attempt to put out a fire that is well contained, while the teachers escort the children safely out of the building. Faculty must be familiar with the location of the fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers can be found in every classroom, mounted next to the door.
Student Education for Fire Drills. (A) When the fire alarm sounds, children must exit the classroom immediately. If a fire alarm sounds unexpectedly, there is no time to put on shoes. (B) Each class should exit their classroom by the posted primary route. (C) On the playfield, each class should stand in a single file line so the teacher can clearly see and count his/her children to verify they are all there. There should be quiet talking only or preferably silence during the fire drill so that the teachers and administration can communicate effectively. (D) Any student who is away from the classroom when the fire alarm sounds should make their way by the quickest, safest route outside the building, and then go to their class’s designated location on the playfield and report to their teacher. (E) No one may leave the playfield until the bell rings, signaling that all is clear. Students must stay with their teacher and in single file line until the bell has been sounded.
EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND DISASTER PLAN
Safety of the children and communication are the main goals
If emergency warrants leaving the premises:
1. All classes will gather together on the main playground.
2. The Kindergarten Main Class Teacher will secure the classrooms (make sure that all children are out of the rooms and gather any necessary shoes, hats, coats.)
3. Each teacher will check the sign in sheet for the day to confirm all children are present.
4. The Early Childhood Director will direct the evacuation.
5. The Kindergarten Assistant will gather the two emergency backpacks (backpacks will each contain a walkie talkie, food, water, emergency aid kit, flashlight, radio and Emergency Contact numbers for parents and a copy of this plan). There will be two backpacks to ease the weight and for the case that the groups get separated.
6. The Early Childhood Director will call:
a) Designated safe house to find out if location is safe
b) Police to find out more about the situation 911
c) the parents to inform them about the situation and where to pick up the children. The parent phone tree for each class will be activated to assist making these calls.
7. The office manager/receptionist will leave notices on classroom doors with information about the situation and where to find the children (in case parents cannot be reached by phone).
8. Children will walk in pairs holding hands with teachers spaced every 8 children through the field 300 yards to the southwest to the designated safe house.
9. If groups of children and teachers become separated, communication will happen with the use of walkie talkies or cell phones.
10. If the designated safe house is not a safe destination (determined by phone call or police information) then the Early Childhood Director will call:
a) Police to find out more about the situation 911
b) the parents to inform them about the situation and where to pick up the children.
11. The children and teachers will walk (following the procedure in step 6 of this plan) through the fields 1.1 miles north of school to the fire station.
I2. If the fire station is the destination point, the Early Childhood Director will drive one group at a time to the destination place.
13. If the Evacuation needs to take place further away from the school, the Early Childhood Director will drive the children to a to be determined location for instance local hotel or library.
If the emergency is one where children must remain sheltered in the school building, the children and teachers will use the phone inside the building to remain informed of the situation and will take shelter in any of the three classrooms, that is safest. The children will lay on the floor farthest away from windows and wood tables will be placed in front of windows.
ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES
All staff will be trained in Red Cross first aid and CPR. Immediate care will be given to any injured party according to training procedures. In case it is necessary to call 911, parents will be contacted immediately. Incident reports must be completed, filed and reported within 24 hours of the incident.
ILLNESS AND MEDICATION
Illness shall be treated according to the “Public Health – Day Care Center Exclusion List” that is included in the Parent Handbook and is posted in the Office. Notifiable diseases are listed and posted in the office and in the Kindergarten. In case a child is found missing from the school parents and police will be contacted immediately. Incident reports must be filed immediately. Un-immunized children may be asked by the State of STATE Health Department to remain at home during an epidemic outbreak of communicable diseases. Medication needs to be given to the teacher with a signed permission slip that is available in the office. Medication permission slip must be filled out and filed in the office. If there is a sudden onset of illness, the teacher will send the child home immediately. If the teacher is unable to reach the parents the emergency contacts will be called. Universal Precautions and Blood Pathogen Acknowledgement form procedures must be followed.
VACCINES
Parents are asked to bring in a copy of their children’s immunization records. Conscientious objection forms are available in the office for those children who do not receive all of their immunizations.
FORM
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT. This is to acknowledge that I received a copy of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School Employee Handbook. I have also reviewed the EXAMPLE Waldorf School Parent Handbook (available online at the school’s website www.EXAMPLEwaldorfschool.com. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to read and understand the contents of both Handbooks, and I have been given the opportunity to ask any questions I might have about policies that I do not understand. I understand that the statements contained in the Handbook are guidelines for Employees concerning some of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL policies and benefits, and do not create any contractual or other legal obligations and do not alter the "at-will" nature of my employment with EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. I also understand that only the College of Teachers has the authority to enter into any agreement for employment for any specified period of time or to make any agreement contrary to the "at-will" relationship described above. I understand that for such an agreement to be effective it must be in writing. I acknowledge that EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL may modify or rescind any policies, practices, or benefits described in the Employee Handbook at any time without prior notice to me. I understand that the EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Employee Handbook supersedes any and all other Employee policies or guidelines and that compliance with the EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Employee Handbook policies are important matters and that a violation could be the basis for termination of employment.
Employee's Signature___________________________________________
Employee's Printed Name___________________________ Date_________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I ORGANIZATION OF THE EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL 01
SECTION II EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES/SALARIES AND BENEFITS 05
SECTION III POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY/STAFF 07
SECTION IV ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COLLEGE OF TEACHERS 10
SECTION V PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 11
SECTION VI EMERGENCY POLICY AND PROCEDURES 11
FORMS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT 13
SECTION I - ORGANIZATION OF THE EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL
This Employee Handbook is designed to acquaint you with EXAMPLE Waldorf School (EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL), and provide you with information about working conditions and some of the policies affecting your employment. You should read, understand, and comply with all provisions of the Handbook. It describes many of your responsibilities as an Employee and outlines the programs developed by EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL to benefit Employees. One of our objectives is to provide a work environment that is conducive to both personal and professional growth. No Employee handbook can anticipate every circumstance or question about policy. The need may arise, and EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL reserves the right, to revise, supplement, or rescind any policies or portion of the handbook as it deems appropriate, in its sole and absolute discretion. The EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Parent Handbook has additional information on EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Operational procedures and policies. Please read the Parent Handbook and share the information with your class parents. This Handbook supersedes and replaces all previous verbal or written policies or guidelines. The policies in the Handbook are guidelines only and do not create an employment contract. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will endeavor to provide Employees with notification of changes prior to when they occur; however, notification of such changes is not required. While our Faculty endeavors to collaborate and self-administer as much as possible in their work of educating students and parents, this Handbook clarifies the administrative procedures relating to all employees. Generally, the Administrator can assist with questions and provide guidance. The College of Teachers would be more appropriate resources for formal concerns or decisions.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. All Employees are employed "at will." This means that both Employees and EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL as the Employer have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. In addition, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL maintains the following policies:
1. No EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL representative, other than the College of Teachers, is authorized to modify this at will policy for an Employee or to enter into any agreement, oral or written, contrary to this policy. Modifications to the “at will” policy by the College of Teachers and Employee must be in writing and signed.
2. This at will policy is not and may not be modified by any statements contained in this Employee Handbook or any other Employee handbooks, employment applications, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL recruiting materials, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL memoranda, policies, or other materials provided to applicants and Employees in connection with their employment. None of these documents, singly or combined, create an expressed or implied contract of employment for a definite period, or an expressed or implied contract concerning any terms or conditions of employment.
3. An Exit Interview must be completed if an employee leaves Waldorf School.
BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT. The successful business operation and reputation of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL is built upon the principles of fair dealing and ethical conduct of our Employees. Our reputation for integrity and excellence requires careful observance of the spirit and letter of all applicable laws and regulations, as well as a scrupulous regard for the highest standards of conduct and personal integrity. The continued success of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL is dependent upon our families' and donors' trust and we are dedicated to preserving that trust. Employees have a duty to EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL to act in a way that will merit the continued trust and confidence of the public. Additionally, EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL expects that all Employees will conduct business in a manner that benefits the organization. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will comply with all applicable laws and regulations and expects its Trustees, Officers, and Employees to conduct business in accordance with the letter, spirit, and intent of all relevant laws and to refrain from any illegal, dishonest, or unethical conduct. In general, the use of good judgment, based on high ethical principles, will guide you with respect to lines of acceptable conduct. If a situation arises where it is difficult to determine the proper course of action, the matter should be discussed openly with the Administrator and brought to the College of Teachers. Compliance with this policy of business ethics and conduct is the responsibility of every EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Employee. Disregarding or failing to comply with this standard of business ethics and conduct could lead to termination of employment. If review by the College of Teachers requires additional support, the issue will be brought to a joint meeting with the Board of Directors. It is not possible to provide Employees a complete list of every possible type of misconduct. However, in order to provide Employees some guidance concerning unacceptable behavior, the following are some examples of types of conduct that may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination:
1. Violation of ethical and/or professional standards.
2. Disclosure of confidential information.
3. Dishonesty.
4. Discrimination/harassment.
5. Misconduct toward students, parents, or other staff members.
6. Unjustified and/or excessive absence/tardiness.
7. Embezzlement or theft.
8. Falsification or the making of a material omission on EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL forms, records or reports, including time cards or reports, or application materials.
9. Gambling on EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL property or while representing EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL.
10. Reporting, being at work or representing EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL off premises while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (this includes medications, if such use may affect the safety of co-workers, members of the public, your job performance or the safe or efficient operation of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL).
11. Actual or threatened physical violence or use of abusive language.
12. Destroying or damaging EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL or Employee property, records or other materials.
13. Unauthorized possession or removal of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL or Employee property, records or other materials.
14. Use or possession of firearms and/or other instruments regarded as dangerous weapons on work premises or field trips.
15. Use, possession, sale, trade, or delivery of illegal drugs or other controlled substances.
16. Violation of established safety and security rules.
All Employees are required to conduct themselves using common sense and good judgment at all times. Although EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL may generally counsel Employees concerning any improper behavior, no warning or counseling is required. Employment with EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL is at will. An Employee can be terminated with or without cause at any time.
Grievance Procedure. If an Employee in the Early Childhood Program has a grievance they will consult with the Early Childhood Director to discuss the concern. If a solution is not achievable they may bring their concerns to the College of Teachers. If any Grade Class or Specialty Class Teachers have concerns they will meet with the Administrator to discuss them. If a solution is not reached, they may bring their concerns to the College of Teachers.
Early Childhood/Teacher Employee Orientation
1. Orientation meetings must be attended by all Early Childhood teachers at EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL.
2. Firstaid and CPR training is required.
3. Fire Drill Procedures must be understood.
4. Recognition of Child abuse and neglect and an understanding of reporting must be reviewed.
5. The Early Childhood Director will update all Early childhood teachers on new rules and regulations.
6. All Employees must receive and sign for their Faculty Handbook and Parent Handbook.
Early Childhood/Teacher/Staff Development Plan
1. Child Growth and Development & Learning (Bi-weekly Early Childhood meetings 3.15 – 4.30)
2. Health, Safety, Nutrition & Infection Control (CPR and First Aid)
3. Family and Community Collaboration (Weekly meetings with name)
4. Developmentally Appropriate Content (Regional Waldorf Conference)
5. Learning Environment and Curriculum Implementation (Classes – at the EXAMPLE Resource Center)
6. Assessment of Children and Programs (Workshop with name – the structure of English/Developing dyslexia at an early age)
7. Professionalism (Orientation meeting Thursday 8.19.09 2 – 4 pm with Name)
8. Grade class teachers are required to attend the (bi-) weekly department meetings for (A) Early Childhood, (B) Grades 1-4, (C) grades 5-8
9. Administrative staff are required to attend the weekly administration group meetings
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT. Information regarding personnel, students and families is not to be given out. All such inquiries are to be directed to the attention of the School Administrator. Employees are not to discuss students, other employees or the school with the media. It is understood and agreed between you and EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL that confidential EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL or student information is not to be disclosed at any time, including after your employment, to people outside of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL, or to other Employees of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL who do not have a legitimate need to know. Failure to follow this policy may result in your immediate discharge and legal action may be taken against you. A confidentiality agreement will be signed and filed in the office. We will abide by the Confidentiality requirements set forth by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Confidentiality is an issue of respect and sometimes of safety as well.
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. Staff members are to be on the lookout for possible abuse or neglect of children. If members of the staff suspect either, it should be documented and kept on file. Caregivers are required to sign a statement that informs them that it is mandatory to report suspected cases of child abuse to the Department of Social Services, Program Administrator, Local Law enforcement, or the Office of the District Attorney. This includes the reporting of parents who appear to be impaired by drugs or alcohol. If a staff/volunteer member is suspected of child abuse/neglect, the Partnership will evaluate the continued employability of any staff/volunteer involved in an incident of child abuse / neglect. We will assure that the incident could not reoccur during the investigation.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will be based on merit, qualification, and abilities. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, sex, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status or sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. Any applicant or Employee who believes that, because of a disability or medical condition, he or she requires some accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact the Administrator and request such accommodation. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, performance management, termination, and access to benefits and training. Any Employees with questions or concerns about any type of discrimination in the workplace are encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of the College of Teachers. Employees can raise concerns and make reports without fear of reprisal. Anyone found to be engaging in any type of unlawful discrimination may be disciplined up to and including discharge.
POLICY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT. EXAMPLE Waldorf School maintains a strict policy prohibiting all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and harassment based on race, religion, national origin ancestry, citizenship, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, color, age or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about harassment or retaliation against individuals for cooperating with an investigation of harassment is similarly unlawful and will not be tolerated. To achieve our goal of providing a workplace free from all harassment, the conduct that is described in this policy will not be tolerated and we have provided a procedure by which inappropriate conduct will be dealt with, if encountered by employees. Because the School takes allegations of harassment seriously, we will respond promptly to complaints of harassment and where it is determined that such inappropriate conduct has occurred, we will act promptly to eliminate the conduct and impose such corrective action as is necessary, including disciplinary action where appropriate. Please note that while this policy sets forth our goals of promoting a workplace that is free of harassment, the policy is not designed or intended to limit our authority to discipline or take remedial action for workplace conduct which we deem unacceptable, regardless of whether that conduct satisfies the definition of harassment.
DEFINITION OF HARASSMENT. Harassment includes verbal, physical or visual conduct, which creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile working environment, or that unreasonably interferes with job performance. Additionally, sexual harassment includes any request or demand for sexual favors that is implicitly or expressly a condition for employment or continued employment.
Sexual harassment includes:
1. Unwanted sexual advances;
2. Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors;
3. Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances;
4. Visual conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons or posters;
5. Verbal conduct such as making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, and jokes;
6. Verbal sexual advances or propositions;
7. Verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries about an individual's body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations; and,
8. Physical conduct such as touching, assaulting, impeding or blocking movement.
Complaints of Harassment. If any of our employees believes that he or she has been subjected to harassment, the employee has the right to file a complaint with the College of Teachers. The School Administrator is also available to discuss any concerns you may have to provide information to you about our policy on harassment and or complaint process. In the event that a member of the College of Teachers is involved in a complaint, either as the purported harasser or the one being harassed, the complaint may be brought directly to the president of the Board of Trustees.
Harassment Investigation. When we receive the complaint we will promptly investigate the allegation in a fair and expeditious manner. The investigation will be conducted in such a way as to maintain confidentiality to the extent practicable under the circumstances. Our investigation will include a private interview with the person filing the complaint and with the witnesses. We will also interview the person alleged to have committed the harassment. When we've completed our investigation, we will, to the extent appropriate, inform the person filing the complaint and the person alleged to have harassed, of the results of that investigation. If it is determined that inappropriate conduct has occurred, the College of Teachers will act promptly to eliminate the offending conduct, and, where it is appropriate, will also impose disciplinary action. Such action may range from a recommendation for counseling to termination of employment, or such other forms of disciplinary action as deemed appropriate under the circumstances.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY. All Employees are prohibited from manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, selling or using any controlled substance in a EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL workplace, while conducting EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL business (including business travel), or during work hours. Such conduct is also prohibited during non-working time to the extent that in the opinion of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL, it impairs an Employee's ability to perform on the job or threatens the reputation or integrity of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. Employees are further prohibited from reporting to work under the influence of controlled substances. Employees who are taking prescription drugs that may affect their work performance should discuss their situation with the School Administrator. Employees charged with controlled substance-related violations including pleas of no contest, must inform EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL within five days of such conviction or plea. A written statement must be submitted to ECE licensing authority concerning the circumstances. Disciplinary action, up to and including termination, will be taken against any Employee who violates this policy. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL reserves the right to deal with each case at its discretion, in accordance with its current policies and practices and the specific circumstances involved. This may include requiring an Employee to participate satisfactorily in an approved drug abuse rehabilitation program, or to submit to random testing as part of a return to work agreement.
SECTION II - EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES/SALARIES AND BENEFITS
SALARIES. Salaries and wages are set by the Board of Directors in consultation with the finance committee. Payroll will be processed once monthly and paychecks distributed on the first business day of the month for the previous month. The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining a balance with cost of living increases and a living wage. Employees other than Main Class Faculty may be full time or part time, and may be hourly or salaried. Rate of pay and benefits are individually determined for each position.
Time sheets. Time sheets for hourly employees are available in the office and turned in on the last business day of each month.
PERSONAL RECORDS. CPR and First Aid certification must be on file in the office for each teacher. Documentation of all appropriate training, emergency contact numbers and the Universal Precautions and Blood Pathogen Acknowledgement form must be filed out and filled in the office. Fingerprint clearance must be current and in file.
MEDICAL BENEFITS. EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL will provide matching funds to full time salaried employees (teachers and administrator) for catastrophic insurance.
PERSONAL LEAVE/SICK DAYS/CRISIS LEAVE. All employees receive 6 paid sick days per year. A short-term, planned personal leave of absence without pay may be granted at the discretion of the College of Teachers. If the absence will exceed the six per person/sick days a request must be submitted in writing to the College of Teachers six (6) weeks in advance of the desired time off. Once the 6 days per year are exhausted, full time employees will continue receiving their pay, but the additional expense for substitute teachers will be deducted, if the teacher continues to provide curriculum/lesson plans.
JURY DUTY. Employees called for jury duty are excused from work. If, however, work time remains after any day of jury selection or jury duty, an employee will be expected to return to work for the remainder of your work schedule. Full pay continues; however, jury stipends are to be presented to the school.
EMPLOYEE REFERENCES. All requests for references must be directed to the administrator. No other employee is authorized to release references for current or former employees. The school will disclose only the dates of employment and the title of the last position held. If you authorize disclosure in writing, the school will also provide a prospective employer with the information on the amount of salary or wage you last earned and references concerning your professional performance.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. The EXAMPLE Waldorf School has a mentoring and evaluation program. The evaluation aspect covers self-evaluation, peer evaluation, parent surveys and master teacher visits. See appendix for schedule and evaluation form. Each employee shall have an individual evaluation and professional development plan on file.
Communication. The best way to clarify a misunderstanding, solve a complaint, or resolve a difference of opinion is to discuss the problem directly with the person with whom you share a problem. If necessary, bring your concerns to the School Administrator, and if you would like to have further clarification, you may contact the College of Teachers. An attempt to investigate your concerns and provide you with a response will be made as soon as reasonably possible. Please review the following information from the Parent Handbook: Effective Communication among all of us is an important and vital element in the successful functioning of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School. How we work together as parents, teacher, committee members and colleagues is another way we teach our children the values and ways of being that we believe are important in our world. In an effort to make the communication process clear and more effective, we ask you to follow these guidelines: Please communicate as directly as possible with the individual teacher or parent involved. This allows the quickest and most effective resolution and minimizes the negative effects of third party misunderstandings. Questions regarding your child or his or her class or teachers should be taken directly to the class teacher. Because the teacher is “on-duty” during the time parents drop off and pick up their children, it is best to call or write a note to arrange a specific time that is mutually convenient to discuss questions and concerns. It is understood that situations may arise that need immediate attention and arrangements will be made for a conference accordingly. If you have additional concerns, please talk with the Administrator to arrange a meeting to discuss your concerns or schedule a meeting with the College of Teachers. Understood in its fullness, Waldorf Education seeks to offer more than an excellent education. It seeks to create community. A true community flourishes, develops, and ultimately supports the growth of each member, particularly the children, when there is open and honest communication and trust. Teachers are expected to communicate in a professional manner using courtesy, respect, and compassionate communication skills, when speaking with parents, colleagues, and students.
Teacher / Parent Communication Guidelines. Teachers are expected to communicate in a professional manner using courtesy, respect, and compassionate communication skills, when speaking with parents, colleagues, and students. It is important that each faculty member supports the above policy. When concerns arise that require a communication with the student’s parent please observe the following guidelines: Because teachers are “on-duty” during the time parents drop off and pick up their children, it is important to call or write a note to arrange a specific time that is mutually convenient to discuss questions and concerns. It is understood that situations may arise that need immediate attention and if this occurs please seek support for your class from the Administrator. Parents may contact the Administrator or college if they have additional concerns or need help with communication and should never be reprimanded by their class teacher for seeking such help. Confidentiality is very important in Parent/Teacher Communication. Communicate is limited to the parent or student involved about the concern or incident, unless a group meeting is required and arranged. Discussions are held privately and discreetly during a conveniently scheduled time to both parties. If discussions are held with other faculty members these discussions are considered confidential. Discussions with parents should not happen in the classroom in front of other students or parents. Meetings should be scheduled before 8:30, 3:15pm, or during free periods. The Administrator is available to schedule appointments for you during the day.
Teacher / Teacher Communication. It is important that when teachers need to communicate with each other concerning a student that this happen in private and not in front of other students. Colleagues should use compassionate communication skills and remember that we have a responsibility to set good examples at all times. It is encouraged to seek the help of mentors and other colleagues.
FACULTY CONTRACT FULFILLMENT POLICY
1. Infraction identified by College. College designates College member or Administrator to meet informally with faculty member. This meeting would be documented in College minutes.
2. If infractions continue, the faculty member and the College will meet and create a written plan to address the concern. A memo will be provided to the College and faculty member in question reflecting what was agreed to at this meeting. Observation and evaluation will follow.
3. If infraction continues, College and a Board representative meet in order to discuss the situation and determine if further action is to be taken. Should the infraction be deemed serious enough, the College may choose to skip either Step 1, 2 and 3, depending on the circumstances.
Hourly Employees are expected to work under the direct supervision of the teacher they work with but are hired by the College of Teachers. Evaluations are made each semester by the teacher and the College of Teachers. If an infraction of the faculty policy occurs a written warning will be issued. If the same infraction is repeated, the employee will be referred to the College of Teachers and a remedy will be negotiated which could result in termination. If an hourly employee has a concern or grievance we do encourage direct communication with the supervising teacher or the administrator. This meeting may be held with the requested presence of a member of the College of Teachers. Further grievances should be directed to the Administrator who will schedule a meeting with the College of Teachers.
TERMINATION AND PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE. While the EXAMPLE Waldorf School appreciates as much advance notice of intention to terminate as possible, it is mandatory to provide thirty (30) days advance notice. Violation of school policies and rules may warrant disciplinary action. The school may, at its sole discretion, use whatever form of discipline is deemed appropriate under the circumstances, up to and including termination of employment. All employees terminated by the school shall receive, at the time of termination, all wages due them.
SECTION III - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY
Hours and Expectations for Faculty. Full Time teachers are expected to be on campus by 8:00 a. m. and remain on campus until their class is dismissed. If a teacher needs to leave campus for more than one hour s/he will notify the Administrator and sign out in the office when leaving and upon returning. Class Teachers will attend pedagogical and business meetings (including the weekly faculty meetings on Thursdays from 3:30 – 5:30 pm), festivals, open house events, all school meetings, work days and participate in interviews of new families. It is expected that all Faculty members will consistently attend meetings and retreat/workshops. Occasional absences due to illnesses, emergencies, or conferences are expected. Repeated absences will result in a conversation to resolve the issues necessary to support that teacher in fully participating. Through a mutual process, the faculty will seek a solution suitable to all members. All attempts will be made to honor both the individual needs and the group's responsibility to perform consistently for the school.
Guidelines for Full Time Teachers
Class Meetings. Kindergarten and Class Teachers will have a meeting with the parents of their class at least two times per school year. It is recommended that the first parent evening of each school year include a presentation of curriculum and themes and goals for the year. A discipline plan should also be presented. This information should be given to the parents in a written form and updated as changes occur throughout the year. Discussions pertaining to child development and discipline should be conducted once per year.
Attendance and Dismissal. Teachers take daily attendance on attendance sheets. The attendance sheets are handed in to the office for filing. Teachers are responsible for dismissal. Children are either released into the care of their parent(s)/guardian(s) or placed and signed in after care. If after care is full, the teacher has to make arrangements for the child to be handed into the care of the parent(s)/guardian(s). All parents/guardians are required to sign in and sign out (“sign in on arrival – sign out on departure”).
Field Trips and School Outings. Field trips must be planned in advance and all parents must be personally notified of the schedule. A complete field trip policy is in the index and must be filled out prior to the field trip departure. The Teacher must notify the office before leaving and must give the estimated time the class will return. The teacher must notify any specialty teacher or tutor affected by the absence of the class. The teacher is responsible to carry the emergency forms for each child and have a first aid kit.
Playground Duty. Each Class teacher is responsible for playground duty unless prior arrangements have been made with another colleague. Specialty class teachers will relieve Grade Class teachers on a rotating basis. All students must be present inside the playground boundaries and any games in the outside field must be closely supervised. Teachers are directly responsible for the safety of each child and there should be close supervision of the swing area, sky forts, willow tree, playing field, and casita area. There are no cell phones allowed on the playground and teachers are asked to make personal calls during breaks or ask colleagues for support to step off the playground. Any first aid emergencies or injuries are reported to the Administrator and an accident report will be filed by the teacher.
Playground Guidelines for Teachers. In order to improve the quality and safety of our playground time, we have established the following guidelines and ask for your support and effort to maintain them.
A. Supervising teachers are on recess duty. There shall be a minimum of 2 on big play yard and 2 on ball field. Recess teachers need to be present on the play yard for Snack 10:30am – 10:55am(bell) and Lunch 12:30pm – 1:10 pm(bell).
- Supervising teachers shall engage students and set an example.
- Teacher shall start jump rope game.
- Teacher shall introduce new age-appropriate outdoor games.
- Teacher may participate in a game as a referee or player.
- Teacher shall be familiar with all the play ground rules.
- Teacher shall actively roam his/her part of the play yard.
- Teacher shall treat outdoor time like classroom time.
B. Supervising teachers shall not engage in talk unless it concerns the playground matters.
- Teacher shall find a substitute if absent (field trip, emergency classroom situation, need for a break).
- Supervising teachers need to work as a team in order to roam the whole play field.
- Supervising teachers need to keep track of time and ring the bell 5 minutes before next class.
- Supervising teachers shall not be on the phone – unless calling for back-up from the office in an emergency situation.
- During an emergency ask name or name for back-up.
C. Supervising teachers shall be responsible for leaving the playground tidy.
- Picnic tables (or another shady spot) are the only designated areas for eating (teacher needs to eat with their class in order to roam the play-yard). Eat with the children and stay with them.
- Supervising teachers shall communicate difficulties arising on play-yard with the class teacher of the student.
- Supervising teachers are responsible for filling out incident report forms. A copy should be put in Name’s mailbox and one in the box of the class teacher.
- Supervising teachers shall encourage children to be courteous and respectful to others and to treat things with respect.
- Supervising teachers may send students to the Greenroom bathroom or Classroom bathroom ONE AT A TIME. Children may be sent to the cubby room for the First Aid Kit.
D. Teachers who are off-duty shall support their colleagues by giving them the space to uphold their responsibilities. Let the playground teacher know if you are off campus or if you have any concern regarding one or more of your students, before you release them into the care of your colleagues. Offer back-up support, if you feel that your class needs it on a particular day. These guidelines are for all teachers who are on recess duty as well as for Aftercare teachers.
E. Climbing Trees.
- Children may climb the only determined safe for climbing trees; 4 at a time maximum; they may not be helped up; can climb up to the ribbon.
- Trees on the grounds: teachers create safe container for tree play appropriate to each class; children may not climb to the end of branches.
F. Jump ropes may be used for jumping only, not tying up others or tying playground equipment. Children may climb UP the stairs/ladder and DOWN the slide. Sticks are left on ground for 1st/2nd Grades. Appropriate and safe stick use may be permitted for all grades.
It is essential to show the students how we are working together in this way. If anyone has concerns about these guidelines, or has a need for change, please speak to Name and Name, and the necessary steps will be taken to revise the guidelines with the support of the College and the Faculty.
School Assemblies. School Assemblies are recognized as a positive experience for classes to share and to foster a sense of our whole community. The faculty will plan a series of assemblies throughout the year.
Classroom Care. Each teacher's classroom must be neat and tidy by 3:30 PM every day. Desks shall be cleaned up and the floor space needs to be ready for vacuuming. When the children arrive in the morning, the room should be orderly, settled and beautiful. Teachers are expected to change the decorations in the classroom to decorate according with the seasons. Cubby spaces and porch areas should be kept orderly at all times. The teacher shall encourage the students to help care for the room and to instill a sense of responsibility with the class through chore lists. The classroom will be left clean and ready for the next teacher at the end of the term in June.
Subject Teachers. Class Teachers are responsible for oversight and support of the Specialty program for their class. The Class Teacher shall observe and support each Specialty program at least twice per semester. Each observation is to conclude with a session for conversation and feedback with that Specialty Teacher. Reoccurring problems or concerns should be directed to the College of Teachers for additional support and a college member will observe and support the specialty teacher. Class teachers are asked to substitute the Specialty Class if an occasional or unforeseen absence occurs. In cases of extended absence, a Specialty Class substitute will be arranged by the Administrator.
Substitute Teachers. Class teachers are responsible to have a written lesson plan accessible in case of absence.
A lesson plan needs to be kept in the Administrator’s office in case an unexpected absence.
Conferences. All grade teachers will prepare twice a year to meet individually with each set of parents for conferences in the classroom. A brief written report will be filed for each student.
Committee and All School Involvement. All full-time faculty and staff are expected to participate on one committee and sign up for one task/duty each school year. See appendix for list of current committees and tasks/duties.
Outreach and Community Service. Each class will participate in a community art show, music concert, or community service project at least twice a year.
Admissions. Teachers work directly with the enrollment coordinator to recruit and enroll students to the school. Class teachers are expected to follow up with interviews and report back with the results.
Grades and Reports. All class teachers will write a full evaluation of each child at the end of the school year. Evaluations will include academic, physical, and social development as well as providing an artistic soul picture for each child. Specialty Teachers will contribute to the Year End Reports. Semester evaluations will be prepared for Parent/Teacher conferences in the Grades Classes and must address concerns the teacher may have. Although grades are not given, assignments shall be corrected in a timely manner and provided to the students to promote their continual understanding of each subject. If a grading system is to be implemented in the upper grades, the teacher shall create a proposal outlining the grading plan and schedule to be discussed and approved by the College of Teachers. Proposals will be presented in writing to parents and students in the class before they are implemented. Our goal is to provide a clear and consistent expectation. We will also work to achieve a balance of the Waldorf understanding and grading expectations of area high schools.
Homework Policy. Students are expected to be fully engaged during their school day. Additional homework assignments are not encouraged in the younger grades to promote the balance of school and home life. Homework that is assigned in the older grades needs to serve the purpose of enriching the class curriculum. Homework is given with the consciousness that the student’s will force is developed through consistency and completion. All work assigned must be collected, corrected and returned in a timely manner to help each student’s assessment of their skill understanding. Although main lesson books often remain at school, a review will be made at the end of each block and provided to the students in the upper grades. Special reports and projects that must remain in the classroom shall be acknowledged and evaluated in a timely manner. During the orientation or first week of school, the teacher will clearly state their expectations for the coming year.
Media Policy (from the Parent handbook). We appreciate the heartfelt care and dedication that parents put into raising their children, and we thank you for entrusting them to us. In order to preserve the quality of education at Waldorf School, we are asking each parent to respectfully follow our Media Policy. We ask that you consciously strive to restrict the influence of TV, computer, and play stations in your child’s life. When your child does view electronic media, please be mindful of appropriate content. Therefore, we ask that your child does not view or play with electronic media from Sunday evening through Thursday. The passivity inherent in watching television or computer screens is increasingly recognized by educators and parents as counterproductive to the process of learning and growth in children. Growing evidence suggests that excessive and regular use of TV, computer, and play stations produces harmful effects in children even beyond the content of the material absorbed. Through frequent exposure to electronic media, the imaginative capacity of the young child is diminished, concentration skills become more difficult, and healthy brain development is affected in children of all ages. Childhood is a time to learn through physical activity, to take in nature through all the senses, to play creatively and be engaged socially. Imaginative play, listening to stories, watching and creating puppet shows, dressing up, baking, building, crafts, games, sports and other activities foster in children an active participation with each other and the world. If the class teacher feels that media is affecting a student’s classroom experience, a meeting should be scheduled with the parents and a plan implemented to remedy the situation.
SECTION IV - ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
The College consists of the main class teachers, main Kindergarten teachers, and the administrator insofar as each member has been employed in their position for a minimum of 1 year at EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. The College meets weekly. College members work with meditations and an ongoing study to help them understand the weaving of spirit into the practical life of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School. The College takes a servant leadership role within the school. College members are committed to being transparent in decision making. The College agrees that seeking and considering input as well as reporting are keys to its process.
The College has 5 main areas of decision making responsibility which include:
1. Overview of Programs and Pedagogy. Ensuring the quality of programs including decisions about adding new programs or changing existing programs.
2. Personnel Evaluation. Mentoring/teacher development Hiring/Dismissal
3. Interpersonal Relationships. Resolving conflicts between teachers; teacher/parent; teacher/Board; students; student/teacher; and student/other parent. Professional guidance (mediator, counselor, lawyer) may be sought.
4. Student Probation and/or dismissal. The College must approve decisions concerning student probation and/or dismissal.
5. Financial realm. Working with the Board to help form and implement the annual budget including:
A. Overview of Long Range Planning in conjunction with the Board
B. Review of salaries in conjunction with the Board.
Evaluation Process. The evaluation process of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School includes three separate aspects:
A. Self evaluation
B. Peer evaluation
C. Classroom visits/observations by College of Teachers and Waldorf Master teachers
The mentoring program is the continuing support and observation from year to year. We are striving to have a professional evaluation of each classroom each year. The following schedule is proposed for over-all evaluation through the grades.
EVALUATION. It is our goal that all main class teachers will receive a professional evaluation at least every other year.
Example Schedule. 1st grade: Peer/college evaluation in November, master teacher visit in January. 2nd grade: Peer/college evaluation in January. 3rd grade: Peer/college evaluation in January, master teacher visit in November, etc.
SECTION V - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
ONGOING STUDY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT. Regularly scheduled activities during the school year include preparation for and participation in:
1. Weekly faculty/college meetings
2. Child studies
3. Monthly full day planning meetings which include pedagogy, child studies, curriculum, and festival planning.
4. Trainings and Conferences specific to areas of teaching. The faculty is encouraged to attend conferences during the school breaks. Main class teachers are paid and required to attend the February Conference.
5. A minimum of two teacher in-service days per year will be scheduled.
6. CPR and First Aid training are provided each year and all teachers are required to participate.
SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS. 1. The school will pay each main class teacher to attend the February Conference on Waldorf education each year. Additionally, Main Class teachers are encouraged to attend summer training or professional development, and the school will support this training financially if funds are available. Conference information shall be shared with the faculty and information regarding the training shall be filed with the Administrator. 2. The school will support colleagues through the organization of a peer visit schedule and observations with mentor support as available. Teachers will be asked to observe at least three other classes throughout the year. A short written observation will be shared with the colleague and kept in their file. Classroom observations are scheduled twice per semester by the College of Teachers or a mentor teacher, if available. These observations are designed to be supportive of the teacher and a meeting to discuss mutual concerns over classroom management, students, or curriculum will follow. 3. The College of Teachers will produce and track all forms and/or guidelines relating to the Professional Development Plan.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Each faculty member shall have an individual evaluation and professional development plan on file. This plan is created by the teacher and the College and intended to support continual growth and renewal for the teacher and class.
YEAR TO YEAR EMPLOYMENT. Employees wishing to continue in their positions must notify the College, in writing, of their intentions by February 1st, at which time a meeting will be scheduled to discuss the interests of both parties. Employees wishing to not return the following year must state that intention at that time so replacements might be sought. Employees seeking changes in positions, but wishing to remain at the school, must state their requests. The College of Teachers shall notify employees within one month's time following receipt of intentions/requests to confirm, or deny, employment.
SECTION VI - EMERGENCY POLICY AND PROCEDURES
OPERATIONAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FIRE DRILL EVACUATION RESPONSE
Fire Alarm Response. When the alarm sounds, students must immediately exit the building with their teachers in a quiet, orderly manner. Teachers must oversee closing of classroom doors and windows before exiting the building. Teachers must bring class Emergency Forms with them.
Fire Evacuation Route. Teachers must familiarize themselves with the evacuation routes posted near the main exit door of their classrooms. If you have any questions, please ask administration for clarification prior to the next fire drill. In general terms, each class should evacuate their classroom according to the posted primary route, and then make their way to the playfield by the safest route available.
Account for All Children. All faculty have responsibility for being certain that all their children are accounted for. If someone is missing; notify the administrative representative when they arrive at the assembly point. We will need to know who is missing and where they were last seen. Administration would then report to the firefighters when they arrive.
Responding to a Real Fire. It is administrator’s responsibility to attempt to put out a fire that is well contained, while the teachers escort the children safely out of the building. Faculty must be familiar with the location of the fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers can be found in every classroom, mounted next to the door.
Student Education for Fire Drills. (A) When the fire alarm sounds, children must exit the classroom immediately. If a fire alarm sounds unexpectedly, there is no time to put on shoes. (B) Each class should exit their classroom by the posted primary route. (C) On the playfield, each class should stand in a single file line so the teacher can clearly see and count his/her children to verify they are all there. There should be quiet talking only or preferably silence during the fire drill so that the teachers and administration can communicate effectively. (D) Any student who is away from the classroom when the fire alarm sounds should make their way by the quickest, safest route outside the building, and then go to their class’s designated location on the playfield and report to their teacher. (E) No one may leave the playfield until the bell rings, signaling that all is clear. Students must stay with their teacher and in single file line until the bell has been sounded.
EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND DISASTER PLAN
Safety of the children and communication are the main goals
If emergency warrants leaving the premises:
1. All classes will gather together on the main playground.
2. The Kindergarten Main Class Teacher will secure the classrooms (make sure that all children are out of the rooms and gather any necessary shoes, hats, coats.)
3. Each teacher will check the sign in sheet for the day to confirm all children are present.
4. The Early Childhood Director will direct the evacuation.
5. The Kindergarten Assistant will gather the two emergency backpacks (backpacks will each contain a walkie talkie, food, water, emergency aid kit, flashlight, radio and Emergency Contact numbers for parents and a copy of this plan). There will be two backpacks to ease the weight and for the case that the groups get separated.
6. The Early Childhood Director will call:
a) Designated safe house to find out if location is safe
b) Police to find out more about the situation 911
c) the parents to inform them about the situation and where to pick up the children. The parent phone tree for each class will be activated to assist making these calls.
7. The office manager/receptionist will leave notices on classroom doors with information about the situation and where to find the children (in case parents cannot be reached by phone).
8. Children will walk in pairs holding hands with teachers spaced every 8 children through the field 300 yards to the southwest to the designated safe house.
9. If groups of children and teachers become separated, communication will happen with the use of walkie talkies or cell phones.
10. If the designated safe house is not a safe destination (determined by phone call or police information) then the Early Childhood Director will call:
a) Police to find out more about the situation 911
b) the parents to inform them about the situation and where to pick up the children.
11. The children and teachers will walk (following the procedure in step 6 of this plan) through the fields 1.1 miles north of school to the fire station.
I2. If the fire station is the destination point, the Early Childhood Director will drive one group at a time to the destination place.
13. If the Evacuation needs to take place further away from the school, the Early Childhood Director will drive the children to a to be determined location for instance local hotel or library.
If the emergency is one where children must remain sheltered in the school building, the children and teachers will use the phone inside the building to remain informed of the situation and will take shelter in any of the three classrooms, that is safest. The children will lay on the floor farthest away from windows and wood tables will be placed in front of windows.
ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES
All staff will be trained in Red Cross first aid and CPR. Immediate care will be given to any injured party according to training procedures. In case it is necessary to call 911, parents will be contacted immediately. Incident reports must be completed, filed and reported within 24 hours of the incident.
ILLNESS AND MEDICATION
Illness shall be treated according to the “Public Health – Day Care Center Exclusion List” that is included in the Parent Handbook and is posted in the Office. Notifiable diseases are listed and posted in the office and in the Kindergarten. In case a child is found missing from the school parents and police will be contacted immediately. Incident reports must be filed immediately. Un-immunized children may be asked by the State of STATE Health Department to remain at home during an epidemic outbreak of communicable diseases. Medication needs to be given to the teacher with a signed permission slip that is available in the office. Medication permission slip must be filled out and filed in the office. If there is a sudden onset of illness, the teacher will send the child home immediately. If the teacher is unable to reach the parents the emergency contacts will be called. Universal Precautions and Blood Pathogen Acknowledgement form procedures must be followed.
VACCINES
Parents are asked to bring in a copy of their children’s immunization records. Conscientious objection forms are available in the office for those children who do not receive all of their immunizations.
FORM
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT. This is to acknowledge that I received a copy of the EXAMPLE Waldorf School Employee Handbook. I have also reviewed the EXAMPLE Waldorf School Parent Handbook (available online at the school’s website www.EXAMPLEwaldorfschool.com. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to read and understand the contents of both Handbooks, and I have been given the opportunity to ask any questions I might have about policies that I do not understand. I understand that the statements contained in the Handbook are guidelines for Employees concerning some of EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL policies and benefits, and do not create any contractual or other legal obligations and do not alter the "at-will" nature of my employment with EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL. I also understand that only the College of Teachers has the authority to enter into any agreement for employment for any specified period of time or to make any agreement contrary to the "at-will" relationship described above. I understand that for such an agreement to be effective it must be in writing. I acknowledge that EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL may modify or rescind any policies, practices, or benefits described in the Employee Handbook at any time without prior notice to me. I understand that the EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Employee Handbook supersedes any and all other Employee policies or guidelines and that compliance with the EXAMPLE WALDORF SCHOOL Employee Handbook policies are important matters and that a violation could be the basis for termination of employment.
Employee's Signature___________________________________________
Employee's Printed Name___________________________ Date_________