As Torah-observant Jews, our desire is to teach each generation to cling onto our etz chaim, and we have established a multitude of day schools and yeshivas to accomplish that goal. To create healthy, wholesome branches within our children, I believe that incorporating the methods and tools of other educational approaches can stoke the flames of real Torah passion even further. I would like to share here some more specialties of Waldorf/Steiner education. As noted in my previous article on Waldorf education, the ideas I have outlined here are separate from Steiner’s general philosophies and beliefs, which are anti-Torah.
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A few
years ago, when I first walked into the Waldorf-style gan where I was to work, it was lunch time. I was surprised to be
greeted by complete silence. Hmm, unusual for a group of three- to six-year-olds, I thought. The
teachers sat with the children at long tables in pleasant silence, allowing
everyone to relax and eat. Of course, this takes training and a steady routine.
In fact, routine is a large component of Waldorf education; it creates security
in the children, who know just what to expect. Routines and transitions – such
as cleaning up the toys, washing hands, taking drinks, meal time and circle
time – are initiated by a specific song; indeed, lots of singing can be heard
throughout the day.
Organization
is a key factor in creating a Waldorf classroom. The equipment, toys, and games
are almost all made from natural materials, which means that plastic is out.
Coming into the classroom, I always felt like I was entering a sweet home:
wooden tables and chairs, rugs, and curtains lend a homey atmosphere. The toys
are neatly arranged, with play sections that include a kiddie kitchen with
crocheted or wooden “food” and little metal pots and pans. Simple, handmade
fabric dolls have only basic features, encouraging creativity in the children’s
play. Giant-size and small wooden blocks, animals, trucks, cars, and soft crocheted
balls are found in another corner. A quiet area has pillows and a low sofa
where the children can look at books.
During
playtime, the children are allowed to do pretty much whatever they want using
the toys and other classroom furniture, as long as things stay safe. The first
time I saw the kids sitting on top of tables, I was a bit surprised. I soon
found out that they especially delight in creating little houses using the
partitions, tables, and chairs and covering them with large pieces of material.
They also enjoy building cities and imaginary worlds on large pieces of fabric
spread on the carpet, using dolls, animals, blocks, and even natural objects,
such as rocks, pinecones, and seashells.
* * *
Circle
time in preschools usually consists of tefilla,
stories, singing, and games. In a typical religious Waldorf preschool, circle
time finds the children and teachers sitting on a large rug, with a candle lit
to create a warm, peaceful setting. In addition to the songs of tefilla, the teacher weaves stories and
songs together with movement for each chag
or season. Movement is stressed to enable the children to stretch and to bring
the lessons to life by acting them out.
Before
lunch, there is another circle time. One teacher reads a story next to the lit
candle, while another teacher performs a skit alongside her, acting out the
story using classroom objects, such as small dolls, blocks, and colorful pieces
of fabric. On other days, the teacher simply reads a book to the accompaniment
of a musical instrument and a candle. In these sessions, there is no drama or
pictures, and the teacher’s tone is unchanging to allow the child’s imagination
to fill in the details. I must say that I was certain that the children would
be bored out of their wits hearing the same story repeatedly for a week before
moving on to the next story, but I was mistaken. A special aura surrounds the
circle, with only the sound of the teacher’s voice and the children’s relaxed
breathing. This is an important transition time to allow the children to settle
down before eating their lunch.
The
children help in most of the daily routine activities. In the morning, they
might squeeze lemons to pour into the techina; they bake bread for breakfast,
and cut vegetables using child-safe knives. After meals, children take turns
cleaning the tables, washing dishes, and sweeping and mopping the floor. In
some preschools, they wear little aprons to protect their clothing. I have
found the children are sometimes excited about performing these tasks, while
other times, the request is met by groans and resistance. Of course, as in any
system, the children will respond depending on the way the teachers present the
activity. In Waldorf, more often than not, handing a sponge and bowl of soapy
water to a child invokes the jealousy of other kids who wanted to be chosen to
clean the tables!
* * *
During
my time working in Waldorf preschools with children aged three to six in the
same class, I especially enjoyed watching the younger and older children interact
as a cohesive group. Although some activities, such as finger crocheting, are
offered just to the five- and six-year-olds, most activities are shared by
everyone. I was pleasantly surprised at how, in one gan I worked in, even the three-year-olds were enthusiastic about
doing a sewing project – the boys, too! It took them a bit more time, but they
were able to sew basic stitches and felt quite proud of themselves. Often, an
older child who had already done a project in previous years assisted a younger
child after he completed his own project. A great emphasis is placed on respect
for each one’s abilities and creating a non-competitive environment. It is not
a race, and the teacher is careful with her language to give everyone a fair
chance to succeed, as opposed to using competition to motivate, where only few
can be the winners.
In the
Waldorf environment, instead of producing projects at a fast pace from cheap
materials, which are mostly thrown out a few days after they arrive home, the
children use good-quality materials, often taken from nature, and work on their
projects over the course of several days or even weeks. The children take the
final products home and play with them for many happy years.
In
another departure from ordinary preschool, Waldorf education maintains a zero
stimulus level for media during the preschool years, despite our digital age.
Many parents who send their children to Waldorf education programs, regardless
of their religious level, don’t allow television in their homes and limit the
amount of screen time. You won’t find videos or even music on electronic
devices in Waldorf preschools; rather, musical instruments and singing are a
big part of the program.
Meals
are prepared in the gan, and are
consistent with its holistic approach, Waldorf stresses healthy
nutrition. This gave rise to an amusing incident. During my first year working
in Motza, I became so accustomed to everything being made with whole grains and
hardly any sugar, that, before Purim, I automatically took out my whole wheat
flour to make hamantachen. Only after
tasting my carefully-shaped treats did I realize that whole wheat hamantachen have an entirely different
taste than the white flour version I was used to. The next day at gan, I couldn’t believe it: The children
had prepared cookies that morning for the Purim festivities using white flour.
In response to my surprised reaction, the gannenet
explained that for the chagim, white
flour was allowed. You can bet that I went home and baked a whole new batch of
white flour hamantachen!
* * *
A big
topic in education is how to get a child to obey, listen to the teacher, and do
the right thing. My favorite books on this topic are How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk and
the related book, How to Talk So Kids Can
Learn, by authors Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. Their superb methods are
appropriate for just about any situation and age. Working in Waldorf-style ganim has led me to discover the real
benefits of their system of discipline. In a Waldorf setting, the children are
not cajoled into obedience through reward and punishment. When it is time to
put away the toys, the teachers begin singing the associated song, and the
children clean up together with the teachers. Most children follow through with
this modeled expectation. Of course, there are always a handful of kids who
don’t want to participate and are even rowdy. The teacher gives each of those
children specific tasks on different sides of the room and monitors them until
they finish their task. If a child doesn’t finish his task, he is simply not
invited to participate in the next activity until he does. No charts, stickers,
prizes, or threats. The children know what is expected and perform from a sense
of responsibility, which inculcates a healthy sense of accountability and trust
at a young age. The idea is to influence from within as opposed to external
manipulation.
Of
course, a big question arises: how to respond to a child who is bothering
another child or interfering during a circle time? The most candid approach is,
once again, not to punish but to help a child realize that his behavior is not
acceptable. It is often most effective to tell the child sternly that such
behavior is harmful and inappropriate and that he will have to leave the group
until he is calmer and ready to join again. Sometimes, another teacher sits in
a different area with an uncooperative child. Since the children find it
enjoyable to be part of the group and are enthusiastic about participating, it
is disappointing to be asked to leave; most kids are quick to calm down so they
can be invited back. Fortunately, the higher teacher-to-child ratio – typically
four morning staff working with 25 to 30 children – means that most fights are
caught before they escalate.
In
conclusion, imagine a child who has concentration, focus, energy, patience to
play and look at books, and enjoys the simple wonders of nature. Welcome to the
beauty of Waldorf education. In our imperfect, ever changing world, may we
merit to unlock the key to each precious child’s soul and pass on the torch of
Torah to the next generation.
