This is a fairly recent discovery of mine — Rudolf Steiner Audio.
I’ve already downloaded a couple of the lectures that have been recorded by a man named Dale Brunsvold and they are fabulous. I’ve mentioned before that for reading I prefer Steiner’s books. The conversational, repetitive style of some of the lectures bothers me a bit when I’m reading them. I’m so pleased to have discovered, then, that lectures are best listened to! I’m so grateful to Mr. Brunsvold for taking up this task, which seems quite a monumental one. Listening to his voice I feel as though I am listening to Steiner speak, and I find the conversational style endearing. Steiner’s books are so rich that they would be difficult to listen to, but the lectures are completely accessible.
I’ve already downloaded the series of lectures on Bees and I’m enjoying listening while I’m in the car. Audiobooks are so good for making use of that time!
I’m getting ready to teach a new class next year and now is the time to be putting in my order for supplies. The major suppliers (Mercurius, Paper, Scissors, Stone) usually offer discounts if you order early enough in the year, so it pays to stop what you’re currently doing and try to look to the future a bit. Here’s what I usually think about when putting together my order. I’ll also mention what I’m planning on ordering for my group of fifth graders next year.
Drawing
Since so much of the students’ time is spent drawing, it makes sense to really think it through. The younger grades can get complicated as they’ll transition between crayons and pencils. My fifth graders will be drawing exclusively with colored pencils — the Lyra Giants. Last time around I switched to Lyra Rembrandts in sixth grade, but I just love the pigment and durability of the Giants so I’m considering sticking with them right through eighth grade.
I have always ordered boxes of single colors when it comes to purchasing for a whole class. This allowed me to replace the colors that needed replacing sooner than the others (red!) and I didn’t always like the color selection in the tin sets (who needs a white pencil? where’s the purple?). It’s not always easy to do it this way, though. For example, next year I’ll have 15 students, plus myself. I’ll need 16 sets of pencils and the individual colors come 12 in a box. I guess we’ll have a lot of left over pencils to be distributed over the course of the year.
Main Lesson Books
Every year I debate with myself about this choice. Here are the options:
- small or large
- portrait or landscape
- stapled or spiraled
- with onion skin or without
- traditional Mercurius books or RAAND books
I go through some of my preferences in this post. I’m reconsidering some of my choices, though. I’ll still stick with spiral-bound so we can bind our pages together at the end of the year if we want. I still don’t care for onion skin and would rather use loose blotter sheets if necessary. I also definitely prefer portrait orientation. I took a look, though, at the Mercurius books and I actually like the thicker, leather-like embossed cover and the slightly larger size. I still really like the RAAND books, so I’m thinking that I’ll end up getting whichever is more affordable.
Knowing how many to get and what colors is a little bit of a trick, though, because it is most helpful if you have your block rotation completely written so you can make sure you rotate books. We always needed a week at the beginning of the next block to finish up the work in the book of the previous block, so we always needed to switch books from block to block.
It’s also good to have this figured out so you know which blocks can share a book. For example, in fifth grade I know that all of my Ancient Civilizations will be going in one book. Greek History and Mythology will share a book. One book will have Math and another book will have Form Drawing/Free-hand Geometry. These books will then carry over into sixth grade. Botany will have its own book which will then carry over into sixth grade for Mineralogy.
Paint
Luckily my new school does a school-wide paper order, so I don’t have to think about that. But I do need to think about paint. In the past I have always used six Stockmar colors from fifth grade on — lemon yellow, golden yellow, carmine, red violet, ultra-marine blue, and prussian blue. I’ve noticed this year, though, that the Stockmar set does not include red violet but instead includes crimson (which is an orange-y red.) I’m not sure what I think of this. I’m inclined to stick with my tried and true — I really do like the red violet — but I think I’ll wait to see what the painting teacher in Sacramento suggests. Either way I will likely order the larger bottles of pigment so they’ll last awhile and I won’t feel too stingy with the good stuff.
Extras
This year I’ll need to order fountain pens, which though I search far and wide for a better, less-expensive option, I think I’ll be sticking with the standard Greenfield fountain pens. They’re serviceable enough and under $10 wholesale, which isn’t too bad.
I’ve always preferred blue ink for main lesson books. In eighth grade last time around I allowed my students to use black ink if they chose and in the end I regretted it. I think I’ll be a stickler this time — fountain pen, blue ink, in cursive — right through eighth grade.
I’ll also look to buy some clay to have on hand in the classroom. Last time around I always realized I needed it so late I had to rush out to the art store and buy it. It’ll be nice to have it on hand so we can use it whenever the mood strikes.
Other years things like flutes and recorders need to be ordered, but we’re good for this year. I’ll see about doing a separate post on the various instruments and when they are introduced.
In response to my chalk recommendation, Rachel wrote in asking about making your own chalkboard. Making your own chalkboard is so easy, there really is no reason to go buy one. Here’s a quick tutorial.
The first thing is to find the flat material that will be your board. Some people have sectioned off portions of the wall, others have painted kitchen cupboards or closet doors. Some suggest using metal because then you can use magnets, too.I bought some thin particle board from the local lumber store. I think it came in a large 6 foot by 8 foot sheet that I had them cut in quarters so I had four nice 3X4 foot boards. Using particle board is nice, also, because you can round the corners or create cool anthroposophical edges.
When I got home I covered one of them with primer.
Once that dried I used chalkboard paint and painted the board. A word about what paint to use — I like the texture that comes from using a paintbrush to paint the board. Some people prefer to use a spray on paint to create a smoother texture (I should say that I have never used the spray-on paint, so I’m guessing that the resulting texture is smoother.) I really like for the board to have some tooth to it to hold the chalk dust. If your board is too smooth the chalk doesn’t hold well. This isn’t so bad when it comes to writing, but for drawing you really want to have a toothy board. With Waldorf chalkboard drawings I always end up layering lots of different colors of chalk. On a smooth board the newly applied chalk causes the underneath layer to fall off the board.
Here’s a close-up of the texture of the board (if you can see it in this photo.)
This is the paint I just brushed onto the surface.
When the first coat was dry I painted a second coat and let that dry.
This is what you’ll have then.
Once the board is all painted it needs to be primed. After a few days (the exact instructions are on the paint can) take the board and apply a layer of chalk on the entire board, and then erase it. This will prevent the writing from scarring the board so that it is permanently marked. Once this is done, your board is ready to use.
Here is the board that I screwed into the wall at the entrance to my kitchen. Though my original intent was for phone messages, the kids take turns doing seasonal drawings. The chicken basket on the right holds the chalk, so it’s always at the ready.
You’ll notice that one drawback to having the chalkboard on the wall like this is that the wall around the board can get pretty grungy. We just clean it now and then and it doesn’t bother us too much.
Before I wrote this I did a bit of googling and found some pretty good sites on the subject. Check these out for some clever ideas.
- A basic how-to.
- A cool chalkboard calendar using different shades of chalkboard paint (via Martha Stewart).
- A recipe for making your own chalkboard paint.
- Ideas for making chalkboards out of old stuff you have lying around.
A recent post on one of the Waldorf homeschooling email groups I subscribe to reminded me of this wonderful book on teaching chemistry using a Waldorf approach.
Waldorf teachers use a phenomenological approach in teaching the sciences. So rather than reading about a particular concept and then conducting an experiment to prove it true, Waldorf students conduct the demonstrations first, observe them and then see if a conclusion arises.
This approach makes the teaching of chemistry a much simpler task than it seems. We don’t need to abstractly learn concepts and the physical processes behind them. We just need to do things and observe. It’s really lots of fun.
This book by David Mitchell goes through the demonstrations you’ll conduct throughout 7th and 8th grades, along with the conclusions you and your students may come to. His instructions are just clear enough without feeling pedantically step-by-step. I particularly appreciated his instructions for building a lime kiln. Just mentioning it brings back such wonderful memories.
Have fun with chemistry in the upper grades!
Oh, I just realized that my Amazon link sells this book for over $100. Find it here at the Rudolf Steiner Bookstore for $26.95. While I was there checking it our I also found that they sell Mikko Bojarsky’s science handbooks! Mikko’s work is positively golden! The best Waldorf science guides on the planet!
Though there are a lot of great Waldorf math resources, I sometimes found that I needed a little more than what I found there. Waldorf resources are great for detailing how to go about explaining a concept holistically, but when you just need a whole slew of problems for practice, mainstream resources are the way to go. Here are my recommendations.
Elementary and Middle School Mathematics by John van de Walle — Okay, so this isn’t a mainstream book with a whole slew of problems, but it is an incredibly good book that takes a holistic, sensible approach to math, unlike anything I’ve seen in other mainstream resources. It so clearly builds upon knowledge and content that the children already know, helping you, as the teacher, to increase your students’ number sense, rather than simply increasing their dexterity with juggling numbers. As a result, they’ll know why a certain “trick” works, as well as how to implement it with ease. It’s pricey, but it will take you from the very beginning, right up through algebra, so it’s worth it.
Key to Fractions by the Key Curriculum Press — The “Key to . . .” series is really wonderful. Though it does not focus on the content in a holistic, developmental way, it does break down the information in very easily digested chunks and it provides A LOT of practice with each concept. I had my students complete the Key to Fractions series, as well as the Key to Decimals series. We did this work not in the midst of the block but waited until the following year, using these books as review. This way the fresh, imaginative approach to the content held sway during the block while the sometimes tedious practice came later. I used the Key to Algebra books for my own preparation in teaching Algebra in 7th grade. For students who struggle with a concept, these books just can’t be beat. They’re also quite affordable (a little more than $3 per book, there are usually four books in each series.)
Saxon Math — The Saxon Math series of books are great for practice. Each book covers a wide breadth of material and gives LOTS of practice problems. One of the best things is that within each lesson practice problems from the previous lessons’ material is incorporated so your students will not learn something one week and forget it the next. I do sometimes wish these books gave more problems that dealt exclusively with the new material for each lesson, but for staying in practice with many different types of problems, Saxon is great. I have experience with the Saxon books for the older set — from about 4th grade and up. I understand that there are books out there for younger children, too, but look at them carefully. To me, there is nothing more important in those younger years than building strong number sense. Saxon does not do this very well, in my opinion, so I would not use it for presenting new material, particularly with younger children. But this does not discount it’s merit for providing a wealth of material for practice problems.
We all have days when we feel a bit down in the dumps as teachers. Sometimes we need something uplifting that will affirm our work and inspire us to be the kind of teachers we want to be. I have three books that have done just that for me. I’ve turned to them during those low moments and come away feeling quite inspired. Any of these would make a lovely gift for the teacherly types in your life.
Teaching with Fire is a book of poetry about teaching that I have found wonderfully inspirational. This book was inspired by Parker J. Palmer’s work on teaching and he has written the introduction. The poems are chosen by real teachers and each poem has an explanation written on the facing page that was written by the teacher who chose it. Sometimes the poems are directly related to teaching — other times the connection is less obvious. Regardless, the poems are inspiring and I’ve even used them in my work in the classroom. For a little inspiration here is a poem by David Wagoner from the “In the Moment” section of the book.
Lost by David Wagoner
Stand Still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger.
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer Wonderfully inspiring as it explores the spirituality of feeling the call to teach, it addresses the highs and the lows of the adventure that is teaching. As Parker J. Palmer himself states,”This book is for teachers who have good days and bad — and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts, because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life.”
This quote in itself is inspiration to keep going, and this book is full of them!
What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker is a very practical book that does an excellent job of building up the picture of the kind of teacher I want to be and the culture that I want to create in the classroom. A teacher full of positivity that always sees the best inher students is the image Whitaker creates in this book and he suggests that it is this kind of teacher that is the most effective with students. A “great” teachers classroom is a joy to be a part of so children are inspired to create and learn. This book sat on my nightstand for a long time and I would turn to it every night for a little bit of inspiration. It’s not to be missed.
I have been hesitant to take up the task of recommending a book by Rudolf Steiner to recommend, mostly because I hardly consider myself qualified. I enjoy reading Steiner myself and I appreciate the intellectual acuity required to decipher his work, but I don’t feel that I’ve mastered the task enough to be able to speak about it with any authority. Still, I thought I’d give it a go here, at least so people who are interested in reading Steiner’s work have a place to begin.
I’ll start off by saying that I much prefer reading Steiner’s books to his lectures. His books are incredibly well-organized and thought through and I really appreciate that. His lectures can sometimes ramble, and be repetitive and conversational. You really get the goods with his books, even if they do require a little extra effort.
I’m not even going to attempt to summarize or ever describe the content of these books — just mention them and leave it at that. Suffice it to say that all of these books are life-changing and incredibly powerful.
Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path
These are my favorites, with Intutive Thinking probably at the top. Amazon is currently glitching, so no pictures. Enjoy reading!
Friday is my day to share with you one of the wonderful Waldorf education and parenting blogs that I read.
Today’s feature is Shelley from Waldorf Mama.
Shelley is a Waldorf mother somewhere in Texas and her posts are quite inspiring. Many of her entries are handwork related (which satisfies the knitter in me) and her photos are beautiful. She creates the most beautiful things using rich, colorful yarn.
Shelley also does a lovely job of depicting the cycle of the year by documenting her family’s celebrations. I look forward to her sweet photos and reverent observations.
Go check her out. Definitely a blog you’ll want to subscribe to for a little inspiration.
Oh, so sorry, dear readers, once again I have been neglectful. This week I am teaching an 8th grade creative writing block at a nearby Waldorf school. Writing and language arts are my specialty, so I’m really enjoying it. It’s so much fun to study writing and then watch as the students’ writing improves.
For this block I am primarily using online resources. I found a great website that lists the main elements of the short story along with stories that represent good examples of each element. Each day this week we are reading and discussing a couple of stories, having a writing workshop and beginning on a new story.
There are some really wonderful stories out there. Some of them I’d read in high school but had forgotten about. Others are completely new to me. Some of the great titles we’re reading. . .
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Charles by Shirley Jackson
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
To Build a Fire by Jack London
All the Years of Her Life by Morley Callaghan
Some of these stories are fabulously disturbing — not for children younger than eighth grade. In fact when I read The Most Dangerous Game I started to wonder if it was even appropriate for them! But in the end all of these stories are fun and inspiring. This block is a blast!
A couple of my favorites, along with quite a few others, can be found on this CD put out by the people who broadcast “Selected Shorts” on NPR.
Really great stories can also be heard via podcast. I subscribe to The Moth and the Selected Shorts podcasts, in addition to Story Corps and Classic Tales. Some of the stories are just great for me. The Classic Tales stories are enjoyed by everyone in my family. Short stories are great for when you want a little something, but can’t commit to a whole book. Have fun reading!
It’s Friday again — my chance to share with you all blogs and websites that I find particularly inspiring.
Today’s feature is Jen’s blog called Ancient Hearth.
Jen is the mother of twin daughters who are in first grade. She is homeschooling them, using the Waldorf curriculum as inspiration. Over the past few months I have read her chronicle her journey homeschooling her girls and I have been absolutely flabbergasted by how much she is bringing to the curriculum. Jen has found a truly wonderful, imaginative way to bring the curriculum, with lots of projects, stories and artistic work. Her girls are receiving a phenomenal education!
I’m also enjoying Jen’s posts about how she and her girls honor and recognize the festivals throughout the year. It’s truly incredible and inspiring to see what a rich experience she is bringing to her girls. Really. Go visit. And subscribe so you don’t miss a post.
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