Thank you to Sandra, Victoria Spencer and to our friends at Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd for all the work you do in sharing this knowledge and wisdom. To learn more about BAA and what they do, please visit their website HERE
A note to readers: The views and opinions expressed in articles published on our website are not necessarily the views and opinions of Sydney Rudolf Steiner College, but are views and opinions worthy of consideration and discussion. An article by Michael Caterer First published in Star Weavings, Autumn/Winter edition 2012 “The…
One does not need to look very far to see the growing dissolution with current mainstream models of education. Increasing pressures are being placed on both students and teachers to provide more and more data-driven results that are leading to occupational burnout with no notable improvements in desired outcomes.A deep crisis in the Australian education sector is afoot. It…
By Sandra Frain Why Should we garden Biodynamically with Children? Sharing gardens and all of nature is an opportunity for we teachers to inspire and support the healthful relationship that our children deserve to be the vital ‘Stewards of the Earth’ with us. It is a birthright to connect with what all the cultures…
By Ben Cherry One of the most challenging aspects of anthroposophical spiritual science is the concept of Christ and of all that this Being has done and continues to do on behalf of humanity. If we are serious about wanting to bring healing forces into this tired and struggling world, however, we need the courage…
Steiner education has foundations in Steiner’s vision of anthroposophy, in particular his understanding of child development. Steiner viewed human maturation as a metamorphosis of awakening. The process of growing up evolves from the ‘sleep of infancy’, to the ‘dream of childhood’, the ‘lighting-up of adolescence’ to the ‘responsible thinking of the adult’. The curriculum and…
In 1924, Rudolf Steiner defined anthroposophy as ‘… a path of knowledge, which intends to lead what is spiritual in the human being to what is spiritual in the universe’. Anthroposophy is fundamentally a study of the human being, our nature, development and task. The lens that Rudolf Steiner gives us is the view that…
All over the world anthroposophic initiatives have been founded which acknowledge a special debt to Rudolf Steiner. These initiatives are wide-ranging and include schools, communities for people with disabilities, biodynamic farms, medical clinics, architectural practises and enterprises. Rudolf Steiner was born in Kraljevec (then in Austria, now in Croatia) in 1861, and died in Dornach, Switzerland…
In theory, teachers across Australia know that art education should be an integral part of childrens’ learning. Certainly, in Rudolf Steiner schools there is a strong expectation that childrens’ art making, and creativity will be central to their learning.
There’s already an increasing intensity in the shopping centres of most towns and cities. Christmas decorations were up in October and the festive hype is certainly noticed by kids and parents too. Is it even possible to duck into the supermarket for a few groceries without kids starting to chime, “What I really want for Christmas this year is… (etc, etc)”?
Through the primary and high school years, the mainlesson forms the foundational core of the curriculum – an in-depth study of a subject, usually delivered over a two-hour block every day, that changes every 3-4 weeks. Mainlessons cover ‘core’ subjects such as history, art, literature, science, and maths. Here’s a beautiful window into the Steiner…
All teachers require positive strategies to manage classroom disruptions and inappropriate classroom behaviours for the optimum learning of all students, and for their own professional development and career satisfaction. Building strong teacher-student relationships is the first step to creating a harmonious classroom atmosphere, increasing engagement and achievement. Positive teacher – student relationships enable students to feel safe and secure in their learning environments and provide scaffolding for important social and academic skills (Baker et al., 2008; O’Connor, Dearing and Collins, 2011; Silver, Measelle, Armstron, & Essex, 2005).
Researchers and educators are slowly awakening to the educational benefits of teaching handcrafts to children, and in particular, knitting.
In the Rudolf Steiner system of education, handcrafts are an essential part of the curriculum and finger knitting is taught to students at age 5-6, with class one (age 7) learning traditional knitting with needles. A knitting project is completed every year in primary school with increasing difficulty –learning to cast on and off, to increase and decrease stitches, and following patterns developed over subsequent years.
Stay informed about upcoming courses and events—subscribe to our mailing list.