We are working to ‘decolonize’ our Waldorf curriculum. That Waldorf education was founded on a Eurocentric view of the world is not surprising given its origins in early 20th century Germany. However, Rudolf Steiner used an archetypal picture of the developing human being to form the guiding principles of his pedagogical approach. These timeless principles provide a solid foundation for re-envisioning the content of our lessons. Our goal is to include more diverse representation in support of racial justice while enhancing the unique essence that makes Waldorf education so powerful.
Some of the changes that have resulted from our work so far can be easily identified. Some long-time favorite stories have been altered to remove implied bias, others have been removed from our repertoire completely. Crayons in a diverse array of skin tone colors are now available to the children as well as books that represent a broader range of human experience. Less visible is the personal work of altering our own inner pictures, and of deepening our understanding of the ideas and educational resources we use. Faculty & Staff meetings provide a trusted forum for our continued personal as well as professional development.
Grade 5 Compare the Value systems of Ancient Greece
The principle at the center of the Waldorf approach is that we are supporting the unfolding nature of the child’s development. Each child is born with unique capacities and their own life purpose; they are spiritual beings and pass through phases of development that are identified by archetypal characteristics. Our teachers’ expertise lies in understanding the child’s learning needs at different stages of this development. An example from a recent third grade curriculum discussion is the story of the Fall, when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Although this ancient tale arises from religious texts, it is not brought as a religious teaching or a cautionary tale about sin. Rather, it is offered as one part of a curriculum designed to address the third-grade student’s emerging sense of individuation and independence.
In third grade, the child experiences what is known as the nine year change. The child is growing in awareness of the world beyond the security of home where all of their needs are met and most of their desires are fulfilled. They begin to sense their own vulnerability to forces beyond their parents’ control; “but what if” questions and thoughts about the nature of death are common at this age. In the story of the Fall, Adam and Eve are surrounded by the beautiful abundance of the Garden of Eden and want for nothing until they receive knowledge and are cast out into a barren wilderness. This story speaks to universal feelings of loss of innocence and of needing to take up the hard work of life. It resonates so strongly with the third grader that some may be moved to tears.
Harvesting potatoes in Grade 3
The third-grade curriculum builds self reliance with basic life skills such as growing and cooking food, making clothes and constructing shelters. Deep respect for the natural world is fostered throughout the school and the third-grade child learns that, with work and skill, the earth will provide for their needs. Often the students construct a model of a dwelling as an individual project. The perspective for these studies is global and provides opportunities for the children to learn about the diverse ways different cultures meet the needs that we all have in common.
Let My People Go! - grade 3 play about the Exodus
As their competence and independence grow, the third-graders hear the story of the enslaved Hebrews and their exodus from Egypt. These hard-working descendants of Adam and Eve survive the barren wilderness and reach the Promised Land of milk and honey. There are stories from other traditions that offer similar themes and can be used to meet the same developmental process that the children are experiencing. Waldorf schools in China, for example, might use the story of a beloved Emperor who ceded his position to a spirit-man who could control the floods that brought murderous dragons and ravaged the people’s crops. This story too has themes of exile followed by redemption through courage, hard work and the power of goodness.
When discussing how to bring more diversity to the content the teacher choses, questions of authenticity and cultural appropriation arise. In Waldorf education we want the children to live into the experiences the lessons offer, and to create rich inner pictures through artistic activity or play. When exploring content about a country, culture or tradition, the ideal is that it is presented by someone with personal experiences to share. For example, when Frau Duda teaches a German children’s song, it is imbued with memories from her own childhood. Throughout the school’s history, MWS families have generously shared their cultures and traditions, including as members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and as descendants of different Asian or African countries. The students’ studies have also been enriched by families’ willingness to share personal experiences of events such as the Holocaust and the Cold War.
Celebrating the Hindu festival of Diwali in Grade 5
We can not hope to represent the entirety of human experience in this way but the methodology of Waldorf education provides unique opportunities. These include the teachers’ understanding of the unfolding nature of child development and a proven curriculum that has been designed to meet it. It also includes the strong relationships between Waldorf teachers and their students, usually formed over multiple years. Using an approach built on these factors, the teacher creates a learning experience filled with the material that will resonate most strongly with her class. The academic facts of geography are enlivened with stories and biographies, and enriched by artistic activities such as music, dance and games. Sampling regional foods is always a popular classroom activity and preparing these dishes as homework gives the whole family an opportunity to explore new tastes and smells.
Waldorf education allows the child to build a global understanding that grows increasingly complex as they journey through the grades. The powerful themes of the Hebrew stories in third grade, for example, build year upon year as the students study how different forces shaped the world that we live in today. Learning about ancient civilizations in fifth grade leads to studies of the Romans and medieval times in sixth, followed by the new technologies of the Renaissance that began the era of colonialism in grade seven. Arriving in eighth grade, the student has a deep feeling for civic development on which to base their studies of slavery, revolution and civil war in US History.
Student’s rendering of a Renaissance portrait: The Noble African
As our faculty continues to review the curriculum, importance is being given to the choice of biographies used in different subjects and how they may be revisited at different points on the journey through the grades. George Washington Carver, for example, might be introduced in grade two as a revered person who helped poor farmers with his wisdom. He was a farmer (grade three) who studied flowers and other plants (botany in grade five). Carver’s expertise in soil chemistry and his wide range of inventions find their places in the middle school curriculum. While an ‘all in one’ study of Carver can deliver the facts of his life as an African American who was born into slavery and became the most prominent black scientist of his time, building a relationship over years and from different perspectives allows a richer understanding of him as a complex human being.
As well as strengthening familiar elements, our work to diversify and grow the curriculum requires us to identify what is missing. We must address questions such as: is there representation of African lives before colonialism and slavery? Are the architecturally advanced cities of African, Asian and South American cultures included as well as the simple huts of their rural inhabitants? Are there stories where a person of color’s race or ethnicity is not the main reason for telling their story? It is exciting and fulfilling work and, though the results may not always be as visible as the new selection of books in the library, our commitment is ongoing.
the arrival of the colonists - Grade 8
