Toward a Wholeness

Dear Member of The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara Community,

In grades classes in Waldorf schools there is a "Main Lesson" each day. In her insightful book "Toward Wholeness: Rudolf Steiner Education in America," Mary Caroline Richards describes the Main Lesson thusly:

Then there is the Main Lesson, a period of one and one-half to two hours. Its purpose is to present a subject in wide scope and depth every day for a number of weeks, to give the children a real experience of knowledge. This lesson often begins with lively singing and speech chorus of poems currently being learned, which get the children off to a vigorous start and use the energy they are often already bursting with. After the teacher's concentrated presentation follow some recitation and dialogue, then working in the children's Main Lesson books. This "block" method is in contrast to the usual public school timetable, by which pupils are required to shift their attention from one subject to another every forty-five minutes all day long. Steiner advised against a uniformly "intellectual" day...there should be recreational aspects in all the Main Lessons...each Main lesson will call upon the child's powers of listening, of body movement, of thinking, and of feeling.

Here at WSSB in Grade Three, Ms. Heather Nelson is currently teaching a Language Arts block during Main Lesson. Specifically, the children are exploring stories from the Old Testament. Today they delved into Genesis. In addition to hearing Ms. Nelson share Genesis orally, the children sang during Main Lesson (they are learning to do rounds), did movement exercises, painted one of the days of Creation, and wrote in their Main Lesson books (they write down what they learned the day previous). Of the Old Testament Ms. Nelson says, "These stories contain archetypes that reflect the child's inner journey, containing true lessons for life. " Thank you, Ms. Nelson!

In gratitude,

The WSSB Admin Team

PS The thought of the day is from Joanna Macy from her book "World as Self, World as Lover":

"You know your lives are as intricately interwoven as nerve cells in the mind of a great being...Out of that vast net you cannot fall...No stupidity or failure or cowardice can ever sever you from that living web. For that is what you are...rest in that knowing. Rest in the Great Peace. Out of it we can act, we can dare anything, and let every encounter be a homecoming to our true nature."