by David Barham, Executive Director

Hard Times Ain’t Gonna Rule My Mind No More

This course, over time called Study of Man or Foundations of Human Experience or Anthropological Foundations, would indicate the way forward for a new understanding of the human being and how a new approach to education could meet the true needs of the human being- in body, in soul and in spirit.

Recently I have seen a number of articles, books, movies, and online videos that present our world as nothing more than chaos, heartbreak, and the first rumblings of a war of all against all. I even came across this magnificently dystopian sentence, “The history of the present moment, it appears, will be written in a language that is imbecilic to the point of incoherence.” [1]

Of course, ours is a challenging moment. No need to list the endlessly enumerated crises that we and our students face. But there is more going on, more to the story of our time. 

We hear from our students and program participants working in Waldorf schools and communities that they are meeting students who need safe spaces to unfold and grow into themselves, and are finding those safe spaces in the school communities, and in particular, in the teachers working in those schools and settings. Queer students, Trans students, students to whom school had been cruel and dangerous, young people marching to the beat of their own drummer (or electronic beats) are being seen as full human beings in some of our schools, and this is worth celebrating. 

Our teachers and graduates are finding joy, positivity and meaning in lives well led, in acts of service, and in feeling a deep sense of responsibility for neighbors and the poor in spirit, those that mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst, and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake. [2]

People are opting to make beautiful things, to tend to our beloved and only Earth, to make careers helping and healing, to make music, and to find meaning in being alive.

In his closing words to the first teachers on September 6, 1919, Rudolf Steiner made clear that educators must embrace “four essential points.”[3]

• The teacher must be a person of initiative in everything, great and small.
• The teacher must be interested in everything that concerns the world and the human being.
• The teacher must never make any compromises with the truth; must always be deeply truthful.
• And the golden rule for all of teaching: Never turn stale and sour. The teacher must remain alive and fresh in their soul. 

And while these points are clearly essential to all those who would stand as educators, clearly others the world over are heeding this clarion call, despite the obstacles, incoherence, and brutality that we also face. “Hard times ain’t gonna rule our world.”

As always, we hope you will enjoy this Winter 2025/2026 issue of  Center for Anthroposophy’s Center & Periphery. In addition to articles from some of our own folks, you will read a poetic and playful piece about John Reinhart, Antioch alum turned high school teacher; a beautiful piece on “Demystifying Differentiation” by long-time Starlight Rays presenter Alison Davis, and an inspiring report on a new teacher education project in Africa written by Carla Beebe Comey, Director of the Antioch University Waldorf Teacher Education Program. We are also delighted to share a preview of both the Foreword (written by Douglas Gerwin) and a provocative essay by David Sloan from  his latest book, Keeping Ideals Intact: A Waldorf Teacher’s Forty-Year Perspective. 

Drop a line and let us know if this issue is useful, informative, and perhaps, even inspiring to you. 

Said it’s a mean old world, heavy in need

And that big machine is just picking up speed

And we’re supping on tears, and we’re supping on wine

We all get to heaven in our own sweet time…

So come, all ye ragtime kings

And come on, you dogs, and sing

And pick up your dusty old horn and give it a blow

Playing, “Hard times ain’t gonna rule my mind (honey)

Hard times ain’t gonna rule my mind, sugar

Hard times ain’t gonna rule my mind no more”

Hard Times by Gillian Welch

Keep cool, but care,