Inviting your students to join the circle is the work of first grade. Uniting individual beings into one whole class and leading that class through their first experience of grade school, is the work of the first-grade teacher. The first-grade year is a magical time where the children will learn how to learn through stories, songs, verses, and play. The foundations of literacy and numeracy including the forms, sounds, and sequences of letter and number symbols are laid and the world of reading, writing, and arithmetic gently unfolds. For the teacher, this first year is about getting to know the students, where they come from, who they are now, and how they fit together as part of the class. As a first-grade teacher, you are opening the door to the children’s experience of academic learning while nurturing their development as free, spiritual human beings. 

This course will address the essential elements of teaching first grade.  Topics will include storytelling including suggestions for selecting stories; circle work, movement, and rhythmic activities; artistic work including guided drawing, form drawing, painting, and beeswax modeling. We will discuss how to foster a reverence for the natural world through nature studies, the festivals of the year, and seasonal crafts. Through the lens of the developing child, we will look at how the first-grade curriculum for language arts and math, as indicated by Rudolf Steiner, can be interpreted in a contemporary context for the children of today. We will talk about creating an inclusive classroom environment and lessons, as well as ways to promote a sense of belonging and community within the class. We will look at developing good classroom and work habits for the children including respect for themselves and others. We will also discuss the work of the teacher including suggestions for planning the year, block rotations, daily rhythms, parent meetings and communication, classroom management, and the growing need for supporting the children’s social and emotional health, and self-regulation skills.  

Participants will receive resources for every aspect of the year.  Examples of main lesson book pages, songs, poems, speech work, and activities will be provided as well as sample block plans, parent communications and a comprehensive resource reading list. Together, we will engage in drawing, painting, and beeswax modeling, as well as plenty of time for discussion and questions.  

Jennifer Persinotti is an experienced class teacher at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia. A Waldorf student herself as well as the child of a veteran Waldorf teacher, she has been in and around the world of Waldorf education her whole life. With an undergraduate degree in secondary education Earth and Space Science and Waldorf certofocate from Sunbridge Institute, she has found her calling as a Waldorf educator.  

Second grade students live between universal archetypes and the individuality streaming to them from the future. They remain immersed in the world of imagination while seeking to find use for their powers of will. The beautiful images living in the stories from first grade are now brought into sharper focus while being translated into fundamental capacities and skills. How can we build practical aspects of literacy and numeracy through these imaginative paths while supporting the healthy development of the child as a future citizen of our contemporary world?

The curriculum of the second grade meets this stage of development with fables, folk tales, and stories of individuals that address the inner questions faced by seven- and eight-year-olds. Animals exemplifying human qualities help to bring to life in a humorous way the serious choices that form character. Stories of great individuals from many cultures present examples of what people can achieve when they dedicate themselves to a purpose-driven life, often despite significant struggle.

In this course we will work together to form a living picture of the second grader, discuss methods and approaches, and learn practical activities and strategies. We will discuss each block through the year, share resource suggestions, and examine student work. Elements of movement, speech, form drawing, and painting will accompany practical strategies in language and math. Forming positive class routines, practicing effective classroom management, and working with parents will also be explored.

Michael Gannon has been teaching and learning from classes at Spring Garden Waldorf School for the past 21 years. Now on his third cycle through the grades, he is inspired by connecting ancient wisdom with imagination for the future. He received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Hiram College before completing a Master’s degree through Antioch University New England. In addition to guiding his current class through the grades, he works as a remote mentor and consultant with other Waldorf schools and is a member of the core faculty of the Great Lakes Waldorf Institute teacher training program.

The third grade year is highlighted by the significant threshold of the nine-/ten-year change, a time when children have a dawning recognition of becoming separate from the world as they say “goodbye” to a younger stage of childhood and awaken to another phase. The children come into a new relationship with themselves with a shimmering of the "Ego" capacities that will unfold at the age of 21. The students are also coming into a more conscious connection with the earth as they are guided towards becoming a responsible steward of the land as well as within the community. To support the students during this transition, the adults carry a soul mood of reassurance and unwavering commitment while the Waldorf curriculum offers the children the rich nourishment necessary for this developmental shift. 

During the Renewal course, we will connect about the profundity of the third grade year with the foundational question of why each curriculum block study is important at this particular stage of development. In doing so, the questions of what specific stories, songs, verses, movement activities, and more can best be addressed. Examples of activities that complement the various blocks and seasonal festivities will be presented as will aspects of the daily morning lesson, including movement, the new element for the day, the review of the previous day's lesson, practice work related to the block, bookwork, and the story shared (from the Hebrew Bible, Native American traditions, and more). Since third grade children are transitioning from their home surroundings to the larger community in which they live and go to school, they are introduced to practical activities from the area, which can include farming, gardening, building, cooking, baking, and handwork along with fishing, boat building, and more. As a result, different project ideas — a weaving project, recipe book, garden journal — will be shared. In addition, resources will also be provided that can be helpful in your preparation process for the "verb" year of third grade along with the abundance of ideas and encouragement provided by the community of teacher participants who join together in this hearty week of renewal. There will also be experts who join us throughout the course to provide further in-depth study of curriculum aspects such as the meaning and purpose of the archetypal pictures of humanity as expressed in the Hebrew Bible stories, the role of a farmer and one's relationship to the natural world, specific movement considerations to support the children's learning efforts, and artistic exploration in drawing forms and color blending. 

Kris Ritz joined the Emerson Waldorf School community in 2008. Currently, she is enjoying the hearty and robust students of the upper grades and all that is unfolding in the various blocks of study presented. Given the school's re-envisioning of the 6 - 8 grades in the past year, Kris is grateful for the further collaborative work with Colleagues and the community-oriented parent body that provide the essentials for supporting the students' burgeoning sense of selves at these stages of development. Before returning to North Carolina, she was a class teacher at the Austin Waldorf School and spent a year at Plowshare Farm, an anthroposophical life-sharing community. Born in Upstate New York, Kris graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. During a career in advertising, she discovered Waldorf education, returned to school, and earned a Waldorf certificate and master’s degree from Antioch New England Graduate School. Whether supporting the efforts of the students in the classroom or working with third grade teachers as it relates to the curriculum and the developmental threshold of the 9-/10-year change, Kris is inspired by the questions, answers, and A-has! that unfold while working and learning together in community.

The rich curriculum of fourth grade offers many opportunities to excite and stimulate the growing hearts and minds of students of this age. We will explore the often humorous, conflict-filled world of Norse Mythology and the Vikings through story and artistic renderings. The animal kingdom is a favorite among these children, and we will explore our human attributes alongside the abilities and habits of the wide world of animals. 

Local geography gives us an opportunity to explore the physical and historical landscapes of our own neighborhood. Here we include the importance of Indigenous people and cultures, and how we can share their stories and life ways as part of geography. 

Fractions, reading comprehension, and English grammar are the building blocks needed for advancing academic skills, and we will discuss resources and lesson plans on these topics as well. Artistic inspirations and projects will be shared to support all of the fourth grade topics. We will discuss our relationships with parents, parent meetings, and student connections with us and with their peers. We will cover block rotations and projects––working with a wide range of intellectual needs and abilities––and how to manage the enormous task of being a teacher with economic use of precious time. 

We will discuss the children’s newly developing ways of applying thinking skills through comparing and contrasting, classification, finding patterns and transformation or metamorphosis between polarities. In addition,we will explore how the teacher can characterize subject matter before defining it and how we allow the children to use conclusions and judgments to arrive at clarified concepts.

Joshua Gartland was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and was raised in the suburbs of New York City. He began dancing at the age of six, acting in high school and received a BFA in Theater Performance from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Joshua then moved to New York City where he worked on a number of productions with the Present Company Theatorium as well as a national children's tour with the Chamber Theater. He became a mime for a brief while and studied under Paul J. Curtis in the American Mime Theater. It was September 11th, 2001, however, that gave Joshua pause. Soon after, he shifted focus and began working at OM Yoga where he eventually became the senior manager of one of the largest yoga facilities in the country. Joshua is a trained and experienced Waldorf Teacher who has taught at both the Waldorf School of Garden City and the Waldorf School of Atlanta, the latter since 2009. Now in his 18th year of class teaching, Joshua lives in Decatur, GA with his wife, Sara, his daughters, Aurora and Eva, and his son, Oscar. 

Grade five, often referred to as the “Golden Age of Childhood”, presents teachers with wonderful challenges and opportunities for supporting the developing young human being. Fifth graders bring a new awareness to their learning. No longer grappling with the nine-year change, they have arrived at a place where balance, beauty, and grace can be found in the physical body, as well as in the mood of soul.

In this course, teachers will have the opportunity to prepare to meet both the challenges and the opportunities of this wonderful year! The curriculum is our most valued instrument for guiding the fifth-grader. Through it, the child moves into a period of transformation and climbs to the “summit” of middle childhood. Stories from different ancient cultures mirror child development, and the shift in the child’s consciousness is reflected in the deeds and actions of the people of these different cultures. Through this journey, the child feels “seen” and understood in soul, heart, and mind. With feet planted firmly on the earth, the child experiences the life of indigenous people through the ever-expanding panorama of geography. The natural world continues to unfold as the child becomes acquainted with the wonderful world of botany. In addition, the keen observation required of this study supports the budding “thinking” of the child and sets the stage for the phenomenological sciences of the upper elementary years. The learning of mathematics embraces decimals and the world of freehand geometry.

The online platform for this course has been designed to inspire as well as support teachers through “real time” discussion and artistic work, collaboration, sharing, and developing curriculum plans that meet the fifth grader. Participants will receive curriculum resources of  poetry, sample block outlines, and overviews, as well as a music/song audio (mp3). Artistic activities will be included, as well as an optional bi–weekly evening session to address specific questions or further topics of discussion.

Jen Kershaw earned a B.A. in Acting/Theater Performance from the University of South Florida, a M.S. in Education from Wheelock College, and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch University New England. In the theater world, she performed with Metro Theater Company from St. Louis, Missouri, performing and teaching workshops across the U.S. Jen has been teaching in classrooms for over twenty years, first as an artist educator, then as a middle school math and history teacher, and finally as a Waldorf class teacher. For the past three years, Jen has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Antioch University New England, where she has taught the Math Methods course for the Integrated Learning Program. Along with teaching, she has written and published middle school math curriculum both online and in print.

A class teacher at heart, Jen joined High Mowing School in 2011 as an elementary school teacher; with her special education degree, she has also served as Educational Support Coordinator for the past four years. In 2018, Jen completed the eight-year journey as a class teacher and is now headed into sixth grade with her second class.

Welcome to Grade 6, a year on the threshold of adolescence, capabilities, and the great changes of the 12 year old. Gone are the subtlety, grace, and balance of the Ancient Greeks. In their place is the indomitable desire to “conquer” the world, challenge reputed truths, and test both inner and outer limits. These tendencies are met by an equally robust and well-balanced curriculum. In history, the sixth grader is led out of the divine and mythical beginnings of the Roman Empire and Ancient China into the Middle Ages and the rise of Islam throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In the study of Latin American geography and the rise of the diverse Maya and Inca cultures, students expand their understanding of the world. In science, the new subjects of astronomy, mineralogy, and physics focus on the observation of phenomena in the world, providing a sense of balance and order for the twelve-year-old’s turbulent inner life. In math, the lawfulness, precision, and beauty of geometry are explored with the introduction of the compass, while the pragmatism of business math helps the twelve-year-old become––in the sense of economics––more worldly.

These subjects weave together to support the children’s emerging thinking capacities, while fostering in them a keen interest in the bigger picture of life’s mysteries. Each subject demands we consider possibilities for diversity, equity, and inclusion; we will use these lenses to expand our understanding of the 21st century twelve-year-olds and how to meet them in the healthiest ways. Time will be set aside to discuss the twelve-year change, medieval games, rites of passage projects and ceremonies, as well as class plays and field trip possibilities.

For a more in-depth opportunity to prepare for Teaching Physical Science in Grades 6th, 7th and 8th, please join here:

Week 2: Teaching Physical Science in Grades 6, 7, & 8 with Will Minehart

Anne Clair Goodman has been a grades faculty member at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh (WSP) since 2000, finds great joy and satisfaction working with students, colleagues, and parents to bring Waldorf education into the 21st Century. A graduate of Acorn Hill, Washington Waldorf School, Oberlin College (B.A. in History), and Antioch New England Graduate University (M.Ed. and Waldorf Teacher Certificate), Anne Clair is currently the class teacher for the Class of 2029 at WSP, and also serves as the Regional Leader for the Great Lakes Ontario region of AWSNA.

Seventh graders arrive with a bold show of personality and self-assurance, at least on the surface. They really don’t have much patience for school anymore. They believe they never learn anything anyway, and the teacher is so unfair! Woe unto the seventh grade teacher who is unprepared for displays of gross disrespect and indifference. However, the seventh grade teacher has the antidote to these attitudes, for the students can hardly contain their delight, bewilderment, and wonder at the deceptive simplicity of perspective drawing; the myriad examples of the Golden Mean all around us; the breath-taking masterpieces and biographies of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael; the audacity of Martin Luther; the marvels of chemistry and mechanics; the daring stories of exploration around the globe; and the unique geography and cultural expressions of people on distant continents. The teacher need only add a healthy dose of humor, and success will be assured!

In this course, we will consider strategies for approaching the daunting period of history covered in the seventh grade curriculum. Materials will include a sample block rotation along with suggestions for classroom activities. Presentations will include hands-on practice of perspective drawing and sacred geometry, as well as suggestions for homework, independent projects, and recommended books.

For a more indepth opportunity to prepare for Teaching Physical Science in Grades 6th, 7th and 8th, please join here: 

Week 2: Teaching Physical Science in Grades 6, 7, & 8 with Will Minehart

Alison Henry is a faculty member in the School of Education at Antioch University, teaching primarily in Antioch's Waldorf Teacher Education program. Alison is also a doctoral student in Antioch University's Graduate School of Leadership and Change. Her research interests include humility in leadership, collaborative decision making, child-centered and developmentally appropriate education, and understanding the narratives that reinforce, disrupt, or heal patterns of coloniality.

Alison has recently relocated to Gig Harbor, WA to be closer to her children and grandchildren, and she is deeply grateful for the privilege of traveling where her work calls her.

As 8th graders cross over the threshold into adolescence, leaving childhood firmly behind, they open up to the complexities of human society. With idealism in their hearts, they long to understand the world around them, and they strive to “be the change they wish to see.” And yet, we may find our 8th graders filled with nostalgia for the journey now behind them and happy to slow down and relive the many happy moments they shared on this educational voyage. 

In this course, we will explore how we can bring our students the truth and inspiration  they long for, especially in a time filled with economic, social, racial, and governmental turbulence. Many of our young people will have spent time during the last two years isolated from their peers, inundated by technology, and facing an unknown future. We will see how history and geography can illuminate their understanding of the way humanity and world social forms have evolved during the last 300 years. With biographies from times of revolution to an era when the world came together to combat genocide and fascism, our students experience the lives of heroes and moments of inspiration that were ignited in seemingly hopeless situations. To bring more diverse experiences to these topics, we will seek out stories from non-dominant voices in history and reflect on how our perceptions of diversity exist today.

In contrast to the uncertainty of our present world and the complexity of human relationships in society, we can also bring a sense of certainty through the study of geometry and physiology. The beauty and infinite wisdom of nature can be seen in both of these subjects, and we will look at how we can use them to instill a sense of belonging to the natural world and to the cosmos. Mathematics and language arts will be woven into main lesson blocks, and we will have time to share how these skills continue to unfold and prepare students for the more advanced learning they will encounter in high school.

Lastly, we will explore how Zoom, hybrid learning, asynchronous learning, and various Internet platforms have changed our approach to teaching and learning during the upper elementary school years. How do we stay true to the essence of our work as Waldorf pedagogues, while remaining present in a rapidly-changing world? I will share with you how I have adjusted the classic 8th grade curriculum to meet the needs of this new educational milieu and how we can all stay flexible and current in these difficult times.

For a more in-depth opportunity to prepare for Teaching Physical Science in Grades 6th, 7th and 8th, please join here:

Week 2: Teaching Physical Science in Grades 6, 7, & 8 with Will Minehart

Sarah Nelson graduated from Antioch New England Graduate School more than twenty years ago. Since then she has taught at Haleakala Waldorf School in Maui, Hawaii, where she worked with students from pre-K to Grade 8. In addition to class teaching, she served as Leader for the Southern California and Hawaii region on AWSNA’s Leadership Council for several years. In 2021, after completing an eight-year journey with her class in Maui, She returned to British Columbia and currently serves as a visiting teacher and mentor.

Torin Finser, co-founder of the Center for Anthroposophy; Director of Waldorf Programs at Antioch University New England; post doctoral certification in Management Development, Harvard University; author of 14 books, including Organizational Integrity and Leadership Development.

Daily Town Hall Conversations for Renewal participants will include singing with Meg O’Dell Chittenden, eurythmy with Leonore Russell, and thought-provoking conversations with Alison Henry, Angela Zhaawanongkwe Lindstrom, and Heather Scott on Answering the Call for Decolonization: Reflections on the Waldorf Curriculum, as well as lively discussions with Adrienne Patrick and Irene Richardson exploring Opportunities for Growth in Community and Curriculum, Gender and Race.

Town Hall Conversations are free for Week I participants! They are also open to all those seeking to deepen their knowledge and expand their connections through anthroposophy, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging. 

Click here to register for Town Hall

Town Hall only Tickets $125