Week 1 — In Person
June 28 - Friday, July 3, 2026
Wilton, NH
Teaching Fifth Grade:
Harmony, Growth, and Curiosity
In-Person with Jen Kershaw
Fifth grade is a year of balance, exploration, and curiosity. Students stand confidently with “feet on the ground and eyes to the heavens,” ready to engage academically, socially, and artistically with the world around them. They approach learning with enthusiasm and wonder, eager to explore its patterns, relationships, and mysteries. As teachers, we meet this energy with a rich, expansive curriculum designed to nurture the whole child—intellectually, emotionally, socially, and artistically.
This Renewal Course offers inspiration, practical guidance, and artistic renewal for educators preparing to meet fifth graders with clarity, creativity, and confidence.
Participants will engage deeply with the essential elements of fifth-grade teaching, including:
History and Cultural Studies
Exploring ancient civilizations, legends, and stories of diverse peoples to illuminate universal human themes, nurture empathy, and connect students to the broader world.
Geography and Science
Studying North America’s landscapes, biomes, and native cultures, alongside botany and the plant world’s unique gestures, deepening students’ connection to the earth and its living systems.
Mathematics and Practical Application
Transitioning from form drawing to freehand geometry, decimals, and practical math, supporting both intellectual rigor and imaginative engagement.
Artistic Practice and Creative Engagement
Painting, modeling, drawing, crafts, and other artistic experiences that foster self-expression, collaboration, and a healthy class community.
Story, Music, and Singing
Integrating story, song, and singing to strengthen memory, rhythm, and social-emotional development. Music and voice are woven into daily classroom life to inspire wonder and deepen learning.
Classroom Life and Social-Emotional Learning
Building rhythms, fostering respect and inclusion, and creating a safe, joyful, and supportive learning environment for all students.
Teacher Practice and Planning
Guidance on year-long planning, block rotations, classroom management, parent collaboration, and addressing the diverse needs of your students while sustaining yourself in the work of teaching.
Additional Course Offerings — In-Person (Grades 1–5)
This course also includes Eurythmy with Alexandra Spadea, offering developmentally appropriate movement experiences that support embodiment, balance, and learning readiness across the grades. Participants will also engage in Teaching Music and Singing with Meg O’Dell, providing practical and inspiring approaches to cultivating a rich musical life in the classroom, as well as Artistic Engagement with Narsingh Khalsa, offering immersive artistic experiences that strengthen teaching practice, creativity, and inner renewal.
By the end of the course, teachers leave with renewed confidence, practical tools, and inspiration to guide their fifth graders through this pivotal year—supporting intellectual growth, artistic expression, social-emotional development, and a love of learning.
Jen Kershaw earned her B.A. in Acting/Theater Performance from the University of South Florida, a Masters of Science in Education from Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts, 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 United States. Jen has been teaching in classrooms for twenty – five 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 six years, Jen has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Antioch University New England, where she has taught classes in Math, Language Arts, and Drama. A class teacher at heart, in 2011, she joined the faculty at High Mowing School as a class teacher and with her special education degree has also served as the Educational Support Coordinator for the past seven years. In 2018, Jen completed the eight-year journey as a class teacher and recently finished seventh grade with her second class.
Each Renewal Course, Grades 1–8, Includes:
Eurythmy
with Alexandra Spadea —
Offering developmentally appropriate movement experiences that support embodiment, balance, and learning readiness across the grades.
Teaching Music and Singing
with Meg O’Dell –
Practical approaches to cultivate musical life, rhythm, and singing in the classroom.
Artistic Engagement
with Narsingh Khalsa –
Guided artistic practice in drawing, painting, form work, and creative exercises to inspire teaching and inner life development.
These offerings provide teachers with practical tools, inspiration, and experiential learning to integrate the arts, rhythm, creativity, and science into classroom practice while supporting their own professional and personal growth.
Alexandra Spadea grew up in a Waldorf school in Germany, where her lifelong love of eurythmy began. She trained at the Elena Zuccoli School in Dornach, Switzerland, and graduated from Eurythmy Spring Valley, NY, in 1994 under the directorship of Dorothea Mier.
Alexandra taught high school eurythmy at Green Meadow Waldorf School (1994–2000) and has been a member of the Rudolf Steiner School, NYC community since 2009, teaching grades 7–12 and serving as a class advisor. She earned her postgraduate B.A. in Eurythmy Pedagogy in 2015–16.
Meg O’Dell loves helping people access their innate capacity for wellness, vitality, and connection. She does this as a somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in growth, transformation, and healing, and also as a music teacher and vocal mentor. She teaches music at The Bay School, a Waldorf school on the coast of Maine, and leads a large intergenerational all-comers chorus called Misty Mountain Singers. Meg serves as faculty for Antioch University’s Waldorf Teacher Training and CfA’s Waldorf High School Teacher Education Programs. She is a regular instructor for CfA’s the Renewal Courses and introductory Explorations program, and she has taught with LifeWays North America. She received her M.Ed. from Antioch University New England in 2008. Her great joys include spending time with her growing children and visiting the small, misty mountain that rises out of the sea near their home.
Narsingh Khalsa is a Waldorf educator and artist with a degree in Education from Prescott College and teacher training from Sunbridge Institute. Currently teaching a combined 2nd and 3rd grade class at the Waldorf School of Princeton, Narsingh brings 18 years of experience teaching fine arts to students from 1st through 12th grade. Passionate about creativity, she enjoys making children’s books, developing Waldorf curriculum for homeschoolers and teachers, and engaging in handwork. Outside the classroom, Narsingh loves hiking, yoga, and exploring the beauty of nature.
Community Gatherings In-Person, June 28 – July 3, 2026
Community Gatherings bring together participants attending Renewal Courses and the Mentor Training Program, twice daily, at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Daily Keynote
with Carol Ann Bärtges
Spiritual Cognition: How Wonder, Imagination, Inspiration and Intuition Inform our Work
Eurythmy
with Alexandra Spadea
Midday Community Singing
with Meg O’Dell
Evening Events — In Person
Monday, June 29, 2026
Evening Lecture : The Five Circles of Love and Friendship
with Kim John Payne
“Helping students navigate their class social dynamics and adults to calibrate the complexities of collegial relationships”
Join us for an illuminating evening lecture with Kim John Payne exploring the Five Circles of Love and Friendship. This thoughtful presentation offers practical insights for helping students navigate the social dynamics of their classes, while also supporting adults in skillfully calibrating the complexities of collegial relationships. Grounded in warmth, clarity, and real-world experience, this evening invites reflection, understanding, and renewed capacity for fostering healthy relationships in both educational and professional communities.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Affinity Group Connections
with Renewal Faculty
Join us for an engaging session of mutual support and shared wisdom. Affinity group connections are dynamic roundtable forums designed to foster collaboration, exchange, and community among Waldorf educators. These interactive sessions offer teachers preparing to enter their next grade an opportunity to gain insights, ideas, and best practices directly from colleagues who have recently completed teaching that grade.
Teachers who have just completed a grade can share their experiences, challenges, and successes, providing invaluable guidance to those stepping into new roles. These conversations are also inclusive and supportive for special subject teachers, pedagogical leaders, and anyone wishing to deepen their engagement with movement practices, arts integration, curriculum development, or broader Waldorf pedagogy. Participants leave inspired, connected, and equipped with practical strategies to enhance their classroom work and professional growth.
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Live Music and Contra Dancing
with Carey Bluhm, Gordon Peery, and Diane Goodman
Join us for a joyful evening of live music and contra dancing with Carey Bluhm, Gordon Peery, and Diane Goodman. Come move, laugh, and connect through spirited music and shared rhythm in a welcoming, celebratory atmosphere. This lively gathering offers a perfect opportunity to unwind, enjoy community, and end the day energized and uplifted for a memorable summer start.
Care for the Body, Soul, and Spirit
Attending a summer course in person offers more than just professional inspiration and community connections—it’s an opportunity for deep personal rejuvenation. Take time to relax and nurture your well-being by indulging in some much-needed self-care.
Choose from a variety of wellness offerings designed to nourish your soul and body. Whether you seek quiet reflection, hands-on healing, or artistic renewal, these options are crafted to support your journey of self-care and rejuvenation.
Wellness sign-up options will be available in the spring—stay tuned to secure your moments of personal renewal!