Practical Advice to Teachers
14 lectures by Rudolf Steiner to the teachers of the first Waldorf School

How do Waldorf teachers put their educational ideals into practice in the classroom? How does a teacher connect geography, art and language to enliven the souls of children? What does a child's respect for the teacher mean for later life? These are only a few practical aspects of this initial course for Waldorf teachers, now in a new, revised edition.

During an intensive two weeks, Rudolf Steiner gave three simultaneous educational courses to those who were to be the first teachers of the original Waldorf school in Stuttgart, Germany. In this course, which integrates theory and practice, Steiner spoke of new ways to teach reading, writing, geography, geometry, language, and much more. His approach is tailored to the spiritual and physical needs of the children themselves, not to an arbitrary curriculum based solely on external results.

At a time when public education is in a state of crisis, this book describes how children around the world are being guided into adulthood with a fuller sense of themselves and with a creative approach to life and the world around them.

Trans. revised by J. Collis
14 lectures, Stuttgart 21 Aug to 5 Sept 1919, GA294
Anthroposophic Press
224pp; paperback
ISBN 0 88010 467 8

 

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) called his spiritual philosophy 'anthroposophy', which he defined as 'the consciousness of one's humanity', and the disciplined methods of studying this he termed ‘spiritual science’.  As a highly developed clairvoyant and spiritual initiate, he spoke from his direct cognition of the spiritual world. However, he did not see his work as religious or sectarian, but rather sought to found a universal 'science of the spirit'.

His many published works (written books and lectures) - which include his research into the spiritual nature of the human being, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods of personal development - invite readers to develop their own spiritual faculties.  He also provided indications for the renewal of many human activities, including education - both general and special - agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, religion and the arts. He wrote some 30 books and delivered over 6000 lectures across Europe, and in 1924 founded the General Anthroposophical Society which today has branches throughout the world.