Wisdom of Waldorf - Impact of the Arts on Learning
This week’s post references a study that investigated the impact of the arts on learning. One of the questions and concerns many parents have about Waldorf education is the prominence of the arts. This recent research supports what’s been integral to the Waldorf pedagogy from its inception. The following quote sums it up.
“Arts learning experiences benefit students in terms of social, emotional, and academic outcomes,” write researchers Dan Bowen of Texas A&M and Brian Kisida of the University of Missouri.
Sandra Easter, PhD
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Why We Play - Community & Growth through Sports
In her inspiring book, Norwich: One Tiny Vermont Town’s Secret to Happiness and Excellence, Karen Krouse sets out to answer a simple question: how has one small town in Vermont produced so many resilient, confident, and happy Olympic-level athletes?
The answer may surprise you. It’s not by pushing kids to train harder at a young age; it’s not about embracing hyper-competitiveness; it’s not about making kids specialize in a single sport. Rather, it’s about making sports a fun, communal experience. Krouse explains, “the parents of Norwich learned through trial and error the best methods of nourishing happy athletes: by valuing participation and sportsmanship, stressing fun, community, and self-improvement.”
In many ways, Waldorf education embraces the wisdom set forth in Norwich. Molding an elite athlete is not the end goal; rather, it is a byproduct of a healthy relationship to sports and movement. Beyond just winning, development of character is the emphasized result in the athletic arena.
Whether it’s a young student working on balance and coordination through Circus Club, a middle school student learning the value of teamwork on the volleyball court, or a high school athlete flying down the Ultimate Frisbee field, the Denver Waldorf School promotes community, growth, and sportsmanship through athletics. There are no tryouts or cuts. Instead, each athlete is inspired to reach their highest potential, contributing to the team through enthusiasm, hard work, grace, and resilience. Every athlete has their place on our teams.
These lessons begin early on. For example, the first graders recently attended a volleyball game to cheer on their eighth grade buddies. With impressionable eyes upon them, the eighth graders displayed poise, confidence, and grace on the volleyball court. The athletes came together in a circle, connected with their arms around each other, after a tough point — won or lost.
On the court, they supported each other, worked together, and afterwards found their first grade buddies. In a word, they built community—the kind of community where young athletes can flourish and grow.
Holding the Question
“Holding the question.” It’s a phrase you may hear from a Waldorf teacher. But what does this mean?
It’s about waiting to answer the question: who is this person? We ask and answer this question all the time — when we meet a new friend, when we meet a teacher, and when we gather as a family. We are constantly scanning the world around us and answering the question: who are all these people in and around my life?
In Waldorf schools, “holding the question” is especially important because the same main lesson teacher stays with a group of students from 1st through 8th grade. It’s tempting for that teacher to answer the question — “who is this student of mine?” — in the first few weeks of first grade.
The concern is, when a teacher answers the question “who is this person” too soon, that teacher limits the student-teacher relationship. Once defined, it’s difficult for the child to shake his or her label, and it’s difficult for the teacher to see that child with fresh eyes.
And that’s why the idea of holding the question is so important. It’s about allowing the child to show his parents, his teachers, his family, and his friends exactly who he is becoming, slowly and over time. It’s about being patient and resisting the urge — however well-intentioned — to define a child too soon.
We know that the temptation to answer the question is strong. We want to know: who is this precious child of ours? What makes him tick? Who will she grow into? All of our hopes and dreams are mashed up into this one question: who are you?
But, perhaps, we can give our children a great gift: holding the question. Perhaps we can let them show us who they are. Perhaps we can give them the space needed to emerge as their own unique individuals. We can enjoy and celebrate them for who they are today, and love them unconditionally as we journey alongside them.
Take an activity like watercolor painting. One young child may quickly spread all of the colors available at one time, watching them blend together as one. Another may pick one color at a time, slowly watching the colors interact and dance.
But what does that say about our kids? Does it have to say anything? We try to hold the question. They are both expressing themselves in their own ways. Their means of expression may change over time, but we hope their curiosity remains. We don’t want to define their artwork and unwittingly limit who we see them as and what they can become.
In a way, our children are the artists of their own lives. We can’t predict what they’ll paint. We’ll let them create something beautiful. And we’ll be there to share in the joy of their own unique journeys.