Douglas Gerwin - Teens, Sex & Waldorf Education
The Denver Waldorf School is honored to host renowned Waldorf researcher and author Douglas Gerwin for his lecture Teens, Sex and Waldorf Education. This is one event you don’t want to miss, but to attend you must reserve your spot in advance. RSVP below by Monday, March 6 for the lecture and childcare.
- RSVP Deadline: Monday, March 6
- Lecture Date: Thursday, March 9
- Time & Location: 5:30-7pm at DWS
- Childcare: Available for a fee with reservation
About Teens, Sex & Waldorf Education
Teens, Sex & Waldorf Education is a potent thought-provoking lecture inspired by Dr. Gerwin’s recently published book Trailing Clouds of Glory—Essays on Human Sexuality and the Education of Youth in Waldorf Schools. This book has been twelve years in the making, but you can glean insights on parenting today’s teens in this valuable 90-minute lecture. Not a parent to teenagers? Parents of children of all ages are welcome and will greatly benefit from Dr. Gerwin’s wisdom as he is a highly acclaimed lector in the DWS community and beyond.
About Waldorf Expert Dr. Douglas Gerwin
Dr. Douglas Gerwin is a thought-leader in the Waldorf world and renowned expert on teaching teens in alignment with Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy on education. He serves the Center for Anthroposophy as the Director, High School Program Chair and member of its Pedagogical Advisory Council for which prepares high school teachers for the classroom and is a guest teacher and adviser to some 40 Waldorf high schools in the United States and abroad. He is also the Executive Director of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education.
Dr. Gerwin has taught history, literature, German, music and life science at the college and high school levels for some 35 years. He has also either co-authored or edited nine books on Waldorf education, including Survey of Waldorf Graduates, a comprehensive study of Waldorf alumni spanning more than 60 years.
In addition to being active as a high school and adult education teacher, Dr. Gerwin is a Waldorf graduate and endeared supporter of The Denver Waldorf School.
RSVP For Dr. Gerwin’s Lecture by Monday March 6
Dr. Gerwin’s lecture takes place on Thursday March 9, but please RSVP no later than Monday, March 6. Scroll down to the very bottom of this page and confirm the number of attendees in your family. We’ll provide childcare for children ages 4 and older; childcare costs (to be paid directly to the care provider upon drop off) are $10 for one child or $15 per family. All are welcome to this FREE lecture, so please feel free to spread the word.
Need more info? Email questions on the lecture to Admissions Director Brie Kaiser at [email protected] and childcare questions to Carrie Tentori at [email protected].
Living with the Spirit of Michaelmas
The hot summer sun that lingers over the start of the school year is beginning to soften, and there is a chill in our mornings now. Road trips and sunscreen are giving way to school bedtimes and thick socks. In our kindergartens, the children are gathering and preserving the summer fruits for sharing throughout the winter months. The third graders have tucked in their winter wheat—tiny seeds of hope that new life will follow the death of winter. The school hallways are filled with the clear ringing of children’s voices singing Knight Michael songs.
“Brave and true I will be,
Each good deed, sets me free,
Each kind word makes me strong.
I will fight for the right!
I will conquer the wrong!
Sword of Michael brightly gleaming,
Down to earth its light is streaming,
May we see its shining rays
In the Winter’s darkest days.”
A Time for Meaningful Transformation
This is also the time of year the children hear the story of St. George and Dragon, in which the courageous knight must tame the dragon to save the village people. Many of us sense how this story speaks to the necessity of man to tame our personal inner dragons: desire, fear and doubt, indifference and anger, live within us all. They stand between who we are, and what we want to become. We need to consciously meet these parts of our lower selves with satisfaction, courage and trust, interest, forgiveness and love. All around us in the world, we are faced with what happens when human beings cannot make these transformations. Our personal relationships suffer, violence spreads, and we become indifferent to the Earth's environmental crisis.
Many of us strive to make these transformations throughout the entire year. So why is it that we celebrate St George, otherwise known as St. Michael, at this particular time of the year?
Why Michaelmas Matters in Waldorf Education
In the Waldorf school, we are familiar with the image of Michael wielding his mighty sword over the dragon. In medieval art, he was just as often pictured with a set of scales in his hand, and he was known as the “the balancer of souls.” So it is not arbitrary that we celebrate Michaelmas on September 28th, just after the autumnal equinox. In this balance point in the year, we come to the moment in which we must leave Nature's light behind and step into the darkness.
At first, this brings a welcome change. We are ready for the coziness of extra layers, richer foods, inside time with friends and family. But by February, the darkness overcomes many of us. We find ourselves depressed, or have difficulty following through on our intentions. We lack inspiration and there is a drudgery to our days. Close quarters may lead us to become irritable and short tempered with our loved ones. The dullness of Nature begins to take over our inner life. How can we overcome this?
The spirit of Michael becomes our guide at these times. He shows us that through consciousness, we can seek out things that inspire us, bringing color and joy back into our days. We can find small ways to develop our discipline and our ability to follow through. We can strive for compassion and understanding for the people around us. By connecting to our highest selves, we can balance what surrounds us in the inner world. With strength and courage, we become a little bit closer to taming the dragons within. If we are to be successful in this, we must come to know the spirit of Michael now, in his season, as he shepherds us into Nature's darkness.