Today I would like to write about my first experience with Waldorf Pedagoy....
Krisol Kindergarden, Premià de Dalt, Maresme, Barcelona. Spain
Since I am 17 I have been in contact with Waldorf Schools...
Back when I was 17 I had the opportunity to be part of the initiation and construction of the first Waldorf kindergarden in the Maresme area (Barcelona)... Under the name Krisol Kindergarden.
This Initiative started in a small hall in the midle of Premia de Dalt, a small town near Barcelona. Soon this group of families got bigger and they had to change the space to a bigger one, luckily a Rural Farm Villa from the last century owner agreed in allowing the school to be in one of their areas. This villa has a garden in front and a forest behind and the children after the class routine and breakfast could go outside to play in the forest and the higher area adapted for games.
I was voluntering three mornings under the supervision of Anna Maria, the best teacher I have ever known. She had a great vocation and pasion for her job and she belived in the Pedadogy in a very realistic way. She was soft, loving and at the same time energetic and methodic.
I learned a lot from her and to be spending these hours with these children was like a meditation for me... the food the children were eating was from the garden or bio brought by the parents, the classes were small but painted in harmony with soft colours and all game materials were from the nature, made of wood, cloth, depending on the season every class had an altar with the colours and treasures from nature you could find describing that season and many more details that were making the class a sacred place.
She was teaching through guiding and accompaniment but also respecting the individuality of each child...
I remember having a pupil 3 years old that was having a difficult time at home and one day playing with the rest of the class for no apparent reason, he slapped a girl who was playing with the dolls...the teacher took him and sat him down and said
- Paul let us talk to your hand, Hand why have you done that? Hands are made for playing, cooking, painting, hugging..
The teacher was unlinking the action with the person, Paul was sad and quiet and he did not want to talk at first. The teacher brought the oven mitt and put it on the hand and told Paul:
-Allow your hand to think about this action, speak to her and leave her for a while on top of the table.
Paul reacted saying:
-Hand do not harm again anyone, I love my friends. I don't know why did you slapted Marina.
I love her and she is my friend. After 3 minutes Paul started playing again not feeling he was a bad boy or he did something very bad but he knew this was a non correct action that would bring him to be a part of the class for a while.
I have thousands of stories like this one... that made me think and see the education from another prespective.
This Initiative started in a small hall in the midle of Premia de Dalt, a small town near Barcelona. Soon this group of families got bigger and they had to change the space to a bigger one, luckily a Rural Farm Villa from the last century owner agreed in allowing the school to be in one of their areas. This villa has a garden in front and a forest behind and the children after the class routine and breakfast could go outside to play in the forest and the higher area adapted for games.
I was voluntering three mornings under the supervision of Anna Maria, the best teacher I have ever known. She had a great vocation and pasion for her job and she belived in the Pedadogy in a very realistic way. She was soft, loving and at the same time energetic and methodic.
I learned a lot from her and to be spending these hours with these children was like a meditation for me... the food the children were eating was from the garden or bio brought by the parents, the classes were small but painted in harmony with soft colours and all game materials were from the nature, made of wood, cloth, depending on the season every class had an altar with the colours and treasures from nature you could find describing that season and many more details that were making the class a sacred place.
She was teaching through guiding and accompaniment but also respecting the individuality of each child...
I remember having a pupil 3 years old that was having a difficult time at home and one day playing with the rest of the class for no apparent reason, he slapped a girl who was playing with the dolls...the teacher took him and sat him down and said
- Paul let us talk to your hand, Hand why have you done that? Hands are made for playing, cooking, painting, hugging..
The teacher was unlinking the action with the person, Paul was sad and quiet and he did not want to talk at first. The teacher brought the oven mitt and put it on the hand and told Paul:
-Allow your hand to think about this action, speak to her and leave her for a while on top of the table.
Paul reacted saying:
-Hand do not harm again anyone, I love my friends. I don't know why did you slapted Marina.
I love her and she is my friend. After 3 minutes Paul started playing again not feeling he was a bad boy or he did something very bad but he knew this was a non correct action that would bring him to be a part of the class for a while.
I have thousands of stories like this one... that made me think and see the education from another prespective.
