‘The task of the teacher and educator culminate in what they are able to achieve for the moral strength and bearing of the young people entrusted to them’.

- Rudolf Steiner

Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy II: Education and the Moral Life
Stuttgart, 1924.

I trust the holiday break afforded families much needed rest, relaxation and opportunities for warmth and connection. Our students are now back at school and Term 3 is well underway already; the playgrounds are alive with the work of play and social interaction, and our classrooms are humming with new Main Lesson topics and a vibrancy of hope for all that lies ahead this term.

During the break, I was fortunate to join a number of colleagues at a conference hosted by the Australian Pedagogical Section at Glenaeon’s Castlecrag campus that focused on the moral and ethical development of children at different developmental stages and the crucial role that Steiner pedagogy and a Steiner curriculum plays in this. And earlier this week, our teaching staff joined together for the final full day of professional development centred on the Berry Street Education Model. The focus for this learning module was on character development, strength-based approaches to teaching and the development of core values. The serendipitous alignment between central messages conveyed in both experiences was unexpected, and yet, reminded me that in all things, different views are possible and true, and can in fact, co-exist.

It is true that a Steiner education provides a rich and holistic experience for children and young people. The curriculum emphasises the arts and artistic expression in the learning process as students engage in different subject disciplines. Through the Main Lesson journey that deftly reveals the great epochs of humankind and by experiencing the many different aspects of a Glenaeon education, the student begins to form a strong sense of self. At first sub-consciously, and as they mature, one with a growing understanding of their personal moral and ethical view, guided by values that emerge as central over time.

As educators, our role is to be conscious and perceptive in supporting this development. In Glenaeon teachers, I see and hear evidence of this consciousness almost daily. Our teachers work hard at ‘showing up’ as exemplars of good character so that children can imitate and see within them, somebody worthy of listening to, of responding to, of engaging with. Our teachers discuss ideas and then implement strategies that cultivate just the right mood in their lessons to create the conditions under which children and young people are most likely to thrive; and they spend time considering how best to teach with creativity, wisdom and reverence. We don’t always get it right, and there are days when our best selves are not in front of students, but that is to be human. Teaching is a long game and one that involves a myriad of skills – it’s service oriented, an art as well as a science, and it is fundamentally, all about relationships. As we begin Semester 2, I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all Glenaeon teachers and our teaching and learning assistants. You are truly an incredible group of humans!

Here's to a wonderful term ahead.

Warmly,

Diana Drummond
Head of School