On the first day of first grade, there are so many firsts. The first time the children greet their teacher at the door; the first time making their way to their coat hook, putting on their new indoor shoes, and then making their way to their very first desk. In a Waldorf school, this may be the first time they have a name tag (on their desk and on their cubby) with their name written on it — in the kindergarten, their “names” are symbols (the snail, the rabbit, the moon) that keep the space in the imaginative realm rather than the academic.
What is Main Lesson in a Waldorf School?
The tour of our main lesson provides a glimpse into the active and joyful learning of the students in our grades. During the two hours of the daily main lesson, the teacher engages the students in a multi-sensory exploration of the subject that they are focusing on for a block of time.
Rebecca Moskowitz
Jan 20 2022
Now more than ever, it is imperative that schools focus on serving and developing the emotional wellbeing of students. The pandemic has brought the issue of child stress and anxiety to the forefront, but focusing on student mental health should not be a reactionary trend to our current education challenges. Educating the whole child by offering an education environment that helps students stay balanced and thrive both academically and emotionally needs to become a mainstay of school culture and curriculum.
As a Dutch child psychologist who works with families in the Netherlands, I’ve observed a number of different parenting styles across many cultures.
While each approach has its benefits, Dutch kids are consistently ranked as the happiest in the world. This had me thinking about we do differently here to raise happier and more resilient children.
Based on my research as a psychologist and experience raising two young daughters, here are six things Dutch parents never do:
