What is Waldorf Education?

In order to answer the question, “What is Waldorf Education?” we have first to answer a more fundamental question, “What is a human being?” Well, what IS a human being? What do you say to that? Stop and consider your answer.

I recently elaborated my answer in the following clip:

A human is a threefold being of head, heart, and limbs. These respectively bear three soul capacities of thinking, feeling, and willing. Like the three legs of a properly balanced stool or three horses pulling a the chariot of the self, these three forces join as a dynamic whole. While they interweave like a 3-strand rope, they are all somewhat autonomous and must be deliberately educated.

The Education of Thinking

Strictly speaking, we cannot educate thinking. Humans are born free in thought, so we can only provide opportunities for it to unfold. We do this by teaching to the gray. What I mean is something like this example. Caesar was a complex man. Clearly ambitious, he sought and accomplished the conquest of Gaul to advance his name. By today’s standards, we would call this sociopathic behavior. (Although, we should be careful not to necessarily apply modern standards to ancient history.) Caesar was later assassinated on the accusation of trying to become king. However, Marc Antony then revealed that in his will he gave everything to the commoners of Rome. He wanted nothing for himself but only for the glory and well-being of his people. Was Caesar a good man? Was he a bad man? Yes, and no. If we teach well, our students’ heads may hurt from trying to fit everything into black and white boxes of thought. Then they will graduate to the nuances of free thinking. In turn, this will provide them immunity from becoming extremist, dogmatic thinkers as adults. The guiding value of healthy thinking is truth.

The Education of Feeling

No query on, “What is Waldorf Education?” would be complete without understanding how to educate feeling. Here’s the thing: the feeling life is where our moral and aesthetic senses lay. It’s also the main thing developing in children ages 7-14.

Art is the language of the heart. So is story. Therefore, we do our grades 1-8 children a great service by filling their lessons with both. Do art, sculpture, woodwork, drawing, sketching, geometry, music, poetry, eurythmy, etc. The guiding value of healthy feeling is beauty. Tell them (don’t just read them) stories every day. Teach through stories. We recently wrote a post that spoke pointedly to this need in civic education. Start with fairy and folk tales, graduate to mythologies, then history. Include biographies all along the way.

The Education of Willing

This is the piece most modern American education misses completely. In emphasizing the head above all else, we turn our children into clever narcissists. We must also teach their limbs how to work capably and for the good. With these hands I can punch you out or I can make you soup when you’re ill. They are how I express my power. We teach the will by doing lots of exercises that make our students capable, such as brain gym or complex coordination exercises. However, that’s not enough. We must then turn this skill towards the good. The guiding value of healthy willing is goodness.

How is a human being unique from all animals? What do you think? Stop and consider your answer.

The fact is, humans are the only oxygen-breathing creature with two limbs not designed specifically to serve the trunk. Nearly all other creatures’ limbs are required for locomotion. Since we are bipedal, however, that leaves us two free limbs. For what have we this freedom? Well, part of it is to provide for our needs, yes, but the other part is to provide for others’ needs. We educate the will by putting it to skillful use for the good. For example, playing a beautiful concert of violin music for an audience.

Conclusion

What is Waldorf Education? It is the approach which develops creative thinking, compassionate feeling, and capable doing. In that way, we raise whole human beings, not lopsided ones. These three horses of soul can be called goodness, beauty, and truth, if they are properly nurtured and supported. That is what Waldorf Education is.