Art in Waldorf Education

In this episode I speak with Waldorf class teacher of 23 years, Darcy Drayton. As I’m introducing the episode, I first speak a little about why art is being integrated across all subjects in Waldorf education. Then when speaking with Darcy, we discuss more of how art is incorporated in the curriculum and how she uses different artistic mediums as tools to teach with. Darcy, an artist herself, also speaks about drama and class plays in the Waldorf curriculum, and how she uses her artistic freedom as a teacher, to meet the children where they’re at developmentally. While also trying to be aware of the challenges that they will face in today’s changing world.

As I mention in the episode, you can read more about what I found about why art is so integrated into Waldorf education by going to my blog post on the topic by clicking here.

I also touch on Steiner’s observation that human beings are three fold, thinking, feeling, and willing, this is a topic that is discussed in more detail in the first episode “What is Waldorf Education Part 1, which you can get to by clicking here.

Darcy goes on to introduce how she approaches art in the classroom. We start by discussing three mediums, painting, drawing and modeling, and Darcy talks about how she approaches these mediums from first grade on. She also discusses how the use of these mediums sets the children up for all sorts of things that are to come in their academic journey like writing and geometry.

We also touch on the dramatic arts, including the power the class play has to transform a class and individuals socially.

RESOURCES:

We spoke quite a bit about modeling in this episode, both beeswax and clay modeling.

This is a book about modeling with children, and is written by my Waldorf class teacher!

• “Learning About the World Through Modeling: Sculptural Ideas for School and Home”

by Arthur Auer

Another book about painting and drawing.

• “Painting and Drawing in Waldorf Schools: Classes 1 to 8”

by Thomas Wildgruber