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Waldorf Teacher Training
"[Waldorf teachers] are being paid to think and to live an esoteric life. When you look at the children you teach, you are supposed to think about their subtle bodies, their past lives, your karmic relationship to this child, your karmic relationship to your colleagues at the childrens parents. You get paid to do this..."
Arthur Zajonc, Waldorf Spokesperson
Disclaimer
OpenWaldorf is not an official source for information on Waldorf Teacher Training.
Keep in mind, this is a relatively UNINFORMED view on Waldorf Teacher Training, sometimes from questionable sources. This article contains several links to other web pages about Waldorf Teacher Training. Remember: don't believe anything you read on the Internet, including at OpenWaldorf.com! The best way to understand Waldorf Teacher Training is to contact informed members of your Waldorf community, including teacter training centers, trained Waldorf teachers, and current candidates for Waldorf teaching certificates. Also, you can post questions in the OpenWaldorf Teacher Training forum.
Waldorf Teacher Training Locations
Educational Background
Waldorf is extremely serious about your teacher's educational background. Except in extremely rare cases, EVERY Waldorf teacher is required to have a Waldorf teaching credential. The most important pre-requisite for being hired as a Waldorf teacher is a Waldorf teaching credential.
At some Waldorf teacher training centers, the only mandatory requirements for students to be admitted to the Waldorf teaching certificate program are a high school diploma and a personal interview. An example of this can be found on the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training's FAQ:
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A high school diploma or equivalent is required. In addition, a completed application and a conversation with the Director are required.
FAQ, Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
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While only a Waldorf teaching credential is technically sufficient for teaching at Waldorf school, most Waldorf schools require their teachers to have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year university. If you have not completed your Bachelor's degree, your Waldorf Teacher Training program may help you to complete your bachelor's.
Typical Education Requirements Desired for:
1. Waldorf Class Teachers
2. Lead Kindergarten Teachers
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Required
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Not Required
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| College Diploma |
*
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X*
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| High-school Diploma |
*
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X*
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| Waldorf Certification |
X**
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*Nearly all classroom Waldorf teachers have high-school and college diplomas
**Except in rare circumstances.
NOTE: HTML tables are design aids, and use of a table does not denote officlal information.
This chart is not official. Educational requirements vary from school to school.
Not all Waldorf teachers are Waldorf-trained. Finding Waldorf-trained subject teachers in language, movement/games, woodworking, gardening, and assisting lead kindergarten teachers is rare.
If you are a parent with questions about the educational background of your Waldorf teacher, ask to see your school's teacher biographies to learn more about where they went to college, their background in education, etc.
Curriculum
You can check out the Curriculum from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training to get a sense of what Waldorf teachers study in Waldorf Teacher Training. You can also read many of the same books they read for FREE online in the OpenWaldorf Reading Room.
Also, search Google:
Teacher Training Centers
Here is a partial list of teacher training centers:
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Questions to ask before becoming a Waldorf teacher.
Waldorf Teacher Training
- Will we be instructed to meditate in Waldorf teacher training?
- Do most public and private schools accept Waldorf teacher training credentials?
- Is my teacher training accredited, and are my units transferable to mainstream 4-yr. colleges.
- What do we learn about child development? What different child development theories do we study? Where do they come from? Are they widely accepted by mainstream child development theorists?
- How will Waldorf teacher training equip us to support the incarnation of the physical, etheric and astral bodies as the children are reincarnating?
- Will I get to learn things based on Rudolf Steiner's clairvoyant research?
- Is it important for a Waldorf teacher to remain faithful to anthroposophy?
- What is my career path like if I am not an anthroposophist? How many higher-level Waldorf jobs are held by non-anthroposophists?
- Is it OK if I strive to keep Anthroposophy and Anthropsophical ideas out of the classroom?
- How closely will we work with the parents? How do we involve the parents in the core curriculum of Waldorf?
- Do I have to learn eurythmy? Do I have to practice eurythmy?
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More on Waldorf Teacher Training
Questions for Your Child's Teacher
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This web site is based on one Waldorf parent's personal journey.
It has no official affiliation with Waldorf education.
If you haven't already, please read About OpenWaldorf.
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Copyright (c) 2003 Information: The words of OpenWaldorf.com may be freely distributed on the condition that they are clearly marked with the following sentence: "Source: OpenWaldorf.com, the most open site on the Internet for new and prospective Waldorf parents." Third-party sources quoted on OpenWaldorf.com are subject to the copyrights of the respective owners. Participants own their own words, and have full copyright over what they say.
