Ecucational Investigation-- An Introduction to the Project

So it begins.

The school year, I mean. I find myself in a place at this moment in which I never would have imagined, even mere months ago. The purpose of this blog is simple: to highlight this explosively ironic incongruity in my tiny life and process it, in dialogue hopefully, as a means of looking at a larger picture. Let me explain the pertinent particularities.

This is to be a conversation, an investigation, of pedagogical paradigms and the reality of their actual practice in the world. My background makes this specific situation a bit interesting: I attended a Waldorf school from pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. After this point, I went to a large suburban public high school, a state university, and finally an Ivy league graduate school at which I received a Masters degree in English Education. During that time, I student-taught at two different public high schools in New York City, attempting to teach English effectively in an unfamiliar world of distant State standards and socio-economic turmoil. I reflected often in these months about the scope and unique quality of my own education and how it had brought me to this calling, had honed me into the person I'd become and here began too my first intellectual investigation of Waldorf Education as a model of pedagogy. In spite of my own success within the paradigm, I was not wholly convinced of its efficacy, of its appropriateness, of its universal truth and application. I found myself frustrated not only by specific pieces of the curriculum and the philosophy behind it, but most emphatically also by the distance, by the disconnect, that seemed to exist irreconcilably between Waldorf and mainstream society. I was angry that Waldorf's work, valuable and wise as I knew some of it to be, was so outside of, almost feeling out of reach of, the majority of the population. I could not reconcile the practice of such an educational system, one founded on a commitment to underprivileged students, with the reality of it-- the fact that it served, serves, only a small, self-selected group. I sought with conviction to make my work as an educator a pursuit of social action in which true change, positive change, through learning was taking place through my hard work and inspiration. Idealistic, but not silly-- I still believe this. However, in spite of my ideals and my experiences, I ended up working not at a public urban school (I wasn't able to find a job) but at a small private school in the Southwest. Here, the Waldorf paradigm wasn't present but the culture of the school, in its exclusivity, still held to an extent this quality of being removed from the true social project of education. I loved my time at this school-- I loved the freedom I had to develop a dynamic English curriculum and work with students who were generally motivated to learn and grow. However, circumstances once again changed and brought me to a new community in which I needed to find another job. I looked around a bit but with the current economy, seized a job that sounded rather intriguing for various reasons though it doesn't exactly fit with my profile. I will be teaching this year as a Games, Sports and Movement Teacher for Grades 1-8 at a medium sized Waldorf School. No English, no inner-city Freedom Writers situation. Right back to where I began my own education, and in the form of a person with a deep commitment to sport and movement but little experience in the field of teaching it, apart from coaching swimming and physical conditioning at my last school. I have come here open-minded, excited for the possibilities and potentials this interesting new perspective on Waldorf, on learning, on child development, this work can give me. Which brings me to the purpose of this blog: here I am going to chart my year as a new Waldorf teacher, untrained save for her own personal Waldorf experience of Grades Pre-K through 8. I want to reflect upon and process my experiences in this forum as a means of investigating both my personal insights into my reactions toward the position, the school, the philosophy, etc. as well as the illuminations that those personal impressions might bring to a comparative look at systems of education in general.

So I'm winded after that long-windedness. I'm certain all of this will make sense as we move forward into the day-to-day of teaching and learning. Important to note now: I have not yet begun teaching; we're still in In-Service until early September; and also, I won't be sharing too many details here-- this blog is not meant to attack, incriminate, insult, or really I guess even to judge anyone, apart from myself so I'd like to keep it as indirect in this sense as possible.

Thanks for reading thus far! Looking forward to sharing this interesting investigative journalistic journey with you!