Alliance Led
Professional Development
Summer 2024
The Alliance Summer PD will be taking place virtually.
The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education will offer online professional development sessions again this summer. The sessions are designed by Public Waldorf educators and taught by those with direct experience of Public Waldorf education.
Week One
Week One, Fundamentals of Public Waldorf Education: July 10-12.
Week One of the Alliance’s Summer Professional Development is designed to provide an orientation and foundation for those new or fairly new to our work. It is suitable for teachers, school leaders, Board members, parent leaders, classroom assistants, and others. Over three days, we will provide essential information including an overview of the history and global development of Waldorf education, an exploration of the Core Principles of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education, an introduction to child development and curriculum, and an examination of how Waldorf education meets the needs of the students of today. Participants will understand the importance of the role of the educator and the responsibilities that come with that, the principle of ongoing self-development, and the central role of the arts. Week One will also provide practical orientation to commonly used terms, the structure of the school day, and school organization.
*Week One is a prerequisite for all grades or early childhood teachers new to Public Waldorf who wish to enroll in Week #2.
Week Two
Week Two, Early Childhood, Grades, and School Leadership, July 15-19.
Week two starts with an overview and welcome on Day One and opens with movement activities on the remaining days. Participants then split into early childhood, grade-specific, or leadership groups to dive into a picture of the developing child, the curriculum, and many other aspects of classroom life, supporting teachers in their preparation for the year ahead. Aligned with our Core Principles, all sessions bring an awareness of the unique challenges and opportunities of our public school settings, the need for differentiated instruction, and an emphasis on inclusion, access, equity, and diversity.
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Early Childhood.
Our early childhood program focuses on the essential elements of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. It emphasizes the importance of play and movement, rhythm and relationship. Topics include: circle activities, singing, story, movement, foundations of language arts, foundations of math, nature explorations, crafts and handwork, puppetry, questions of gender, sensory-motor development, and therapeutic movement. Classes are taught by teachers with direct experience of Public School settings and their demands; core classes are taught by experienced instructors who are currently teaching in Public Waldorf schools. You will gain resources, new insights, and a group of colleagues who will be teaching the same age-level.
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Grades One-Eight.
We offer small-class groupings for each grade. Core classes are taught by experienced instructors who are currently teaching in Public Waldorf schools. They include an overview of the stage of development, key curriculum themes and an understanding of why they are taught, forming a class and the social life of a class, crafting the main lesson, rhythms of the year, stories and the art of storytelling, and questions of standards, assessment, and curriculum alignment. There are sessions devoted to language arts and math development and an emphasis on the differentiated instruction that is needed in a Public Waldorf classroom. You will discuss the social life of a class including working with parents. Afternoons are devoted to a range of arts and movement to help build confidence, technique, and ideas for the classroom. You will leave with resources, new insights, and a group of colleagues who will be teaching the same grade.
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Leadership
Our Leadership track is suitable for those in leadership positions within our schools: administrators, directors, principals, pedagogical chairs, parent leaders, Board members, etc. It will offer material and a range of perspectives from experienced school leaders who are currently active in leadership in a Public Waldorf school. Topics include schools as communities, working with the Board, roles and responsibilities, HR and hiring, budgets and resources, effective practices in evaluation, strategic planning, policies and practice, and navigating conflict. Resources will be shared.
Pricing and School Group Rates
In support of our Principle of Schools as Learning Communities, we offer a school group rate to make it possible for groups to attend. This provides a shared learning experience and a foundation for study for the year ahead. Our online format recognizes the importance of access for schools that are located across the country.
