Alliance e-News

The Alliance-led summer professional development registration is now live.

Dear Colleagues,

This summer promises a wonderful array of professional development opportunities for Waldorf educators; many have been featured in recent editions of Waldorf Today. This is good news; we all understand that well-prepared teachers are essential to the success of our schools and the positive experience of our students. Covid and its aftermath has resulted in wider availability of online and hybrid options, increasing choice and access. We at the Alliance are delighted and gratified to see that many summer programs now explicitly welcome those who are in the expanding field of our schools, working out of the Principles of the Alliance for Public Waldorf education.

Despite the abundance of offerings, we still hear from our schools that there is a need for our online professional development series. It will be offered again this summer, and we are looking forward to attendance by educators from across the country.

A program in four parts:

Fundamentals of Public Waldorf Education, July 10-12. This 3-day program provides an overview of Waldorf education and the basics for those new or fairly new to Public Waldorf education. This supports our schools in onboarding new teachers, school leaders, parent leaders, and Board members. Through presentation, conversation, and the perspectives of people with extensive leadership experience in our schools, we offer an introduction to the history and goals of Waldorf education, the development and mission of Public Waldorf, an overview of our 7 Core Principles, and an introduction to “nuts and bolts” including characteristic methods, commonly used terms, and a picture of the school day and year. This can be taken as a stand-alone or as preparation for week 2 Early Childhood or Grades. It is open to everyone, and is a prerequisite for those who are new to this work and who wish to register for early childhood or the grades in Week Two.

View the full Week One schedule here:

Summer Professional Development, Week One, 2024

Early Childhood, July 15-19.

One of few online offerings for early childhood educators, our Early Childhood sessions focus on the essential elements of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, with emphasis on the importance of play and movement – essential support for the teachers of our youngest students who are swimming against a tide of early academics. Topics include circle activities, singing, story, crafts, handwork, play, movement, nature, puppetry, and the integration of the foundations of language arts, math, and science. There will also be attention to important questions of inclusion, gender, sensory-motor integration, and therapeutic movement – all considerations in our classrooms today. Classes will be taught by experienced instructors with direct experience of public school early childhood classrooms and their demands.

View the full schedule here:

Summer Professional Development, Week Two Schedule: Early Childhood, 2024

Grades 1-8, July 15-19.

We offer small classes 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 these 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 skills development and an emphasis on the differentiated instruction that is needed in a Public Waldorf classroom, plus the social life of a class, including working with parents. Afternoons are devoted to a range of arts and movement to help build confidence, develop technique, and gain ideas for the classroom. Participants will leave with resources, new insights, and a group of colleagues who will be teaching the same grade.

View the full schedule here:

Summer Professional Development, Week Two Schedule: Grades 1-8, 2024

Leadership, July 15-19.

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 address key topics 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, building inclusive schools, special education, effective practices in evaluation, strategic planning, policies and practice, and navigating conflict and decision-making. Resources will be shared.

View the full schedule here:

Summer Professional Development, Week Two Schedule: Leadership, 2024

Distinguishing Features

Courses are designed for and taught by Public Waldorf educators, although we welcome others. Instructors bring direct knowledge of the needs and requirements of public education including integration of standards, assessment, and special education requirements. We bring together voices from a range of schools.

We provide resources, new insights, and connections with a group of colleagues who will be teaching the same age level in a Public Waldorf setting in the upcoming year.

In alignment with our Core Principles of Access and Equity, we have remained online to provide maximum access, given the geographic spread of our schools. We are mindful of the budget challenges of all schools and offer our courses at the lowest cost possible. Our school discount pricing supports schools in registering groups of teachers, supporting our Principle of Schools as Learning Communities.

Unfortunately, we do not offer high school-specific classes at this time.

Pricing and Registration: www.eventbrite.com/e/alliance-summer-2024-virtual-professional-development-tickets

Professional Development and Teacher Preparation

A listing by the Alliance is for information only and does not imply recommendation or endorsement. We encourage school leaders and teachers to fully research offerings before enrollment to ensure they align with their goals and needs. We recommend that you research familiarity with the unique needs and demands of Public Waldorf education. This is particularly important if public funds are used for professional development or teacher preparation.