By the Work of our Hands

LAST DAY!
Our extensive, renowned, handwork curriculum guides ON SALE. Grades 1,2,3 at 25% off. Bundle all three for 30% off.
FOMO? Here's the link:
https://www.waldorfhandwork.org/handwork-curriculum

Waldorf Handwork Educators is having a sale!
Don't miss out!!
https://www.waldorfhandwork.org/handwork-curriculum
Check out our ONLINE INTERNATIONAL teacher training while you're there! Applications to start in January 2025 now open.
https://www.waldorfhandwork.org/teacher-development

Completed my Swim5milesinAugust ACS fundraiser!
Well, 5.25 so far in 14 days
You can still donate!
Swim hair? Don't care!

Flowers, rain, colleagues and stairs!

Thoughts and discussions on the digital world today:

TODAY - How is this different/ how is the children's environment different from 5 years ago? From 5 years in the future? How many of us teachers are familiar with the digital world growing around us?

What we see online reflects not an objective 'reality', it reflects our wishes and desires ( ....... algorithms!)

Does our teaching have to change? Not so much about content, more about healthy relationships. Teaching the children, and teaching our adult students. It's relationships that are transformative and resilience-building.

Wishes for the future of Teacher Trainings -

** Places of empowerment and transformation, not so much of knowledge and skills

** Not banning, but using and mastering digital tools (not letting them master us)

** Make it about experiences

** Support growth of trust in students and parents

** Teaching and teacher training must form themselves within the conditions of the environment

YOUR THOUGHTS?

Day 3 of the 1st international world Waldorf Teacher Educators Conference at the Goetheanum

Tulips greet us before each meal!

Questions raised in this mornings plenum:

What USE is Anthroposophy to teachers actually?

...Teacher Educators: Don't ask "Is this true?" - the answer is yes/ no - binary. Ask "what difference would it make if I considered this idea or that one?"

Try living with thoughts that could help you connect with the children

Which of the available tools will help the children (and you) connect with the world?

Actions speak louder than words

In the mentoring work group with Neil Boland:
what can help to establish a school mentoring culture?
Consider-
Thinking ..... a plan, clear expectations
Feeling ...... social atmosphere of trust and shared responsibility
Willing ..... time, space, money

More tomorrow!

Here I am at the Goetheanum!

It's been many years - several decades in fact. Cold and wet, lovely spring flowers.

First lecture this evening - Education as dialog and empowerment in a multicultural world.

In my doctoral work, a main emphasis was "Scholarship as Conversation" so I'm looking forward to what is said.

My favorite author/thinker/writer - Parker Palmer - talks about the importance of bringing students into dialog with the subject of study.

Let's see where this goes!

New Year and new horizons!

The first photo shows the sunset off the CA coast, New Year’s Eve, 2023

Dear friends and colleagues,
This looks like a year of travel for me starting in just a couple of weeks at the Alliance in-person (and online) conference near Sacramento. If you are a handwork teacher coming to that conference on January 12-14, let’s make the time to get to know other local handwork teachers.

For many years, Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks hosted an annual conference over Presidents’ Day weekend. One spring, a few handwork teachers decided to meet and share their ideas, their questions, and their experiences with each other. It was invaluable! We found understanding, colleagueship, and a rich treasury of ideas and resources in our meetings. This year, there are again several opportunities to see each other “in 3D”.

At the Alliance conference on Jan 12-14, conference participants can meet with other local subject teachers at lunch on Saturday 13th.
See Flyer for Alliance conference in-person. See their website for the zoom option.

Then on Sunday afternoon, January 14th, we have an opportunity to meet with our local handwork colleagues in public, private, homeschool, or ‘other’ settings, and share our experiences, questions, inspirations, and network with each other. We are each other’s greatest resources! There is no charge for this, and we will meet in the warm and welcoming meeting space at Babetta’s yarn store in Fair Oaks from 3-4:30. Space is limited, so you must RSVP to me soon at [email protected].

And wait, there is more!

I will be at the Goetheanum in April for the very first International Waldorf Adult Educators’ conference. I plan to visit with our student in Alsace, and I’d love to meet other local handwork teachers in that corner of the world. I’ll be staying in Freiburg, where I lived and studied for 7 years.

I’ll also be in the Houston area at some point, (Grandsons! and friends at Great Oak) and likely in Scotland and England in late July/ early August. If you are in those areas, please start networking with other teachers, assistants, homeschoolers, and think of places we might meet, so we can build mutually supportive networks.

Here’s a photo of our get-together in November 2023 in Southern California. It was a lovely opportunity to connect or re-connect, and we learned about a couple of fun little projects from each other.
(group photo)

Please share this email with colleagues and friends in public, private, homeschool, or ‘other’ settings, working along Waldorf / Steiner lines. We can all learn from and support each other!

Together we are stronger! (and it’s more fun!)

Let me know if you can get together with colleagues on the 14th, and please consider if you can help me organize future get-togethers in your location!

Warmly, and eager to get to know you,

Elizabeth

Did someone discover Africa? Or was it there the whole time? With history, cultures, art, traditions, so much more!

https://www.waldorfhandwork.org/february-conference-2023
Just a couple of days to save $50. Use EarlyBirdFeb23

Join our ONLINE February handwork conference to hear from Betty Staley, groundbreaking author of AFRICA - A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS AND FAMILIES. Explore 7th and 8th grades, the Age of Exploration, and learn handwork traditions from 3 continents, and so much more!

Info and registration:
https://www.waldorfhandwork.org/february-conference-2023

Other keynotes from Kevin Avison (editor, Tasks and Content) and Clarissa Esguerra, Curator of Costumes and Textiles at LACMA.

Join us and tell friends and colleagues - it's going to be great!

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ONLINE homeschool handwork conference

Eco-sustainable handwork projects
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