Waldorf Teacher Training

[SilvanaRose]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone is currently taking or has taken a Waldorf teacher training course? I checked the threads to see if anyone else has already posted something similar but couldn't find anything (at least lately). I live on the west coast, am 26 years old and I'm seriously considering becoming a teacher. I have done alot of research into what I feel I should do in life and would really like to get into teaching something I believe in. Is there anything I should know before considering this? If anyone has taken a Waldorf course please tell me how it went, what you loved about it and if you think it was worth it. Where did you take the course? Etc. It would be nice to know if the jobs are really in demand and if I could potentially go anywhere with it. I would appreciate any advice

[MamaInCA]

I can't speak to much other than it's my understanding that the demand is there! My SIL looked into this at one time and met with someone at our local Steiner College. Ultimately it wasn't enough pay for her... she's always been a wee focused on a six figure income. GL with your decision.

[mariposita]

I've been considering it. I am likely going to take the Foundation Studies course, which where I live is a 2 year course to take before you begin the teacher training. I feel that will give me a good sense of if I want to continue the training. And in the meantime, I figure it will only help improve my homeschooling and parenting.

Re: pay: Another option is to find local homeschooling groups that would like a trained teacher to come in as sort of a cottage school model. My neighbors hire a local Waldorf teacher to teach a group of 4th graders twice a week for about 4 hours/day. She gets paid $50/hr. That's $1600/mo. for only 8 hours/week (plus prep, of course).

[SilvanaRose]

Thank you for your replies

I really want to take the foundation course as well. I'm not worried about a 6 figure income either as long as I'm happy with my career. My dp makes fairly good money and anything extra is a bonus imo. We are a good team. I think the worst that could happen with taking the foundation course is I will come out of it knowing myself better than before, and that can't be all bad. My only problem is having to travel for the course, there is none where I live. Either Seattle (tuition $6k) or Eugene (tuition $4.2k) and that's not including living expenses that I would incur. It does seem like alot of money to spend on a course but truly I could see myself enjoying the benefits of it for many years.

I guess I will have to talk myself into it or out of it...lol

If anyone else is taking the foundation course or has, or is thinking about it let me know, I would love to chat

Sara

[jakesmama]

I have been entertaining the very early thoughts of taking the Foundations Course in Seattle (we live in Port Orchard, so it's an hour commute). The thing that holds me back (in my mind) is the tuition and the time away from kids and partner. I'm not sure that dp would be so on board. I'm already a certificated K-8 teacher...and I work in a different field altogether. I have a feeling his argument would be somewhere along the lines of why take on more debt (or bills) when you aren't even using what you've got?

My reply would be that I know public school teaching (at this point in time) is not for me..I knew this before I finished my degree, but when you're that close you just finish up. However, I love teaching I just disagree with the methods in most public schools. *sigh*

I'd love to chat more about Waldorf teacher training.

[sandy'smama]

Just a quick note from the other side of the pond. I am attending a teacher training course in Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School in Scotland and :LOVING EVERY SECOND: of it. I did not join primarily to become a teacher, there were lots of reasons I decided it was a right step for me. It is a 3 year weekend course geared up to prepare the class teachers. I can't praise it enough! Every saturday night I start wishing it was friday afternoon again. If you feel it is right for you and you have means to join go for it! Even the commute (1.5 to 2 hours each way) does not seem too much for me, I enjoy it so much.

[Hannahsmummy]

I don't have much experience with the training course other than watching the teachers in our school go through it.

I just wanted to say that I am so thrilled to hear about people thinking about the commitment to be a Waldorf/Steiner teacher! There is a shortage in our area. It is a lot of work, a lot of hours and not a huge amount of pay and I admire anyone with the calling to do it.

[LenasMommy]

Hi! I am actually looking at a foundation course right now. It's online based for those who live too far away from schools that teach it. I want to start my masters next summer (2010) at Antioch University in New England for Waldorf Teacher Training. Where were you looking at attending for a course?

[justchanti]

This is great! I have been waiting for a thread like this for sometime.

I will be starting a Masters in Education with state certification (it has reciprocity in 42 other states) and a Waldorf teaching certificate in July at Antioch University in New England. I will be attending the year round program and should be finished in about a year in a half. I am in the unique (maybe) situation on this board as I am only 24 and have no kids yet, which allows me the flexibility to make a big move (I will be moving from New Mexico).

It took me about a year to decide that this was the right choice, which was confirmed by gaining employment at a Waldorf School here in NM and by doing lots and lots of research. While most certificate programs require a "foundation year" it is not necessary to do one at a training center. Because NM is nowhere near a Waldorf Teacher Training Center I went through the Center of Anthroposphy in NH. They have a program that will help you find a mentor in your area (mine is the Administrator at the local school) and requires you to do a certain number of study hours with your mentor on some of Steiner's main works.

As the Center of Anthroposophy is well respected in the greater Waldorf community I had no problem transferring this independent foundation year to Antioch's prerequisites. The foundations study seems to serve as an introduction into the movement and allows for enough self reflection that it should become evident if pursuing a Waldorf teachng certificate is right for you.

Please feel free to PM me with additional questions. I hope this help. Oh! I was also raised in Eugene (unfortuantely at the time the Waldorf school there was in turmoil and my parents chose not to send me) and could help you on that front as well.

[SilvanaRose]

Thanks everyone for the great info

Originally Posted by justchanti

This is great! I have been waiting for a thread like this for sometime.

I will be starting a Masters in Education with state certification (it has reciprocity in 42 other states) and a Waldorf teaching certificate in July at Antioch University in New England. I will be attending the year round program and should be finished in about a year in a half. I am in the unique (maybe) situation on this board as I am only 24 and have no kids yet, which allows me the flexibility to make a big move (I will be moving from New Mexico).

It took me about a year to decide that this was the right choice, which was confirmed by gaining employment at a Waldorf School here in NM and by doing lots and lots of research. While most certificate programs require a "foundation year" it is not necessary to do one at a training center. Because NM is nowhere near a Waldorf Teacher Training Center I went through the Center of Anthroposphy in NH. They have a program that will help you find a mentor in your area (mine is the Administrator at the local school) and requires you to do a certain number of study hours with your mentor on some of Steiner's main works.

As the Center of Anthroposophy is well respected in the greater Waldorf community I had no problem transferring this independent foundation year to Antioch's prerequisites. The foundations study seems to serve as an introduction into the movement and allows for enough self reflection that it should become evident if pursuing a Waldorf teachng certificate is right for you.

Please feel free to PM me with additional questions. I hope this help. Oh! I was also raised in Eugene (unfortuantely at the time the Waldorf school there was in turmoil and my parents chose not to send me) and could help you on that front as well.

I'm in the same boat being 26 and childless (so far). It's a good time to start the future imo.

I am so excited to hear that there are people taking this course and loving it. It would be a huge commitment but the more I think about all the other careers this one just makes sense to me. I will be keeping in touch for sure

[frogautumn]

jakesmama--I'm in the same boat as you. I'm a certified public teacher and left when DS was born. I've always entertained the idea of doing Waldorf teacher training, but kind of discounted it because the chances of working at the school close to where we live just seemed too slim (and moving is not really an option).
I'm still tossing the idea around, but hate to spend lots of money on a new certification when I'm not using the certification I currently hold. Something for me to think about...

Good luck, though, OP--it is a worthy goal!

[elements]

Teacher training

Thank you everyone for posting. I too am a child less want-to-be Waldorf Teacher. I find the fact that there are a few of us chatting on a mothering site is rather comical, but hey, whatever works!

I've long felt a desire to teach but the public system never felt like the place to go. I coached swimming until work travel started getting in the way and then I found Waldorf. I've been involved with our local group for a few months: helping with parent and tot classes and participating in study group and special events.

My original plan was to go do an after degree B.Ed. program but that "decision" didn't sit very well with me. The more I've read and gotten to know the Waldorfians in my community the more certain I've become that the Waldorf Teacher Education is what I need. While I aspire to teach in a school I know that the learning will be a reward in and of itself.

Until recently my reading has been focused on understanding how things are taught in the grades so I'll need to get working on reading more of Steiner's work if I want to do my teacher training this fall!

[MamaRuga]

I spent 4 years at Steiner College in CA for another program, not teacher training. I did join in on some of the foundation year and teacher training classes, though, and wish that I could have taken all of them. I loved it, loved the teachers, loved the campus... it was great! I would highly recommend looking into it.

I think that they have various options for part-time trainings too. You don't finish in the quick 2 years of the full-time, but it is more convenient for a lot of people. And they have financial aid options too, I think.

Where ever you decided to go, though, I'd say, GO FOR IT! Well trained teachers are really really needed!

[wholewheatchick]

I've looked into it as well. I'm finishing my M.Ed. in December, and am not sure I want to teach in the public schools. However, we can't move to a place that has Waldorf teacher training, nor can we afford it right now. Maybe in 30 years! But I did email quite a bit with the teacher training center in Hawaii, which is the 2 year program, and the classes look amazing. She said that there is a very high need for qualified Waldorf teachers. Many schools have teachers that are just slowly working on their training kind of course by course, so having a teacher ready to go would be a great thing for them!

[SilvanaRose]

That's awesome...the more I look into it and hear others advice the more I think I should do it. Maybe not this year as we have just way too much on our plates but I'm going to at least read every book I can find on the subjects.

My fiance and I were talking about it last night and he kept saying "I will not have our kids go to some cult school!" I'm like "wtf are you talking about? lol" He started wondering exactly what it was so I made him do a little of his own research and he comes out saying "Well that actually sounds good. I thought it was going to be a religious fanatical school" Anyway we had a bit of an arguement that should have never happened and he understands that this is something that means alot to me. I apparently need to learn to explain things better haha. I'm glad we got this worked out now though as I think it will be a big part of my life one day....

Thank you all for your inspiration!

[elements]

SilvanaRose - I know what you mean about explaining Waldorf so that people don't treat you like you're crazy. I have many friends who teach in the public system and for the most part they think I'm a nut - that I could teach the way I want in my own public school classroom anyways. Sure, maybe but the whole community side of things and the developmentally appropriate learnings would be hard to fit in a normal classroom without the support of other staff and the parents. Besides, the way we run our public schools just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Wholewheatchick - I've come across more than just a few people who have their public school teaching certificate and are teaching in a Waldorf school while working towards Waldorf certification which usually means taking summer intensives. I had originally looked at doing that but it's just way too expensive and I wasn't sure about spending 6 more years to get both qualifications. I understand that AWSNA has a matching grant to loan program to make teacher education cheaper which could perhaps work for you. If you are connected with a Waldorf school you might be able to do even better.

All - I've come across a few institutions now that look for you to have taken the foundation year "or equivalent". The school in Toronto has a personalized program for the basics of Anthroposophy. That combined with involvement at a Waldorf school and some heavy reading and reflection could always reduce the amount of time you would need to spend in full time studies. Just a thought.

I'm really enjoying this dialogue so keep it coming!

[CrazyCatLady]

This thread has been a great read for me. I'm currently in school now working on my "regular" teaching degree. This year if I can figure out the money, I plan to also start my Waldorf Teacher Training at Highland Hall in CA.

I love the ideas here for ways to possibly do this faster/cheaper. I'm looking very forward to the education I'm going to get. But the 3 years/$24,000 has me a bit freaked out.