NEW VIDEO! A Conversation About Reading: Susan R. Johnson, M.D.
NEW VIDEO! A Conversation About Reading: Susan R. Johnson, M.D.
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let us plan a Deepenings Course for your school community!
What are "Deepenings?"
Deepen your understanding while gaining new insights into the foundations of human development and learn practical pedagogical approaches to classroom learning support to meet the varied developmental needs of today's classes. Deepenings are designed to take you through layers starting at the foundation and deepen from there.
Content Overview
Rudolf Steiner and Audrey McAllen state that the development of the physical body is essential in forming the vessel for the incarnating soul and spirit. McAllen told us that the “house” (the body) needs its “furniture” (the soul) and neither works without the other. The development of the individual structural physical body—universal in its archetypal form and function—provides the foundations essential for human development to build this "house." Modern children are experiencing difficulties in bringing this development to its completion, and this threatens the possibility of developing full consciousness later in life.
The structural physical aspect of the human being develops in a certain way—it is a process where one level builds upon the previous. Higher functioning is dependent upon foundational functions. McAllen brought Steiner’s insights together for educators so that we can observe developmental readiness in terms of physical development paired with the presenting symptoms of academic and/or behavioral issues. The discovery of underlying causes becomes possible as you learn to observe the neuro-developmental functions of the child that offer lenses for the teacher to discover the child’s inner experience based on the outer expression.
The children come to us bringing challenges which seem to be growing in intensity and frequency as time goes on. We ask, “How do we support them?” McAllen described how teachers can bring to the children archetypal movements and gestures for developing the "house" so mature human consciousness can occur. These archetypal motions support the children’s work to incarnate through an imprinting process that is enhanced and completed by them. This embodying process refers to entering into and using the physical body in the way for which it was developed. As this process unfolds, each individual child can strive to fulfill his/her pre-birth intentions for this life at this time and in this place chosen by the child.
From observations and questions about the children in their care, Waldorf teachers bring both common and unique experiences. “Deepenings” aim to start here—with real experiences in real time paired with pedagogical knowledge—then to go deeper into the pedagogy to penetrate the issues from the very foundations of the process of human development given us by Steiner. We work with real life issues that teachers in the group are facing today and bring clear focus to how the curriculum and developmental picture come together. Our goal is to take you through the developmental layers starting with Foundations and deepening further with each level to "Build the House" and finally, to "Move-in & Maintain."
This hybrid course is made up of a sequence of short in-person meetings for practical work, supplemented by asynchronous work and online communication between sessions. A certificate is earned for completion of each of the three layers. Practical pedagogical approaches to classroom learning support will offer you and your colleagues skills to meet the varied developmental needs of today's classes.
" The obstacle that prevents us us from doing what we should is usually very obscure, but it is always a condition of the physical organism...If we realize the full significance of this, we might tell ourselves that a teacher's primary task is to nurture the body to be as healthy as possible. This means that we use every spiritual measure to ensure that in later life a person's body will be the least possible hindrance to the will of one's spirit. If we make this our purpose in school, we can develop forces that lead to education for freedom." ~ Rudolf Steiner, 1922
DEEPENINGS I : FOUNDATIONS
Deepen your understanding of child development & how to meet student needs presenting in our classrooms. Topics may include:
Observation & Practice I
- Learning to See/level I: “reading” & interpreting children’s movements, gestures, behaviors
- selecting the right movements & how to introduce them to a class
Movement & Artistic Exercises I
- Integrative classroom movement exercises, painting & form drawing--EC to early grades
- Early reflex activity--introduction to reflexes & access to capacity
- Fine motor development-- hands & feet
- handwriting/cursive
Theoretical study I
- Causes of learning difficulties
- Foundations for learning & skills attainment
- Sensory-motor development: first 7 years
- Sleep--impact on learning
- 12 senses I--FOUR Foundational Senses
School Learning Support Program Development I
- Student Success Planning I-- building an active circle of support; family support
- open forum
Teacher Self-Development I
- Integrative movement home program
- Inner work I--self-awareness
DEEPENINGS II: BUILD THE HOUSE
Discover the framework; building the Self.
Finding center & balance within.
Topics may include:
Observation & Practice II
Level II--“reading” & interpreting children’s movements, gestures, approaches
- Visual & auditory capacity basic screening & exercises
- Observe & identify issues related to: static balance, midline crossing (& bilateral integration), dominance, fine & gross motor coordination
Movement & Artistic Exercises II
- Integrative movement & painting--moving up through the grades
- dynamic drawing
- Proprioception
Theoretical study II
- Two-fold physical body re: learning
- Uprightness of the HB--Introduction to earth currents
- Breathing, Digestion, Comprehension & Memory
- 12 Senses II -- FOUR Middle Senses
School LS Program Development II
- Facilitating & maintaining effective care group & child study practices
- classroom accommodations & creative tutoring
Teacher Self-Development II
- Inner work II--self & other
*content may vary to meet custom needs
DEEPENINGS III: MOVE-IN & MAINTAIN
Moving into adolescence--overcoming developmental hindrances to find freedom.
Topics may include:
Observation & Practice III
- fine-tuning observational skills
- practice towards mastery
- Screening--fine-tuning previously learned methods + additional supports
- Classroom management--adapting activity & movement for older students & adults
- Case histories
Movement & Artistic Exercises III
- gaining mastery--from erratic to fluent
- integrative movement & painting--middle & high school
Theoretical study III
- Imprinting as described by Steiner
- Developmental thresholds—nine-year, twelve-year & adolescence
- Other topics from McAllen, König & others, customized for your school’s needs
- 12 Senses III -- FOUR highest senses
School Learning Support Program Development III
- Student success planning for middle & high school
- working with your faculty to share LS knowledge
Teacher Self-Development III
- Inner work III -- sharing insights
“What [the teacher] does need is an insight into what the child really is and is becoming step by step through the stages of childhood” ~ Rudolf Steiner, 1920
Receive discounted tuition for your school community participants:
1. Be a hosting school for "Deepenings" so your teachers learn & practice how to support all the students in your classrooms--no reinvention needed.
2. Send four or more participants to a "Deepenings" intensive in your area
"Deepenings" can be scheduled for two or more times per school year for 1 or more day intensives so we can come back to support your mastery of the content & help you to meet your students' changing needs. Contact us to schedule a customized training that fits your community's needs.
“ [We] try to prepare the body so that the faculty for learning writing and reading can appear out of the body itself.” ~ Audrey McAllen, 1989
deepenings registration
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