City Garden Waldorf School Tour!
- Jun 11, 2015
- 2 min read
City Garden Waldorf School, located in gentrifying University Village/Pilsen, blew me away on my tour last month!
The article, Essentials of Waldorf Early Childhood Education quotes the founder of Waldorf method, Rudolph Steiner, on what was fundamental to the approach:
Every education is self-education, and as teachers we can only provide the environment for children’s self-education. We have to provide the most favorable conditions where, through our agency, children can educate themselves according to their own destinies. This is the attitude that teachers should have toward children, and such an attitude can be developed only through an ever-growing awareness of this fact.
Here we are waiting outside the gate before our tour started. The outdoor space was so peaceful, especially on such a lovely day! Nature and the outdoors are central to Waldorf methodology. Our tour guide, Victor, told us that the kids go outside daily (even on the coldest days, even on the days when public schools are closed because of weather!).
There are four classrooms, each is broken up with 20, 3-6 year olds, equal girls/boys ratios and two teachers. So there's not a 3 year olds in the room, 4 year olds in the room, etc. Montessorri includes age integration but only for a portion of the day. (See a Montessori tour)
The teachers stay with the same class from year to year until the children leave the school.
The school is made up of two buildings, with the courtyard in the middle. Each of the four apartments are converted classrooms. There's a full kitchen, huge dining table with 20 little chairs, big rugs, a bathroom, wooden toys, and fireplace in each class. Not to mention beautiful natural light and a cozy feeling.
You won't find any plastic or tech toys in a Waldorf classroom. All of the toys are handmade, thoughtful, and adorable. Children at this are aren't exposed to any letter characters or numbers in the traditional sense. Victor said they learn math in setting the table and needing 20 place mats.
A teacher will sit and have story time everyday while the kids lay on the rug. I was trying to scheme how I could take that Iranian rug in the background home with me!
There's a fireplace in every classrom that is used in the winter time. Victor said that the kids are never told to not touch they fire, they just know not to.
Honey bees on the roof! The kids will pick fresh fruits and vegetables for meals, cut flowers for the classroom, and set the table.
And a great view!
City Garden Waldorf school is one of the most affordable I've found. They have open enrollment and to apply you must attend a parent only oreintation. This one I'm for sure keeping on my radar!
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