Associate Advisers!

The Steiner Waldorf Advisory Service welcomes its first three Associate Advisers: Andy Phipps, Gabriel Kaye & Jonathan Wolf-Phillips. Associate Advisers offer non-pedagogical support in areas such as administration, regulation & governance. Arrangements for Associate Advisers would normally be negotiated individually between the school & the Associate, as for classsroom assessment, & schools would normally meet the costs involved from their own budgets. However, under certain circumstances, & with prior agreement of the SWAS co-ordinator & SWSF finance team, it may be possible to cover part or all of the costs.

There are many anthroposophically-orientated & other types of consultancy offering support to schools & settings. Staff & Trustees may make their choice as to those with whom they wish to work. Associate Advisers, however, have signed up to the SWAS Code* & by working closely with our pedagogical advisers & the Stourbridge office, will be able to offer services that are tailored & integrated to the needs of our complex organisations. More detailed information is available from the SWAS co-ordinator, but in broad terms Associate Advisers offer the following:

• Andy Phipps - Ofsted advice & advice on matters of behaviour managment & safeguarding
  
• Gabriel Kaye - All areas of school administration & marketing


• Jonathan Wolf-Phillips - Governance, Associative Leadership (including student associations & individual time-management skills training

* See foot of main page for SWAS Code

Few Words: Much Work

“The inner life of the teacher”, it’s a forbidding subject; but would anyone own up to having no inner life, teacher or not? After all, the moment you wake up in the morning, whether the reaction is “Urrgh!” or “Wow!” “Let’s get going!” or “Hmmmmm! – Just a few minutes longer” (subject to temperament & habit) one’s inner life wakes up too. So what’s all this about inner life & inner work & why do words entangle & confuse something that starts by being common or mundane?

Not just any set of thoughts & not just random & reactive mental scribblings, we’re talking here of something we chose to do as part of our “profession”, something that brings form & discipline into what is otherwise chaotic & undertaken in order to help children. Not just for my sake, but for them.

A short story: A man asked Rudolf Steiner how he might prepare himself to meditate. Steiner gave him a short sentence containing a mental picture to think about to the exclusion of everything else for five minutes each day. Meeting the man again Steiner asked how him how he had got on. “Useless!” the man replied, “Every time I try to do what you said, my thoughts begin to buzz. I have so many loose ends & nothing knits together. I had to give up because I was making no progress”. “But you have made wonderful progress,” was the reply, “You now know what your thoughts are really like!”

People talk a great deal about “non-verbal” signals & “body language” as though these things could be simply adapted to one’s will. The way the thoughts (& especially those that are also felt) we carry with us all day influence those around us is little considered or heeded, but shouldn’t we have more control of these than, for example, of the habit of touching your nose when feeling uneasy? In fact, if you want to do something about the habit, don’t you need to think about it first (“seeing” the problem being the starting point, & where does the “seeing” take place)? Perhaps it is useful to remember that the reality of what we think is one of the first principles Steiner sets out in “How to Attain Knowledge of Higher Worlds”.

To meditate, contemplate, ponder, reflect, cogitate, pray or truly think: there are plenty of words & they’re easily tangled, but the doing is what makes the difference. The doing in this case is unseen; & what is unseen is easiest forgotten. The first of what are often called (wrongly – because of one of the contexts in which they were given) “the six subsidiary exercises” is that concerned with gaining better control of thinking. Whisper it softly, but teachers of young children need to have clearer thoughts than those working with teenagers! A beautiful piece of sewing is an indication of precise thoughts!

Focussing on an everyday object for five minutes, one can attempt to exclude the extraneous drift of will-o’-wisp thoughts. Like the man in the story, the interesting discovery is how difficult it is to do when you set yourself to do it. A similar approach can be adapted to picturing the newborn child, the child taking her first steps, or making her first outwardly meaningful utterance, tying her own shoelaces for the first time. You might find a fascinating to-&-fro between the way in which a vital apprehension of these things brings life & meaning to what Steiner has to say about child development & this can be experienced as enriching the developmental pictures one builds. But don’t take my word for it, if you haven’t tried it, do it: then we shall each have something unique & valuable to speak about.

WORTH A READ?

The following books may be of interest to colleagues:

The Crazy Makers by Carol Simontacchi
Deep Books Ltd (ISBN 9781585426263)

Carol Simontacchi is a clinical nutritionist & her book explores the way the food industry has gained increasing influence on the collective diet. Her analysis sets out the stages by which commercial interests pander to humanity’s tendency to prefer the sweet & high fat foods. She makes the case, based on a particular interpretation of evolutionary theory, that we have evolved in conditions where food supply was scarce to an affluent modernity where ancient appetites & tastes lead to excessive consumption & epidemic obesity. Although this argument has become a common one, she provides the sort of overview that may be useful when speaking to school communities about children’s diet. The author’s key concern is the effect poor nutrition can have upon mental health.

Letting the Outside In by Rebecca Austin
Trentham Books (ISBN 9781858563916)

In this book Rebecca Austin sets out her belief that while children’s lives are increasingly lived in enclosed environments, children learn better when they have “real stuff” work with. Many colleagues & parents of children in Steiner schools will readily acknowledge the force of Rebecca Austin’s conviction. The book provides case studies & research evidence to support the value of the classroom outdoors & she also gives practical applications & examples for her ideas.

One chapter, for example, sets out how teachers can make use of an inner-city environment to enhance learning. The author suggests bringing movement into the classroom & using buildings for musical composition. Not all these ideas will strike a chord with Waldorf educators. Nonetheless, the book is a useful resource, providing a rationale for venturing beyond the confines of the classroom. There is much here to suggest that Rebecca Austin would be a comfortable fellow traveller on the trail that organisations like the Hiram Trust, Pyrites & Ruskin Mill Educational Trust have been blazing. Her argument is one that should help to put the health & safety imp in its place. Risk management is of course essential, but the necessity to carry out risk assessments should never prevent valuable learning opportunities.

Review KA 8th September

SCHOOLS TO SET CURRICULUM

Helping Schools Succeed: A Framework for English Education

According to a report from the Policy Exchange, the government should hand control of the curriculum back to teachers.

The report argues that the English education system is too centralised, inflexible and provides little choice for parents and pupils. The report includes a survey of 2,000 adults and parents in England and found widespread support for greater autonomy for schools. In the survey, 75 per cent of parents want to see schools set their own curriculum and 69 per cent of parents go as far as saying politicians manipulate the curriculum to suit their aims. League tables are also criticised by parents. Just two per cent of parents use them as a decisive factor in choosing a school and 42 per cent do not even look at them. A significant majority, 87 per cent, believe the government should use a range of factors to measure success, rather than primarily exam results.

The report backs parents' calls for schools to set their own curriculum, as long as they adhere to a core set of standards set by government. "The National Curriculum restricts the freedom of teachers and schools; it also holds back genuine diversity in the school system," says Sam Freedman, head of Policy Exchange's education unit.

The report also suggests that schools should be free to set their own pay scales in order to address recruitment and retention problems. Performance-related pay is also mooted, with just under two-thirds of parents wanting to see teachers paid in this way. To support schools with their new powers "school operating networks", made up of education experts should be set up locally. These would be encouraged to collaborate with each other and disseminate good practice, the report adds.

League tables should also be replaced with report cards covering a number of areas including attendance and work within the community, rather than just exam results.

Successful teachers know themselves?!

Effective Teaching of Disaffected Afro-Caribbean Pupils – Are there lessons for Steiner Waldorf Teachers?

I recently came across a piece of work based on research conducted at a school in the London Borough of Ealing. As reports in national & educational press make clear, there is considerable concern about the academic progress of African-Caribbean pupils, especially boys. This study came about as a result of a recognition that a group of very different teachers across the range of subjects in an Ealing Comprehensive school seemed to have much better success in their teaching these students than other, sometimes equally experienced & qualified, teachers. The research comprised interviews with students & teachers & observation of lessons. The results seem to me to be significant for any teacher, no matter where they teach & irrespective of the origin of the young people.

From the interviews with pupils & the successful teachers, the researchers identified & were able to verify through their observation, a number of common factors:

>The teachers were seen as being “fair” & respectful of pupils as well as insisting on respect towards themselves & everyone else in the class. The teachers were seen as available to & approachable by all their students[1]
>These teachers would always apologise if they got upset or went over the top, but they also made sure that the students knew & kept to the rules of the class
>The rules themselves were seen as reasonable by the pupils, who, in some cases had contributed to establishing them in the first place
>The teachers encouraged & responded positively to pupil questions throughout the lessons observed
>The teachers were seen as having high expectations of their students, but also structured their lessons so that the material was experienced as understandable
>The teachers all had clear aims & objectives for their teaching – a strong sense of purpose which had the appearance of confidence in the classroom, even though some of the teachers reported themselves as not feeling confident as they looked
>All the teachers reported that they enjoyed teaching, even when it was challenging

During classroom observation, one of the most striking consistencies between the different teachers was the way they all directed attention to positive behaviour. Rarely did they draw attention to negative, e.g. –
“Listen while your classmate is talking”
not “Stop talking”
or
“What help do you need to get started?”
not “Why are you still talking?”
Similarly, the teachers gave praise by describing specific behaviour: “That was a well reasoned idea, John” rather than merely responding with, “Good”. Attempts to give answers were always received warmly & there was no jeering or impatience from classmates when mistakes were made. The teachers responded positively to these attempts, gently correcting any misinformation & usually not immediately.

In spite of the similarities, however, the teachers observed showed considerable differences of style. The researchers reported that the teaching ranged from formal & “strict” to informal & “laid back”. The teachers themselves gave very different, sometimes conflicting, explanations for their success: one explained that she had a quiet voice & this helped because, “these pupils expected to be shouted at”; another put their ability with these pupils down to having a loud, commanding voice…

This led researchers to ask themselves more about some of the inner qualities involved in the way the teachers were working. They began investigating the correlation between their state & the way they managed their classrooms. Those who needed silence to think & learn insisted on this from their students. Those who needed movement & bustle to be in a good learning state encouraged this in their students. Perhaps surprisingly, the same group of pupils sat in these very different classroom environments & were able to adapt to them & learn in each.

Implications? –
It seems to me that the context that this study focussed on a particular group of students seen as problematic is not of primary importance here. What the researchers describe is very good teaching brought to light because most teachers found this group of pupils difficult to teach. Most, or all, of the features suggested in the seven listed above (& there are others too) ought to be staples of any & every teacher training, not to mention school policies for promoting positive behaviour. But the major finding in all this might cause a rethinking of some of the ways initial training as a teacher is handled.

Though I am not intimately involved in any of the training courses, the picture I have from speaking to a wide cross-section of recent graduates at the regular Class 1 Teachers’ Preparation Workshops & in the classroom, is that questions of how to optimise one’s own learning state in the classroom & indeed, what a teacher’s individual learning style might be, receives at best peripheral attention. This may be a by-product of training, but is not investigated, nor is that investigation supported, in any systematic way. Becoming aware of oneself as a learner during training would contribute to developing an appreciation of different modes of learning in others. The pedagogical nature of Waldorf education would seem to underline the importance of such investigation & its potential benefit for classroom practice. For Class Teachers in particular, the extensive relationship class teaching involves would seem to call for a mature knowledge of the basis of interaction with the class, both inner integrity & explicit skills in how to apply this.

This study also raises a number of important ongoing questions, which teacher trainers, advisers & other colleagues might do well to explore:
§ What constitutes “confidence” in the way a teacher acts in the classroom?
§ In what ways might awareness of how a teacher can organise the classroom environment to support themselves to learn better help to improve the learning of classes?
§ What processes in initial & ongoing teacher education & development might serve to enhance such knowledge & confidence?

Drawn from a research paper by Kemp & Watson presented to September 2007 BERA conference. Also see http://www.trainingattention.co.uk/
[1] Though the word is not used in the research, it is not pushing the pupils comments too far to say that they bear out the first of Georg Locher’s three injunctions: the teacher should be lovable to children (the other two are: approachable by parents & helpable – or mentor-able – by colleagues)

Audrey McAllen & Teaching Handwriting

REVIEW OF “TEACHING CHILDREN HANDWRITING” BY AUDREY MCALLEN

Back in the seventies, when I began my Waldorf teaching, materials were in short supply, unless one read German. Audrey McAllen’s “Teaching Children to Write” (published in 1977 by Rudolf Steiner Press), with its combination of sound, practical advice, widely informed research & Anthroposophical study, was among these sparse treasures &, for me the most valuable. Some new teachers, starting out with a Class One, have said that the book was their “career-saver”. So the republication of Miss McAllen’s work in new format, augmented & improved as “Teaching Children Handwriting” (Rudolf Steiner College Press) is doubly welcome, not only because of the continuing relevance of its subject-matter, but because the decline of handwriting has proceeded apace since the publication of the original.

Those who know the original book well will find many similarities between this & the new one. But Audrey McAllen is not content to rest on her laurels; the research work has developed, including, for example, a much-augmented description of the development of children’s drawing as a path to understanding how the process of incarnation expresses itself in these scribbles & scrawls. Through this a compelling case is made for beginning with the will-feeling activity of drawing in order to prepare for the activity of writing in a way that accords with child nature. The new book also includes reference to the work of Rhoda Kellog, Susan Greenfield, Rosemary Sassoon, Jane Field & others, indicating the striking convergence over recent years in the findings of some “conventional” research & the insights of spiritual science. This new edition is an even better example than the previous one of how to meet the challenge of ensuring that Waldorf education does not become concreted in a set of traditions but continues to be contemporary. There can be few better illustrations of managing the fourth golden rule for the teacher (“Discussion with Teachers”, closing words), “The teacher must never get stale or grow sour”.

The question of children’s handwriting is an important one. Many teachers, while recognising the importance of approaching reading via this route, yet lack the means to articulate the reasons for that method. In many classrooms one can observe a certain disjunction, once reading has started, between this activity & that of handwriting. “Teaching Children Handwriting” provides a coherent framework, not only for handwriting, but has much to say about its connection to reading & spelling. Specific handwriting indications in chapters 4 & 5 seem even more relevant now than when the original was published & it is significant that, in addition to giving the correct formation for Roman capitals, the movements for more of the digits & the rhythmic flow of the cursive forms has been added. All this is very welcome, although this reviewer would like to see a more detailed examination of different styles of foundation hand. The cursive “f” shown, for example, is correct, of course, but there is no reference to the principle that informs some of the recent “dyslexia-friendly” scripts that avoid upper loops (introducing the quality of concentration to the ascenders) & follow a consistent use of clock-wise loops for the descenders. The form suggested for “x” also leads away from the corresponding objective to give children a script that enables them to complete each word (including “exceptions”!) without lifting the pencil from the paper (“i” dots & “t” bars, of course, will always require to be added after the word has been written). While the earlier book gave relatively sketchy suggestions for continuing the handwriting curriculum after class 1 & 2, the new one expands the guidance for the earlier classes & continues the overview to class 5. In a number of schools, some introduction to calligraphy is now given as an artistic subject in its own write. The lack of coherence of approach to this might well benefit form some further study, since the aim of these lessons can sometimes be hazy. One would hope that in the course of time the handwriting curriculum can be completed to include classes 6 & upwards, especially because the possibility of raising the activity of handwriting to a conscious participation becomes all the harder during puberty. If good “use of self” in handwriting has not been established before this time, it can be nearly impossible to affect a change at this stage (the pressure exerted by the increasing emphasis on quantity writing also easily counteracts any good habits established earlier). The range of fonts & the principles of design that inform them would seem to be a topic that must come to fore in an age when an almost infinite number of permutations are available via a PC at the click of a mouse. “Teaching Children Handwriting” will have made a vital contribution to the art of education if it encourages more teachers to look to & explore their own hand.

The sections of the book concerned with reading & spelling are less expanded. One particular point is worth emphasising here, however. Audrey McAllen’s suggestion for the teaching of English vowels provides a sure guide for teachers working in this language. If this lesson were heeded it would do much to avoid the confusion that can so be sown by simply trying to apply Rudolf Steiner’s indications for these sounds to a phonic system to which they do not apply. That said, the good advice given to help teachers develop an informed & thorough approach to all the literacy skills, still awaits further research & expansion. This book, however, makes a valuable contribution to this, both through the practical indications & by raising the question of different learning styles, specifically visual, auditory & kinaesthetic. The warning that the love of collecting is shortlived in the child & that “banging-on” with rote learning can easily become counter-productive is well made, but the section that follows it “Other Approaches to Spelling” could have done with further elaboration. In addition to Els Gottgens “Rainbow Books”, & the useful “Spotlight” series (Robinswood Press) it would be helpful to mention “Alpha to Omega” (Heineman) & Robinswood more recent “Lifeboat” series. And, while many will understandably & for sound reasons, share the reservations about placing strugglers in front of a computer in order to by-pass the problem, the contribution of specific technology at the right time still awaits a coherent Waldorf rationale.

“Teaching Children Handwriting” will surely become a Waldorf classic. Better still, it is a book that could be placed before a mainstream educationalist without embarrassment (something that is still quite rare). The book is attractively designed & well edited, with clear sections for ease of reference, a generous bibliography that could be the basis for a self-initiated “in-service education” & (a real advance since 1977!) an index. It ought to be on the reading list of every teacher-training course & compulsory reading for new class one teachers. Experienced teachers too will surely be grateful to Audrey McAllen for going through with the painful process of revision & updating of this book. One hopes that issues raised by re-reading it will ignite a further spirit of research among Waldorf educators. That would be to pay this book the compliment it deserves, that of emulating the vitality of enquiry Audrey McAllen herself exemplifies.

Lessons from the Governors?

School governors have a lot to learn
By Alexandra Frean Education Editor The Times June 5 2007

School governors often lack the necessary financial and managerial expertise and are not qualified to assess staff, research suggests. Reforms have handed greater independence to schools and reduced interference from local authorities, but too little attention has been paid to the extra burdens this has placed on governors, the Joseph Roundtree Foundation says. The result is an army of volunteer governors willing to commit hours of their spare time "for the good of the school", but often without knowing what they are doing. Alan Dyson, Professor of Education at the University of Manchester and lead author of the report, says that schools in the most disadvantaged areas in the country find it particularly difficult to recruit and retain governors with the necessary time and expertise to take responsibility for a typical multi-million pound school budget. "This leads to schools being most desperately in need of good governance yet being the least likely to benefit from it. "Governors are supposed to function as a "critical friend" to the head teacher, but too often head teachers feel that governors lack of expertise makes it difficult for them to be helpfully critical, the report says. Governors are reluctant to make performance appraisals of the head teacher, even though this is a key part of their responsibilities. Elizabeth Ball, a governor of her son’s school, Sherburn High in North Yorkshire, said that while she enjoyed her role, aspects of it were daunting. "I was part of a panel of seven governors who appointed a new head. We had to go through 40 CVs and conduct interviews over two full days. I have held key managerial roles in my own professional life but I still found this hard," she said. The report, based on a study of 14 schools, found that the increasingly complex nature of school governance deterred many people from non-professional and minority backgrounds from putting themselves forward. As a result, governing bodies tended to be dominated by middle-class people, quite often from outside the school’s immediate area. It also found that governing bodies lacking expertise made little difference to the running of schools. As one head said, losing a secretary or a teacher would have a big impact on the school, but "if [the governing body] didn’t exist, you might not notice." The report suggests the creation of a group of paid, professional governors in each locality to sit on the governing bodies of a number of schools alongside volunteer governors.