Karen Foster is our Early Year Manager. She has been at York Steiner school for 10 years and her daughters both attended the school. In this blog Karen shares her experience as a Kindergarten teacher, and how the teaching and kindergarten rhythm is designed to foster resilience, confidence and connection in the children.
In our country and across the world, there is a mental health crisis and it is particularly impacting children and young people. Frequently this is attributed to the impact of the Covid pandemic, social media use and an increasing requirement for educators to ‘teach to the test’. Whatever the cause, it is more and more difficult for children and young people to build the resilience they need to not only survive, but thrive in a challenging world.Steiner Waldorf early years teaching aims to form a foundation for resilience in children that they will be able to draw on for their whole lives. This foundation is built upon three core principles:
- The world is comprehensible
- Life is meaningful
- Life is manageable
In Kindergarten everything the children do is meaningful and understandable to the young child. The children are involved in all aspects of kindergarten life which empowers them in their environment and gives them a sense of purpose and meaning. In the garden and on our nature tables, the children notice and experience first hand how the seasons change. They maintain a close connection to nature which, as they experience the cycle of the seasons, enables them to feel a sense of reassurance and trust. This understanding of the world tells the children that nature’s cycles always happen and can therefore be relied upon. These cycles and rhythms in nature are mirrored in the daily rhythm in kindergarten which allows the children to feel a sense of order, predictability and security.[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="12" gal_title="Nature Tables"]The kindergarten teachers always present the world to the children as a good place. Every conversation, story or anecdote reflects this and focuses on the values and qualities that teach the children moral values and good habits that support a healthy social life and trust in the world. For example, stories always show that ‘things work out’ and ‘working together wins’. The world always being good promotes trust and confidence and creates a foundation for the children to draw upon in hard times throughout their lives.Resilience and confidence naturally develop when a child has a strong sense of self. The child-led nature of play in kindergarten gives the children the opportunity to explore and make their own discoveries and enjoy the process around them without the requirement of a specific outcome. This play sets them up for a life long ability to explore and become active in their learning and it provides the basis of strong self awareness within their education. The adults that surround the children are also key to how a child develops their sense of self. As kindergarten teachers we are incredibly conscious of how babies and children imitate, and therefore we ensure that we are always conscious of ourselves as role models, speaking kindly, listening attentively, leading inclusively.Babies and young children have to be seen in order to see themselves. The gaze of the parent upon a child creates an attachment and is vital to the child forming their sense of self. In today’s world, there are a myriad of distractions, and it can be challenging for parents to find the time and space to be present. We’re keen to support parents to find this time, for themselves and for their children. This is why we’re developing a programme of parent support and education, for parents with young children, but also for all ages.If you’re new to Steiner Waldorf education, and would like to dip your toes in, we run Parent and Child groups and a monthly Saturday group. We also host enquirers morning and 'Stay and Play' events across the year. We also have our Saturday groups running, if you would like to drop in. Get in touch with us at admissions@yorksteinerschool.org / 01904 654983Enquires Mornings: 9:30am to 12pm
- 21st April
- 9th June
Stay & Play: 2pm to 3pm
- 21st April
- 14th May
- 9th June
Saturday groups: 10am to 12pm - £10
- 14th March
- 18th April
- 16th May
- 13th June
- 4th July
Recommended reading:Education for the Future: How to nurture health and human potential - Michaela Glockler