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The Modern Teacher: Discover, Deepen, Develop. Online or In Person - always real and relevant!

June Craft Week 2025: see below for details

"The difference is profound!"

 

A teacher reflects on The Modern Teacher Spring Week, April 2025

I joined the course as a guest, with a ‘scientific’ approach to teaching: When something didn’t work, I’d ask what input variables needed to be changed to get a different outcome. If a lesson didn’t go well, I’d try to work out, very logically, whether explanations were clear enough or if there was sufficient scaffolding and challenge. To try and improve my teaching, I was very focused on what was coming from me, and for some reason this wasn’t working.

I finished the week with a completely different perspective on how to approach teaching, to approach it as an artist, not a scientist. I now think more about what emotions, feelings and experiences I can bring through my teaching that will connect with students at a specific point of their development, so that they really feel connected and therefore interested and engaged in what they’re learning about.

It has now been 3 weeks since Spring Week, and this change in approach in mindset has transformed not just my teaching, but the learning of the students. Where I previously spent hours crafting ‘perfectly’ structured, scaffolded and appropriately challenging lessons, I now spend a lot more time bringing engaging stories, scenarios and creative ideas that aren’t just interesting to me or others, but speak to and resonate with the specific children in class. The lessons I now create are born from an artistic rather than a scientific process. The difference in both my teaching experience and the student’s learning experience is profound. 

Adam Dyson, Norwich Steiner School, UK

crafts 2025

Join Bernard and his team for a deep dive into the making experience: in just one weekend you will learn how to create beautiful and useful objects from leather, iron or willow and follow your hands. 

Join the Modern Teacher students for the special rate of just £ 195 plus food. It’s an unforgettable experience! Just write us an email to reserve your place.

Bernard Graves is one of the pioneers of the Waldorf Craft movement. His organisation Pyrites specialises in working with adults and children in experiential education through traditional crafts.

Our courses are designed to help people at very different stages in their professional and personal journeys, whether laying the foundations for a new and successful career, improving their understanding of this education or simply providing a creative and engaging environment for adult education in the company of cheerful, friendly and collaborative peers.

Jody Lukas

We are committed to working in the interest of the community.

The Modern Teacher is part of a non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) called “Waldorf Modern Teacher Education”. The current directors are Sven Saar and Alan Swindell.  Interested in becoming a member and supporting our work? Get in touch: info@waldorfmodern.uk

Sven at Yellow Train
Sven Saar
Alan Swindell

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