What is Waldorf Education?

In the words of our School Director, Maureen Fox:

I attended the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork from 1st through 8th grade. Following my graduation and integration into a public high school and liberal art college, my curiosity about the foundational tenants of my own education grew, eventually leading me to complete a 3-year Waldorf Teacher Training program at Sunbridge Institute. Waldorf Education, which was founded based on the philosophies of child development created by Rudolf Steiner, emphasizes educating the whole human being. Simply put, it educates the head, heart, and hands.

My feeling is that Waldorf Education is an exploration of the world and an experiential endeavor that the teacher and students take on together. The experience of being a student in a Waldorf environment is one that breeds curiosity, cultivates imagination, and opens doors to exploration. The work of the teacher is to bring the curriculum content to life for the students so they develop a relational connection to it, allowing them to feel their way into understanding, not just think their way into knowing the material. In a Waldorf School artistic expression, music, and hands-on learning are all fundamental mediums in getting to know the world, to learning mathematics, literature, and science.