A Waldorf Journey Podcast

There’s something deeply comforting for children about rhythm. Knowing what comes next—at bedtime, at breakfast, throughout the week—creates a sense of security and makes everyday family life run more smoothly. But if rhythm is the structure of life with children, the seasons are the spark. In this episode, I’m exploring why seasonal life can be so meaningful for children, and how daily rhythm and the larger rhythm of the year work together. Seasonal traditions don’t need to mean elaborate fe...

In Part Two of my conversation with Janet Langley, co-author of Roadmap to Literacy, we move from understanding the stages of literacy development into the practical question every teacher eventually asks: Okay, so what do I actually do? Janet walks us through the kinds of classroom experiences that support children as they move through the emergent, phonemic awareness, pattern, and syllable phases of literacy development. We talk about everything from helping first graders hear words and ind...

This week, I’m reaching back into the A Waldorf Journey archives to revisit a conversation that feels especially worthwhile as we begin a new school year. In this episode, originally recorded in 2019, I talk with Janet Langley, co-author of Roadmap to Literacy, about what Waldorf teachers need to understand about how children actually learn to read—and why literacy is one area where class teachers need to become specialists rather than generalists. Janet shares the story behind Roadmap ...

In this episode, I’m kicking off a new series exploring the different components of the Waldorf main lesson, starting with one that can be easy to overlook: the recall. We’ll look at why reviewing yesterday’s lesson is so much more than simply going over old material. A thoughtful recall helps students transform something they’ve heard into something they truly know—and become more conscious of their own learning. I share practical ideas for keeping recall lively and engaging, including: Aski...

This week, I’m taking a break from all the back-to-school planning talk to remember one of the best parts of being a Waldorf teacher: the curriculum itself. I’m sharing three blocks I really love to teach—and what makes each one so well suited to the children at that particular age. We’ll talk about: The first block of first grade — establishing the rhythms, habits, and expectations that will carry you through the year.Fifth grade botany — the beautiful meeting of science, art, imagination, a...