observation notes from meadowbrook waldorf

OBSERVATION NOTES WHILE AT MEADOWBROOK WALDORF SCHOOLBY HANNAH GARDNER

SEPTEMBER 2012 - DECEMBER 2012

• September 5, 2012 • 7th Grade Main Lesson

• 6 weeks of Latin, then 6 weeks of German -> continue to switch back and forth• morning verse• student A - trouble maker?• write with fountain pens or calligraphy pens• lots of transition time• raising hands• discipline issues: how are they dealt with?• name tags on chairs and desks• are there grades to their assignments?• Monday - students need to bring in travel guides for their country research

project; no internet is allowed for this project• snack blessing• ancient Mexican book, read “Creation Story” out of it• fraction review

• adding and subtracting fractions• 8th Grade Movement

• bothmer to begin (developed by Steiner in Germany in 1920s as movement)• physical testing - situ ups and push ups• King of the Fairies dance• bothmer to close

• September 6, 2012• 7th and 8th Grade Bothmer

• have it together• walking around• sundial

• 7th Grade Main Lesson• blessing with candle each morning• singing - practice for Michaelmas, very pretty voices• review Code of Conduct• read a poem• continents/world geography• very chatty, no real control• have to ask when to get a drink• landscapes

• Amazon River, Rainforest• Grasslands• Driest place in the world is located in Chile

• kids correct grammar• students drawing while the teacher is talking, distracted

• how can the teachers evaluate if the students know the information or not?• dictation on South America - “Location”• the teacher reads the whole thing, then each sentence twice, students need to

write it down word for word with correct spelling and punctuation• have to draw a map of South America• I helped to correct dictations while the students worked quietly on their

drawings of South America and llamas• Grade 1 Movement

• name game• jump rope unit

• September 7, 2012• Morning meeting

• all grades in the commons• singing and recorded (beautiful!)• practicing for Michaelmas

• 7th Grade Main Lesson• last week of the block they will present their research reports on the countries

they chose• think about a topic I want to present about - either Aztecs or Mayans - myth or

legend and then drawing lesson• Students A, B, and C -> difficulty with language • review from yesterday about landscape• essay about S.A. landscape - in their own words• teacher had to have them clear their desks multiple times because of

distractions• essay had to have 3 paragraphs, all in the 3rd person

• Andes Mountains• jagged peaks• plateaus• Lake Titicaca

• Landscape of S.A.• 1. Introduction• 2. Body Paragraphs• 3. Conclusion

• Central Plains• llanos• selvas• gran chaca• pampas

• Highlands• plateaus• rolling hills

• River systems• Amazon• Orinoco• Paraná

• Tierra del Fuego• near Cape Horn• mountainous areas• glaciers• Strait of Magellan

• Isthmus of Panama• Waterfalls in Venezuela (highest waterfall in the world)• lots of independent work• homeschooling books for lesson ideas• walk around to help with essays (questions, writing, etc.)• teacher has three kids, she has her doctorate in Archaeology and has been a

Waldorf teacher for 10 years• Supervisor Meeting

• class council in 4th grade• no grading until the 8th grade• if child is falling behind, then he/she needs more support

• if they are socially okay, then academically they should be okay• Grade 2 Movement

• name games• king of the dragon jumprope• King of the Fairies folk dance to close

• September 10, 2012• Chorus

• 7th and 8th grade combined• not too much respect for the chorus teacher• everyone, no matter what, has to do everything (knitting, woodworking, trying

new food, etc.) -> no gender differences• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• quietly working in their books a7er a short review• climate during 2nd main lesson block, a7er snack• stand to end main lesson with poem/saying

• Early Childhood • help set up the beds, laundry, food, etc.

• Grade 8 Movement• flexibility and shuttle tests• folk dance to end

• September 11, 2012• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• practice for Michaelmas - songs• latitude and longitude game and review

• Greenwich Mean Time @ Prime Meridian (GMT)• helped point out places on the map to show the places and answers• helped solve the problems• climate review

• based on longitude• will have quiz at the end of the block

• supervisor said that students are typically not good test takers• climate notes in main lesson book• with on Central America map• Incans

• creator story• Cuzco• very visual learning• could draw during the story but very distracting for me• Strings

• 7th Grade Handwork• work on felted soap


• review conduct code• student come out individually to be heard by the chorus teacher• had students visit me in the hallway to talk about research projects and where

they stood• snack time and recess• Inca review / lesson

• Grade 8 Movement• 1 mile run test • I ran with the slowest student and kept him motivated

• September 13, 2012• Bothmer with 7th and 8th Grade• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• helped a student organize his thought and itinerary about his “trip” and proof read his first paragraph

• helped another student find information in his book, proof read, and told him my general thoughts for improvement

• September 14, 2012• Assembly

• practice Michaelmas songs• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• drawing lesson that I completed with the Mayan heiroglyph• Grade 2 Movement

• jumprope still• September 18, 2012

• 7th Grade Main Lesson• poem reciting• work on songs for Michaelmas• count of 4 that I kept in order to get students on the right beat• Incan Empire• some of the 7th graders getting a little moody/rude• Mayans - introduction• talk about research project - rough dra7 was due today• peer review and editing

• dictation on Mayans• Early Childhood

• helped set up the beds and put rain gear on the children• 8th Grade Movement

• run outside for a warm up• stretch and talk about “What is a WOD?”• introduction to squat and pushups• 3 Tabatas of squat, push up, and jumprope• Homework - push ups and air squats on Saturday

• Handwork• felted soap again

• September 19, 2012• Chorus in the morning• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• practice songs for Michaelmas• brief math review• have to solve verbal problems

• ex. 9 x 11 - 9 / 10 = ?• Mayan review / new information• work on main lesson books• snack• I read them a story called “The Flame of Peace”

• September 20, 2012• Bothmer• Grade 7 Main Lesson

• work on main lesson book• meet with teacher to discuss research project editing• in Main Lesson book

• map of S.A. • dictation• llama drawing• essay -> S.A. Landscape• world climate• map of Central America• Inca writing• Inca drawing• Maya drawing• Maya dictation• Aztec drawing • Aztec dictation• research report

• Grade 1 Movement• practice Michaelmas challenges

• September 21, 2012• Assembly

• practice Michaelmas songs

• any birthdays? sing Happy Birthday - Waldorf has their own birthday song• 2nd grade prepared a song to share with the school

• Mentor Meeting with 7th Grade Teacher• What makes it special?

• art is linked to what they are studying• more oral presentation (story-like), not too much reading• integrated curriculum• piece of looking carefully at child development and then basing curriculum

around that (everything from crayons they use to songs they sing)• 9 years old

• major point in the Waldorf world• realize mortality• Old Testament stories that year• Moses• “fall from paradise”

• 4th grade• Norse mythology• start to see themselves as individuals• all different gods and goddesses

• 5th grade• golden year• centered• pre-puberty• Greek history

• 7th grade• explorers, physiology• centered society

• child development is super important in Waldorf• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• recorder practice for Michaelmas• spelling test• way to study

• ritual• ritua• ritu• rit• ri• r• ritual

• every time someone blurted something there was a check made and for each check, she would add a spelling word from last week to the test (at the end

• had to right a sentence with your vs. you’re• math problems on test too (all orally asked)

• 2.78 x 100 = 278• 12.53 / 100 = 0.1253

• Aztec introduction

• give back to earth in form of blood - human sacrifice • very visual lessons and stories

• review for quiz, will have map on it• presentations are next week

• September 24, 2012• Chorus first thing in the morning• 7th Grade Main Lesson

• prayer/saying• put spelling words into agenda book• game to study South America and Central America

• 2 teams• clues and then bring card to the front with the correct answer

• quiz review• names and location of countries• main landscapes of S.A.

• compare to North America• can see differences in ability and intelligence level• vocabulary section• Inca, Maya and Aztec compare and contrast essay

• reading testing - I conducted out in the hall with the students• Grade 1 Handwork and Grade 1 Movement

• continue working on projects• gnome hats and jumprope


• Country Reports• Student A - Guyana

• nervous• talked about Georgetown• mountain• “miniature India”

• Student B - Mexico• oil, coffee, tourism• Mexico City• short• spoke well• informative

• Student C - Venezeula• capital• Angel Falls = highest waterfall• banana, oil, coffee

• Student D - Guatemala• Guatemala City• very nervous, very quiet• Mayan ruins there

• Student E - Peru

• very good speaking voice• Lima• very informative• Machu Picchu • Manu Jungle• knew a lot about Peru

• Student F - Ecuador• Quito is the capital• Galapagos• mangroves• lots of animals• shrimp ceveche

• Student G - Brazil• borders all countries except for 2• Amazon River• Rainforest• Rio De Janero• Carnival• brought in food

• main lesson book work• painting signs for Michaelmas• finished my S.A. watercolor

• Grade 1 Movement• jumprope still• interesting to see who is improving and who is still having trouble

• October 1, 2012• 1st Grade Main Lesson

• switched seats (do it at the start of every month or when they get antsy)• parents come in with most of the kids although some take the bus• start with a handshake every morning

• “Hi _______________.”• “Hi Mrs. _______________.”

• singing to see who is here and then each student responds, “Yes I am, I am here.”

• discuss how their weekends were • circle time to get moving and then talk about letters

• example, what words begin with the letter H• 8th Grade Movement

• outside for the WOD• Ramses Run


• circle time• D for dragon, main lesson book• mama bear, papa bear, baby bear - sides of the crayon• stories about Dragons in Dark Dungeons

• 8th Grade Movement• 1x5

• air squats• plank• burpees• sit ups• push ups

• 5 rounds AFAP• 10 step ups• 200 yard sprint• 20 mountain climbers

• Homework• 10 minute run with 50 seconds jogging and 10 seconds all out


• story telling about king and queen and how they met• circle time - first time using the bean bags

• dough starts with “D” so they made “D’s” with dough• clean up, snack, recess


• learn the letter “B”• issue with Student A and Student B on the bus and in general• review the story told yesterday• talk about B words• draw B’s on the board, BIG B’s• have placemats for snack

• 1st Grade Movement• balance block started• tight rope, balance boards, feathers, balance beam


• assembly first and then main lesson• parent with a black eye?• went outside for a hike and then story outside• planted a bulb, which was part of the story• draw B’s in the sand to practice• snack and lots of time for playing


• student A = trouble maker, if he is causing trouble then teacher will have him do something to distract him

• all the kids have a lot of energy a7er the long weekend• notes about anyone going home differently?• talk about their weekend• short circle time today because there was hearing testing

• draw B in the air using right hand - no le7 hands allowed?• continued story from last Friday• put B into main lesson book to practice


• “M”• Monarch butterfly was brought in• fit slippers for eurhythmy • bean bag work• M into main lesson book• M for Mountains = draw the M and then make the mountains out of the M• circle time

• 8th Grade Eurhythmy• music on the piano - classical music• respect• speaking with legs and arms only• raise hand if something to say• NO TALKING• faster feet• moving backwards and forwards• very specific• routine to speech• cannot touch rod with shoe


• crazy today• went over story that was told yesterday but the teacher did it in play form so

the kids acted it out• 7 Ravens and the Girl - story• finished fitting eurhythmy shoes• lots of behavior issues today...


• assembly with songs• rough time during circle• “J” now on the board• similar stories from last circle time• can tell its the end of the week• J is for Jug from the Raven story• main lesson book - draw a story from the Raven story but must have jug in the

picture that is in the shape of a J• October 15, 2012

• 1st Grade Main Lesson• simple games at the beginning of the day

• cat’s cradle• pick up sticks

• marbles• write letters with their feet, put the crayon in between their toes• difficult with one student who has braces on her legs due to spina bifoda

• October 16, 2012• lots of energy• a lot of tattle-tailing going on• practice J’s in their main lesson book• must have 5 J’s on each line• top to the bottom of each line• students drew J on the board with a wet brush• some of them have difficulty looping J in the right direction• lots of le7ies in the class• work on individual drawing once done with main lesson book work

• all different drawings• teacher drew new letter on the board with chalk• can tell that this lesson was extensively prepared• T = Tree• circle time -> worked a lot better instead of hyping them up before and having

circle time first thing• October 17, 2012

• 1st Grade Main Lesson• went outside for circle time and to look at all the leaves for the “T” drawing

they would be doing• “T” for tree

• 8th Grade Eurhythmy• not Mrs. but Ms. -> very specific• early childhood teacher said the class was too fast for the younger kids,

children could not digest it• 8th graders a little crazy today with energy


• chalkboard• write letter with hand• then erase letter with sock• then draw with toes• practiced T’s and J’s

• worked in main lesson book with T• the small box and other lines will be for when they learn lower case• went outside and made pinecone people

• Early Childhood Lunch• “Have a good a7ernoon Ms. Hannah.”


• outside to collect acorns• circle time outside• then inside to count acorns (pile of 20, then 2 piles of 10)

• 1st Grade Handwork• continue working on “horse reins”


• 5th grade runs around the school every morning with the teacher, she wants them to learn to love running

• “bells are ringing, bells are ringing, hear them singing, hear them singing...” in order to have them start their day outside of the classroom

• acorn story - short circle time• L = Lantern drawings in main lesson book

• 8th Grade Eurhythmy• any type of poem or something that they could connect with?• teacher somewhat in a bad mood...• 2 more weeks of classes and then performance• choreographed dance in a sense


• drawing, getting ready for the day, reading, schedule, roll the placemats that were cleaned over the weekend

• what are numbers? what do we use them for?• practice L in the main lesson book• 5 on each line with dot in between each one• new main lesson books for number


• one of the students has two moms and we were talking about parents and one of the children said that that student didn’t have two so we explained how she just has two moms instead of a mom and a dad

• review of story of 1 / I (learn both modern number and “ancient” (Roman) number

• story of 2 - what is 2? (two eyes, two feet, two wings, etc.)• main lesson book - make person with block crayons

• October 26, 2012• Assembly

• Halloween stories• next Friday they will sing Martinmas songs

• 1st Grade Main Lesson• What is 2?• Stone with 2 on one side and II on the other• What is 3?• hedgehog story• 2 -> main lesson books, paper divided in half for night drawing and day

drawing, then write 2, II, and two• November 5, 2012

• 4th Grade Main Lesson• field trip to Fort Ninigret and then Green Hill

• take a lot of hiking trips, basically every other week• no binoculars allowed until 7th/8th grade - why?• learn about Native Americans and local geography• history and landscape• coloring on the memorial rock• What do you see around you?• take notes in journal• read the info station about local history - Narragansett, Niantic, Dutch, etc• trade wampum, copper kettles, pipes• Green Hill - beach clean up• lunch and more hiking• math skills with another teacher, not main teacher

• November 6, 2012• 4th Grade Main Lesson

• mish-mosh day because the teacher was absent and then there was school missed because of hurricane

• line up outside the door• much more social than 1st grade - have been together longer• the same verse as the 1st grade• has star child too• all have binders and their own desk• help with bunnies - the class has two angora bunnies (since last year) that they

are saving the fur and will spin in 5th grade• practice numbers in Chinese 1-30• homework to write story about animal• some share the stories - excellent vocab and story telling voice• some stories are not fully developed yet• have circle time too but shorter• more difficult circle time

• rounds, drumbeats, some same with stretching up and down with legs• work on reports• very dramatic class - a little spacey at time• did 1st dra7 of report, now doing final copy• everything must be in cursive for the final report• some students need help remembering how to write some of the letters• no talking during main lesson• all write with fountain pens


• catch up still• line up outside at bell• lots of energy• at this age, they start to see more than just the world around them• final copy of animal drawing• circle time• bean bags

• read play that they will be doing -> about Iroquois nation• the teacher wrote the play

• 8th Grade Movement• deck of cards:

• wall balls• star jumps• sit ups• barrier hops


• supervisor said that this class is unique• very artistic group• very good eye contact when shaking hands with teacher, unlike 1st graders• every 6 weeks she has a potluck get together for the parents and students

which has helped a lot• November 9, 2012

• 4th Grade Main Lesson• homework every day but they don’t have to finish it• allowed to spend only 1 hour on homework• division homework• re-read the play• spelling words

• Russia• ballet• mystery• electricity• people


• presenting their research projects on animals starting today• very musical class• too much parental involved with one of the students, the mom does most of

the work...• very energized a7er long weekend• first row must fold up the laundry from the weekend• Student A - dolphin

• how diorama was made• facts• story

• Student B - opossum• read from book/report

• Student C - mole• fast reader, difficult to hear, slow down

• Student D - weasel• everything from nature in diorama• very good public speaker

• not a super strong reader/writer• good when speaking, otherwise very tough to listen to

• Student E - box turtle• actually a tortoise, not a turtle• very good public speaker

• putting off the play for now• making moccasins in their handwork class• use fold-out boards for drawing a scene from the play to be cover of next block - Native Americans


• continued presenting research reports• Student A - beaver

• fast reader• read from his research report book

• Student B - black bears• seems a little nervous• monotonous tone

• Student C - luna moth• very nervous• talking into diorama or to the teacher instead of to the audience

• Student D - hermit crab• explained how she made diorama• lots of questions and comments for her

• Student E - bobcat • wonderful reader

• homework review• homework every night• math review• multiplication• must be complete sentences• reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins and answering questions

• 8th Grade Movement• ran the class by myself• had the kids choose the exercises that we did• lots of stretching• 12 minutes AMRAP

• 5 push ups• 10 sit ups• 15 jumping jacks (some of the boys had difficulty with this)• 100 m sprint


• research presentations• Student A - bunny

• very good reader

• seemed nervous at first• Student B - deer

• good vocab• clicking sound when talking?• excellent story; very descriptive

• Student C - barn owl• good reader• used q-tip fuzz for the owlets in the diorama• needs to speak a little more clearly

• Student D - tick• so funny• so much personality

• Student E - fox• very simple sentences

• homework review• still working on division• students will just start singing• Native American Block• Chief Seattle story• brother eagle, sister sky• earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth


• on Monday there will be a hike• more presentations• Student A - squirrel

• beeswax• very descriptive• good reader• lots of questions for her at the end

• Student B - sea turtle• clay, paint, sand• didn’t read from his report at all• remembered all the facts

• Student C - red tailed hawk• didn’t want to talk about animal - nervous• didn’t read - good!

• Student D - skunk• lots of questions and comments for her

• learned part of pow wow dance with one of the parents; she is a Narragansett Indian

• grammar homework• verb and predicate work with adjectives


• saw a marionette show in the morning

• then went on a hike at the Narragansett Indian reservation• saw old foundations, their church, stream, old artifacts, the pow wow grounds• kids were intrigued and had lots of energy a7er the Holiday Faire the day

before•

observation notes from meadowbrook waldorf

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