What is
Waldorf

Students are immersed in the arts every day through engaging experiences in visual arts, music, theatre, handcrafts, woodworking, and movement. These artistic expressions are thoughtfully woven throughout the academic curriculum, enriching mathematics, language arts, and the sciences alike. Few educational approaches place such a central emphasis on learning through artistic practice. By bringing lessons to life through the ever-renewing arts, students deepen understanding, strengthen imagination, and enliven every area of study.

The morning block is a two-hour lesson at the start of each school day where students are emersed in the main topic is presented. The subject—be it math, Greek history, botany or writing—is taught for a three or four week block, then put aside, often to be continued later in the term, or with smaller practice sessions interspersed. This allows students to take a deep dive into one topic, and keeps learning fresh, giving children time to digest what has been learned before returning to the subject.

In Waldorf education, there are no traditional textbooks. Teachers create each lesson and the children illustrate their own individual main lesson books. A child’s lesson book becomes a tangible representation of their individual developmental and artistic growth throughout the year and serves as their unique educational journey.  Main lesson books are built slowly over the course of a block, with the guidance of the teacher, and include both written and artistic illustrations of what they have learned.

Waldorf students spend significant time outdoors—far more than the typical student, exploring their surroundings and taking frequent neighborhood field trips. These experiences foster a living connection to place, deepen students’ relationships to their community, and awaken social awareness. Time outdoors strengthens observational skills and invites curiosity, turning the natural world into a dynamic classroom. Students develop physical resilience, coordination, and confidence through movement and exploration, while fresh air and seasonal rhythms support emotional balance and overall well-being. By engaging directly with their environment, students cultivate a sense of stewardship, responsibility, and belonging that carries into all areas of learning.

In Waldorf education, teachers and students remain in the same cohort beginning in first grade through fifth grade. This continuity allows the teacher to develop a deep understanding of each child’s temperament, learning style, strengths, and challenges, as well as the unique social dynamic of the class as a whole. Over time, this consistent relationship fosters trust and emotional security, creating a classroom environment where students feel seen, supported, and understood. Teachers can tailor instruction to meet the evolving developmental needs of the group and of individual students. This long-term partnership also strengthens communication with families and caregivers.

There are no computers or screens of any kind in the lower grade classrooms (early childhood through 5th grade). The aim is for students to experience the natural world and the social world through their senses and imaginations. They are shown how to express that learning competently, comprehensively, and artistically. Once students are taught critical research methods and have established deep interpersonal responsibility, they are introduced to technology in the upper grades. We live in a world full of technology and have found that Waldorf graduates have no difficulty mastering useful technology after they have advanced beyond the middle school classroom.