Many of you have asked me what’s next for me. A lot of my future is still uncertain, but I have some thoughts. And, as usual, if I get my way, I’ll have a full plate with lots of diverse experiences. Here are some of the possibilities.

Copywriting

I shared a while ago that in September I started graduate school for a master’s in strategic communications. Though working through this program for the past six months or so has been TOUGH, it’s been an incredibly enriching experience. I’m thoroughly enjoying my classes and I’m doing well in them! It’s nice to have a little reminder that I have a lot to offer — even in the grown-up world.

The experience (and my increasing age) got me asking questions about the best use of my skills. Teaching has been incredibly personally rewarding, but the truth of the matter is that as I get older, I need to think about doing work that compensates well — in the more traditional sense. Over the past few months it has felt even a little irresponsible to continue doing this work that I love, while putting very little towards my future. I’m a single woman without much of a safety net and my kids are already dreading drawing straws to figure out who’s going to take me in.

For years, I’ve done copywriting work on the side to supplement my teaching and my goal is to transition into doing that work full-time. Though I would love the flexibility of freelance, the stability of a full-time position is probably the more responsible move.

In the past, I’ve done B2B and B2C writing for tech, healthcare, finance, and, of course, education — so if you’ve got any leads, send them my way.

Mentoring and Evaluation

Getting into other teachers’ classrooms has always been one of my favorite things to do and I would LOVE to keep doing this work. I know there are a lot of new teachers out there and schools need to give those teachers as much support as they can to help ensure their success.

I’ve been talking about the importance of mentoring for a long time. Truly, I would have walked away from teaching in my first year if I didn’t have the solid support of a mentor — who wasn’t teaching full-time herself.

A lot of schools can’t afford outside mentors, so they rely on a robust peer mentorship program. Teachers start with the best of intentions, but things inevitably fall apart as everyone gets busy and they just don’t have time to go visit other teachers’ classrooms.

I’m hoping that whatever full-time gig I come up with can allow for some flexibility so I can get into Waldorf classrooms with some frequency.

A Waldorf Journey

I’ve also done a lot of thinking about how NOT spending my days in the classroom will allow me more time to focus on A Waldorf Journey. Of course, the classroom gives me such inspiration for the content I share here, so I’m sure it will be an adjustment. But Waldorf Education is a part of my heart and soul — I think I’ll find plenty of things to write about.

Honestly, there are so many directions this little business could go. I’d love to fill in the gaps of the curriculum resources I offer, get podcasting again, and let more people know about my courses and other resources.

I’ve also had a dream of creating a six-month long mentorship program that provides hand-holding, tools, and one-on-one support through those important first few months of teaching. Maybe I could make it affordable enough to persuade schools to make the investment!

So, in many ways, the world is my oyster. I’m excited about all the possibilities, but also slightly terrified. I’m trusting that the path will make itself clear, and I’m routinely reminding myself that growth follows discomfort. It would be easy to keep teaching forever. But life isn’t always about taking the easy option, I suppose.

The post What Now? Waldorf and Transitions appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, shining ship. It had golden sails topped with high-flying multi-colored pennants. The rich burgundy wood of the deck was so polished it glimmered in the sun.

But this wasn’t just any ship. This ship held the magical powers of transformation. When everyone on board worked hard and shared a common vision, the ship could become whatever they needed, allowing them to travel wherever they wanted. It could transform into a packet boat that could navigate the waters of smooth-as-glass canals. It could become a kayak that leapt through the rapids of swift rivers. Or it could become a large canoe that traveled down the waters of the Great River thanks to the coordinated paddling of the entire clan.

On this ship, anything was possible with hard work and a common vision.

One day some incredibly fortunate young adventurers boarded this ship with their captain (who, it turned out, was the most fortunate of them all). They got to know each other, packed their bags (with the help of some devoted land-lubbers), made some agreements, and set sail.

As the journey began, those adventurers listened to their captain and followed her every command. They worked together caring for the ship, swabbing the decks, hoisting the sails, and cleaning the galley.

They cared for each other, picking up extra work when someone needed rest, working through disagreements as they arose, making sure everyone had what they needed to continue the adventure.

They quickly found that the magic of the ship was real. When they worked hard and built a common vision, they could go anywhere! On board that ship they traveled to the frigid waters of the North, where rugged Norsemen lived passionate lives and died triumphant deaths. They journeyed to a mysterious land where yellow sands parted to make way for a meandering, life-giving river. They met powerful kings, wise rishis, charismatic monkeys, tempestuous princesses, ladder-climbing fish, humble queens, opinionated gods, clever goddesses, and living, talking trees that shared their wisdom with those quiet enough to listen. (The adventurers quickly learned the importance of listening.)

At times, the ship would pull into port and some adventurers would disembark — waving and smiling and blowing kisses through tears as they continued their journey on another ship. Sometimes new adventurers would join the crew, ready to share stories and enjoy new experiences.

Their adventures brought laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, delight and heartache. And the adventurers may not have realized it, but the ship wasn’t the only thing transforming.

After five glorious years of adventure, the ship came in to port once again, but this time it wasn’t to find new crew members. After many hugs, tears, and well-wishes, the captain herself stepped off the ship, clearing the way for a new leader, who would guide the ship on even greater adventures.

With her feet on solid ground, the captain turned and looked at the wonder that they had created together. Those young adventurers taught just as much as they learned, and now someone new would gain the benefit of their teaching.

She reflected on the beginning of their journey, thinking of her younger self, and that sun-drenched day when she unknowingly stepped onboard for the wildest, most adventurous experience of her life. She had no idea what awaited her.

Then she thought again of that new captain who would soon stand at the helm, taking their own leap into the unknown.

With a nostalgic tremble in her voice she whispered to herself, “They don’t know how lucky they are.”

The post The Adventure Continues appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

Here are some of my best tips for doing summer right.

Travel

I am a true homebody at heart. I’ve worked pretty hard to make my home a place that I love and it can take some serious prodding to get me to leave it.

But every time I do I remember how revitalizing and nurturing travel can be. There is nothing like exploring a new place to remind you that you are a citizen of the world. There are so many people out there, with different perspectives and interesting lives. We need to take the time to remember this!

And considering our place in a global context is a really important perspective for teachers to have! The last thing we want is for our students to think of us as fuddy-duddy school marms who don’t understand the modern world.

Outside

I highly recommend spending as much time out in nature as possible in the summer (says the teacher who is currently sitting inside at her computer — ahem!)

I remember learning about the importance about nature in my teacher training, and I confess I didn’t really get it. (How’s that for some Waldorf teacher blasphemy?!). I mean, I grew up in the city. Wild nature was a rarity in my experience and most of the plants I saw around me had been planted there by humans.

But if I really think about it, it is experiences of wild nature that have led to the most moments of true wonder in my life. You know wonder — those moments that take your breath away and create an opening for new discoveries and perspectives? Those are the moments that we are constantly trying to bring to our students. How can we hope to create them if we don’t experience them ourselves?

When I try to think about the moments of wonder I’ve experienced, many of them were in nature.

• the rich sensory experience of salty sea spray (licking my lips while my hair gets blown everywhere)
• gazing at the azure blue of Crater Lake on my recent trip
• the moment when rain turned to snow while I was hiking in the Cascades
• swimming in a cool mountain lake (and then basking in the sun afterwards)

Oh gosh, can I even bear to finish writing this post? I want to hop in the car right now!

Reading

Reading expands our horizons in a completely different way. We can’t explore the entire world every summer, and we certainly can’t explore it from another person’s perspective. This is why books make up such an important part of the summer experience.

A good book can create entire worlds in your imagination, causing you to view your own world in completely new ways. When we get lost in a book, we gain new perspectives that can shed new light on our own circumstances.

And looking at our reading from a more analytical perspective, we can better understand how WE can activate the imaginations of our students. What are the tricks and techniques that writers use to help you create images in your imagination? That’s what we’re trying to do with our students, after all.

Home

And, of course, in the middle of all of this exploration, we need to recognize, appreciate and care for home. During a typical school year, the house gets neglected. We spend full days in our classrooms and a lot of our space-tending energy goes towards that room. We might be lucky to get a couple hours of home maintenance in on a Saturday morning.

So make sure you set aside time to do some practical home care in the summer. I know that in the summer I often even look forward to cleaning out the shed and sorting through my closet.

Give your home the attention it deserves this summer and enjoy the experience of spending quality time in a soothing environment.

What are some of the ways you make the most of your summer? Share in the comments.

Related posts:

When Do You Start Planning?

AWJ 42 | How to Be a Waldorf Parent in the Summer

Friday Reflections 12.8.2018

The post 😎 How to Summer: Waldorf Teacher Edition appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

It’s August, so I’m headlong in planning mode. And though there are many things competing for my time these days, working on my planning is one the tasks that I actually look forward to every day. 

It’s also the one thing that teachers ask me for the most help with. I feel lucky that planning is something that I enjoy so much, and it definitely makes a difference in my classroom. I start the year feeling prepared. I head into every new block with a solid plan. And I start each day knowing exactly where my lesson is going.

Now, all this planning isn’t to say that I’m not flexible. I definitely recognize the value of deviating from the plan when necessary, and I do that often. But having a plan gives me the confidence to feel free enough to deviate. It’s the plan that allows for the creativity. It’s that old from form comes freedom notion.

So, how can you love planning? There are two main things that make the planning love happen for me.

Supplies

The first is supplies. I confess that I’m a sucker for stationery and beautiful office supplies. I’ve used a variety of different planning systems through the years and I’ve found success with all of them. I find that switching things up every now and then makes me love my planning even more.

Some of my most popular blog posts and podcasts have been about the planning systems I’ve used. I’ll link to them in the show notes.

• What Waldorf Teachers Do in July
• Supplies for Waldorf Teacher Planning
• Hobonichi for Teachers
• How Notion Has Completely Transformed My Life
• How to Plan Your School Year AND Enjoy Your Summer

Here are some of the supplies that make my planning experience enjoyable. (I’ll link to some of these in the show notes and some of them are affiliate links.)

• a nice fountain pen (Lamy, TWSBI)
• a planner (Hobonichi, Ink+Volt, Papier, Plum Paper)
• a notebook (Notebook Therapy, Rhodia, Clairefontaine)
• a large sketchbook (Dick Blick, Denik)

Want a Plum Paper planner for 10% off? Email me at meredith@awaldorfjourney.com and I’ll send you the coupon.

Having a Plan

I’m going to go over this just briefly because I teach a whole course on developing a planning system, but the point here is to plan your planning. Know what aspect of your planning you need to work on and when you need to do it. Here’s how my planning system breaks down.

Yearly Planning

Monthly Planning

Weekly Planning

Daily Planning

I hope taking a deep dive on planning has been helpful for you and that you’ll find yourself inspired to enjoy your planning a little more.

The post How To Enjoy Your Teacher Planning appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

It’s a good thing, too, because two weeks ago I took a fantastic road trip with my mom. (Note to self: Plan a trip the week after school gets out every year!)

Since we got back, I’ve been cooped up in the house, thanks to the PNW heatwave, and I’ve been surprised to see my mind turn pretty quickly towards prepping for next year. I’m sure part of my compulsion is that I’m teaching at a summer intensive course at the Micha-el Institute next week (you can still sign up!) but I’m also remembering how fun it is to dive into a new subject when I’ve got time to explore and I don’t have Monday morning’s lesson looming large.

So today I’m thinking about the most satisfying way to start your summer planning. 

Finish Your Reports

In general, I recommend finishing your reports before starting your prep. It’s difficult to dive into the planning with wild abandon when you’ve got that big task hanging over your head. 

That said, there have been some years when I have taken a more leisurely approach to my reports. I savor the experience and really live into the process of reflecting over the previous year. There is something to be said for really slowing down and giving each child your undivided attention over the course of the summer. But, the planning really shouldn’t wait that long.

If this is how you like to do it, create a schedule for yourself and do a little of both all summer long. Each day can have a little reflection and a little forward-thinking.

Map Out Your Year

The first thing I do when I start planning is sit down with the school calendar. To get a basic overview of the year, I highlight the breaks and count up how many weeks are between each break. This helps me start to envision where the blocks might go. Here’s what I did for our school year last night.

I tend to think about the school year as chunks of time from break to break, so my next step was to list the blocks and start chunking out that time.

So I wrote out how many weeks total, and then broke those weeks down into blocks. So in that first stretch (September-Thanksgiving Break), we’ve got 11 1/2 weeks, which maps out to two 4-week blocks and one 3 1/2 week block.

From there, I just look at my list of blocks and start slotting them in. I usually decide this based on seasonal projects and the inward vs. outward nature of the content. This year I plan on starting with a 3 1/2 week Botany block. Hooray!

Gather Your Resources

Over the years I have been a big fan of my local library. There is nothing more inspiring than finding the right area of the shelves, browsing the titles, and heading home with a big bag of books. It’s like book shopping — but free! I can’t tell you how many true gems I have found this way.

But I also can’t tell you how many times I couldn’t find a great resource that I remember using before. Just this morning I was desperately trying to remember a fantastic botany coffee table book I used years ago. I searched my order history on my favorite used book site, the local library catalog, and every search term I could think of — no dice. I wish I’d just bought it!

For this reason, a few years ago I decided to bite the bullet and buy all my own resources. Here’s my thinking.

1. Let’s face it. I’m going to be a Waldorf teacher forever. Those books will earn their keep.
2. Used books are cheap, and for some topics, the old books are the best anyway. This year I spent less than $100.
3. School resources get lost and stuck in colleagues’ personal libraries. I’d rather just have my own.

You may think it’s a little early to start gathering resources, especially library books. I mean, won’t you really need them when you’re teaching the block? Well, there are a few reasons to gather your resources now. First, it’s the fun part. There’s nothing that gets me more in the mood to plan than book shopping. I bought my books this morning and it got me so psyched I sat right down and started this post!

But the other reason is that it takes time for those books to get to you. Used books usually come from all over the country and they just take longer, and I’m not about to pay expedited shipping. Library holds also take time. There were a few books that I decided were too expensive to buy, so I’m just getting them from the library. With my name on the list this early, I’m pretty sure I’ll get them before the end of the summer.

But I’m telling you — if I end up loving those library books, I’ll keep an eye on the used book sites so I can add them to my personal library.

And because I’m such a book nerd, here are a few of my can’t miss fifth-grade books (in case that’s what you’re teaching, too). 

• The Plant vols. 1 & 2 by Gilbert Grohmann — I love this one so much I’ve bought it and loaned it out twice.
• Sequoyah’s Gift by Janet Klausner — Such an inspiring story for when you’re teaching the South in North American Geography.
• Buddha by Deepak Chopra — This biography of Buddha reads like a novel. Perfect summer reading.
• The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander — A great class reader for the India block.

Some others that I haven’t read (yet) but look promising:

• The Odyssey, translation by Emily Wilson
• The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
• The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wholleben
• Botany for the Artist by Sarah Simblet

So, those are the first things I do when starting my summer prep, and often that’s all I need to get the ball rolling. Once those books start arriving in my mailbox or coming in off my holds list, I can’t help but sit down and get reading. 

If you want more summer planning help, you might be interested in signing up for my annual Summer Productivity Course. It runs from late July through August and is designed to walk you through, step-by-step, the process of getting ready for the year. 

To get on the list to get more information about this course, click here and I’ll keep you in the loop.

The post 🤔 When Do You Start Planning? appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

Increasing the talent stack.

We Waldorf teachers were probably the least prepared for this new way of teaching. You only have to look at the outdated PC’s in so many Waldorf faculty rooms around the country to know that our tech skills were back in the dark ages.

Well, my friends, no more. This year we got a crash course on Google Classroom, Zoom, iMovie, and so many other platforms. And we’re using them to deliver the phenomenal lessons we would have presented if we were in the physical classroom. And guess what. Those skills can translate in all kinds of ways. Start thinking about your work as “instructional design.” If you can bend these tools to your will well enough to teach long division to 10-year-olds, you’re ready for anything the professional world might throw your way.

Of course, learning all of these new skills came with a cost. The Waldorf teacher’s work was already demanding, with long hours and insufficient compensation. But this year, we set all that aside knowing that we had students and families who were counting on us.

So we doubled our work — not only planning the content as usual, but also learning new methods and strategies for delivery. And now, dear colleagues, I know you’re exhausted. Promise me you’ll take at least a few days away from work this holiday break.

Partnering with parents.

One of the greatest gifts of this situation is how involved my class parents have become. They have their finger on the pulse of their child’s education in a way that I just cannot in our current situation. They’ve got all of the observations, and they’re sharing them with me.

• “I’ve noticed he forms his cursive O in a strange way.”
• “Why does she keep misspelling this word?”
• “What are some other ways we can practice the 6 times tables?”

Oh my gosh. I can’t tell you how much it makes me smile when parents share these questions and comments with me. I always want to shout, “Yes! I’ve noticed that too!” And though, really, it’s always been the case, I feel like I have real partners in this work, who are just as invested as I am (maybe even more so.)

It’s made me wonder what this will look like when we do finally return to in-person instruction. I suspect that these parents will want to continue to be in the loop and informed about their children’s progress. I mean, I’m sure they’ll be relieved to return to life as usual, with their students in the classroom with me every day. But I’m sure they’ll wonder and want a bit more of an inside view.

Using technology as a tool for connection.

It’s pretty remarkable, really, how well Waldorf schools around the country have embraced technology. And as we were putting together our distance learning plan this summer, I remember various groups of people wondering if there would be resistance among teachers and families. Would we hold our anti-screen-time values, even in this new normal?

Of course, we’ve embraced these technological tools, and there is one big reason for it — connection. The biggest change I’ve noticed in my students during the pandemic is that they are absolutely hungry for connection.

Of course, they’d love to connect with their classmates on the playground. When I think about games of tag, building fairy houses and wrestling in the mud, I wipe a nostalgic tear from my eye.

But without that possibility, they’ll take whatever kind of connection they can get. Zoom? We’ll take it. And we’ll make the most of it. Google Classroom? Let the comments fly! We may not love screens, but if that’s how we can connect with each other, it’ll do. And we’ll push the bounds of those platforms to make true human connection actually happen.

Enjoying the lives we’ve created.

I’ve found it so interesting to observe how the boundaries between professional and personal have become blurred for so many of us this year. And I’m determined that this is a good thing.

I mean, I think it is good for my students, families, and employer to know that I am a whole human being who has a life beyond the classroom. And I love that I’m getting a glimpse at the whole lives of my colleagues, as well.

I mean, we talk the talk about teaching to the whole child, it’s time we walk the walk by acknowledging our own whole lives, too. Our lives are more than teaching, and it’s time we recognized it and shared it with others.

It brings a smile to my students’ faces when they hear Walter bark in the background, or when one of my kids pops into view to share something they learned about the subject at hand.

And I LOVE that I can spend my lunch break working in the garden or walking the dog. We spend so much time creating lives that we love — taking care of the house, cultivating hobbies, connecting with family members — isn’t it a blessing that we got so much more time this year to enjoy those lives?

Instead of fully dedicating a third of my 24-hours to being away from home in the classroom, this year I got to weave that important and satisfying professional experience into my personal life. The result has been a holistic life experience that has been incredibly satisfying.

New projects.

This year has also marked tremendous success for A Waldorf Journey in so many ways.

• Teaching digitally has allowed me to seamlessly share my work with other teachers.
• With endless days at home and the kids off at college, I’ve been creating content like never before.
• Parents who have found themselves suddenly homeschooling have been able to access my curriculum materials and understand the why of Waldorf, just as much as the what.
• I’ve discovered how I can use the tools of connection that I use with my students to better support my teacher clients and customers.
• I’ve started thinking about how I can help teachers to appreciate their talents and use them in other ways.

This last point has led to a new project that I’m really excited about. I want to help teachers realize their potential. This year teachers were appreciated like never before. Though they’ve always known it, the people of the world suddenly realized, in a very concrete way, just how valuable teachers are.

I want for this realization to manifest in the kind of appreciation that will make a real difference in teachers’ lives. And I want for teachers to value their own work and realize how their skills can translate to other areas, and ultimately make a big difference in their financial lives.

This project is brand new, and I’m still not sure exactly what form it will take, but I’m super-excited about it. If you want to learn more, head over to The Real MFP (MFP has come to be my nickname among colleagues and families.)

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and an enthusiastic rounding the bend into 2021.

The post Bidding 2020 a Fond Farewell appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.