Waldorf Teachers
1. ARE THEY Anthroposophists?
Q. Are all Waldorf teachers deeply devoted followers of Rudolf Steiner? Do they all believe in the doctrines of Anthroposophy?
A. No. Rudolf Steiner said that all Waldorf teachers should be Anthroposophists, but this goal has not always been achieved.
Sometimes Waldorf schools cannot find Anthroposophists to fill some of the positions on a faculty, so non-Anthroposophists must be hired. Some of these teachers may feel little or no commitment to Anthroposophy. And even among Waldorf teachers who are committed to Anthroposophy, the depth and strength of their commitment may vary.
In general, however, it is safest to assume that any institution calling itself a Waldorf or Steiner school is an Anthroposophical organization that is guided, to one degree or another, by Anthroposophists.
Here is Steiner stating his intention:
"As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” [1]
And here is a present-day Waldorf spokesperson essentially echoing Steiner:
"Waldorf teachers must be anthroposophists first and teachers second." [2]
Only if a Waldorf school strays far from this central precept — in other words, only if it ceases to be a real Waldorf school — will Anthroposophy be largely or even entirely absent.
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[1] Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 118.
[2] Waldorf teacher Gilbert Childs, STEINER EDUCATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE (Floris Books, 1991), p. 176.
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