Waldorf High School Summer Intensive: Thinking With Heart

WITH SHAWN LAVOIE, VICTORIA REYES, JUAN PABLO BARILLAS

Teens are overloaded with things to think about and they carry the weight of the world in their heart. Life for today’s adolescent can be confusing, even crushing. Now, more than ever, teens need guidance in developing their powers of discernment and their capacity for empathy. As adults working with teens, how can we help them process all that’s coming at them? How can we help them think clearly and compassionately? What inner work must we do in order to meet them?

This 5-day intensive course will be offered separately in person (7/17-7/21, Pewaukee, WI) and online (7/24-7/28, Zoom), and is the first in a series of summer professional development offerings bringing together those who care about teaching teens in a transformative way. With the goal of Waldorf education to lead students “toward freedom,” the high school is where they learn to take their first independent steps.

This course is intended for high school teachers, but also welcomes parents and administrators. 

Participants will explore:

• Ways to instigate and challenge thinking in adolescents across a range of content areas
• Foundational skills in high school pedagogy, including class planning, block design, and classroom dynamics
• The art of the main lesson book and other age-appropriate assignments
• Methods for deepening empathy for teenagers and the self
• How to stretch themselves through artistic work