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Under the best of conditions, adolescence is a time when an individual begins to claim his or her independence and when ideals of a new generation begin to germinate. No longer willing simply to accept anything purely on authority, the adolescent of today longs to know truth and yearns to be understood. As teachers, we have the two-fold task of supporting this process, yet accomplishing it in such a way that the student relies primarily upon his or her own inner strengths.
The development of living thinking assists the teacher in this task. It helps us to meet the needs of the students and develop the content of the curriculum within an appropriate context. By studying Rudolf Steiner's Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom and putting it into practice, we can model the qualities we aim to inspire in adolescents in that we become more conscious of how to help each human being, live more deeply into the world.
The course develops experiences of living thinking. Through a process of reflection reading assignments, observations, and practical exercises, each participant is encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of this essential aspect of Waldorf Education. Classes focus on three central themes:
- improving our ability to observe our surroundings
- developing a conscious understanding of the relation between sense experience and thought
- exploring how this process relates to and affects our daily life and work as a teacher
One
During this week the students work with the polarity of conception and perception to develop an understanding of the role of thinking and sensation in the life of the soul. Through exercises in perception, journal keeping, small group conversations, and peer evaluations, the students explore the two polar qualities of solve (dissolving) and coagula (coagulation) in psychological transformation.
Lessons begin with the seemingly simple act of drawing a square knot (it is not that simple at all). The differences between thinking the concept of a square knot and the perception of the knot with sufficient understanding to enable one to draw the knot provide a rich area for conversation about self-transformation.
This simple experience is deepened by working with a topological map while keeping a running journal of the inner states as the mind works from a state of unknowing towards a condition of insight. The journaling is then shared within small research groups in the class.
The polarity of concept/percept is further deepened by observing a print by Albrecht Durer that depicts the process of making a perspective drawing of a lute by employing a rotating drawing board and plumb bob.
The next level of this polarity is explored by drawing the looping path of the earth as it overtakes the planet Jupiter while orbiting around the sun. This drawing serves as a springboard for conversation about the reality of planetary loops experienced conceptually from the Earth as opposed to the reality of planetary loops experienced conceptually from the stars. The purpose of this exercise is to introduce the concept of sense-free thinking.
The final exercise employs a four-step alchemical procedure for asking questions about a symbolic alchemical image. Participants work in small groups using a "questions only" protocol for their conversation. This exercise shows how statements tend to lead to conclusions rather than promote exploration.
Two
After a brief reflection on the previous week's work, students participate in a number of exercises that uncover our habitual formation of fixed concepts in response to certain percepts. These are investigated further in both individual journal entries and group discussions. Additional exercises illustrate what happens when a percept is apparent but an organizing concept is hard to find. Exercises involving a dynamic scene in the natural world further illustrate the challenges posed by developing Living Thinking in the living aspects of life. During this week, we also investigate the philosophical basis upon which different individuals have related to the world.
Three
After completing an investigation of the inner aspect of our thinking processes, we turn our attention to the basis of our actions. Drawing upon the readings and exercises of the first two weeks, the importance of motive and intention become evident. Through exercises in small groups and individual journaling, we explore the relevance of intuitions in the practice of ethical individualism.
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