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This seminar, focusing on the professional development of the teacher, complements the various subject seminars by taking up practical topics of common concern to all Waldorf high school teachers. The format is interactive, with students and faculty sharing observations and roles.
On the first day, the student’s work from a narrative excerpted from An Outline of Esoteric Science by Rudolf Steiner. They construct diagrams of what they think the text is describing. The diagrams are then submitted to a peer review process in which the student team up with two other students to form one research group. Each student submits his or her diagrams to the other two.
The others allowed only to ask questions and not to make statements. Once the three have presented, the students are allowed to modify their diagrams. The entire seminar then works with a four-step protocol consisting of the following questions to try and form a final diagram.
Earth: Can I name the elements of the picture?
Water: Can I describe the process of becoming these elements?
Air: Can I describe how a particular element will transform in the future?
Fire: How is each element related to all the other elements?
On the second day, the students examine samples of granite, shale, and feldspar. They make wax models of each type of rock. Working in small groups, they then use the four-step protocol to try and characterize the morphological sequences for each rock. The final step is to take the results of the small research groups and try to find agreement in the whole class.
On the third day, the class makes wax models of the morphological sequences starting with the formation of an egg in the ovary of a mammal and leading to its fertilization and implantation in a uterus. The student’s work from diagrams adapted from Gray's Anatomy.
On the fourth day, the class makes wax models of the morphological sequences of the morula, blastula, and gastrula phases of embryonic development. They work again from diagrams adapted from Gray's Anatomy. They use the four-step protocol to chart the development of the elements that they are modeling.
On the fifth day, the students model the morphological sequences of the liver, lung, kidney, and heart as developments of the mesodermal layer in the embryo. As a whole class, we use the four-step protocol to characterize the relationships between all of the systems worked on during the week.
During the second and third weeks, we examine the development of human consciousness as it shows itself in the cultural history of Western Civilization. Beginning with the rise of the Ancient Indian culture (ca. 7227-5067 BC), we pursue a broad sweep through the Second (ca. 5067-2907 BC), Third (ca. 2907-747 BC), Fourth (ca. 747 BC - 1413 AD), and Fifth (ca. 1413 to present) post-atlantean epochs.
Reading: Students are expected to have read An Outline of Esoteric Science by Rudolf Steiner prior to the beginning of the summer program. The seminar focuses on the chapters dealing with cosmic and human evolution.
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