Discussions with Teachers
GA 295
27 August 1919, Stuttgart
Translated by Helen Fox
Discussion Six
Repetition of yesterday’s speech exercises.
New speech exercises:
Rateless ration
roosted roomily
reason wretched
ruined Roland
royalty rosterProxy prized bather broomstick
polka pushing
beady basket
prudent pertness
bearskin bristled
One of Lessing’s fables was read.
RUDOLF STEINER: You have to remember that prose can be read in varying tone according to the reader’s personality. Also, the title of a fable of this kind is not very important and should not be emphasized particularly.
The Nightingale and the Peacock
A friendly nightingale found among the singers of the wood enviers galore, but no friend. “Perhaps I shall find one among a different species,” she thought, and flew down trustfully to the peacock. “Beautiful Peacock, I admire you very much.” “I you, too, dear Nightingale.” “Then let us be friends,” the nightingale continued, “we ought not to be envious of each other. You are as pleasing to the eye as I am to the ear.” The nightingale and the peacock became friends.
Kneller and Pope were better friends than were Pope and Addison.1Rudolf Steiner jokingly added an alternate example: France and Italy are better friends than Italy and England. Thus you see that the fable can be applied in the most varying ways.
RUDOLF STEINER: Now there is an educational matter I would like to talk over with you. I want to point out that you should never spoil the contents of a “passage” by first reading it aloud yourself, or reading it through with your students, and then pedantically explaining it, because this will destroy the powers of feeling and perception in the children. A teacher with insight will not work this way, but will feel that hearing a bit of prose or poetry should produce a sense of contentment in the soul—a satisfaction should arise from hearing a passage of prose or poetry read. The children will then fully understand every shade of meaning. Within their feelings, in any case, they will instinctively understand what the poem contains. It is unnecessary to go into subtleties or to make learned comments about a poem or prose passage, but through your teaching the children should rise to a complete understanding of it through feelings. Hence you should always try to leave the actual reading of a piece until last, first dealing with everything you can give the children to help them understand it. If you prepare for the reading as well as you can ahead of time, then you will not work like a pedant, but help make the whole piece clear and understandable, and thus enhance the children’s enjoyment and satisfaction.
I would therefore take something like the following with the children (but you would have to work it out in greater detail). I would say: “Now look, boys and girls, you have certainly seen some dogs at some time or other in your life. If any of you have never seen a dog then you must have been hiding in some dark corner! And you must have noticed that not all dogs are alike. They are very, very different from one another. There are tiny little dogs, small dogs, larger dogs, and great, big dogs. You have probably always been afraid of the very large dogs; but you have not been afraid of the tiny little dogs—or maybe you have, because sometimes they bite people’s calves.
“Now today we will look at some of these dogs. You have probably often seen a meat cart in the streets pulled by a butcher’s dog. If you have looked carefully, you have probably noticed that the rest of the time this dog sits in front of the butcher’s stall and makes sure no one steals the meat. If anyone comes who isn’t allowed and takes the meat, the dog must bite that person, or at least bark. Now, you see a butcher’s dog cannot be a tiny little animal; no, he must be a big dog. You will also notice that small dogs are never harnessed to a butcher’s cart, nor do they watch a butcher’s stall.
“You can compare a butcher’s dog with a person who has to guard something. You can often compare animals with people. Animals have to do things through instinct, and people must often do the same things because it is their duty. People and animals have to do similar things and therefore they can be compared.
“Suppose a man has to guard something just like a butcher’s dog does at the meat stall; the man will form a certain habit. If someone comes and tries to steal something, he will take hold of him by the hair. Yes, when someone is doing something wrong—you take hold of such a person ‘by the comb.’ But a person has hair, not a real comb. You pull the hair, and that hurts, so the person doesn’t try to get away; that is why you do it. You don’t say this kind of thing point blank. If you said straight out, ‘I will pull your hair,’ it wouldn’t be as much fun. There must always be a little fun in life, so you say that you take someone ‘by the comb.’ A person has hair, and is sometimes insolent; a rooster is almost always insolent, and has a comb; that’s why you say, ‘I’ll take you by the comb.’ You can imagine that if, for example, another insolent creature came along, wanting to take a piece of meat out of the stall, the butcher’s dog might say, ‘I’ll take you by the comb!’ Then you would have made a very good comparison between a person and a dog.
“Now you know, children, there are also other dogs, small dogs, who are mostly lazy creatures; they are miserably lazy. They lie on cushions or sometimes even on laps. Basically, they are idle fellows. They are ‘cushion-dogs,’ those ‘lapdogs.’ They are not as useful as the butcher’s dog. The butcher’s dog is of some service; the lapdogs, they only play; they are basically useless. But if anyone does anything wrong, the butcher’s dog will take that person by the comb—the dog will seize that person and give a thorough shaking. This is of some use, because the other creature will not be able to steal the meat.
“The lapdog doesn’t do anything useful like that, but only yaps, yaps at everybody; and especially when big dogs come along, the little lapdog rushes out and yaps and yaps and yaps. But their bark is worse than their bite; that is what the proverb says and that is what the large dogs think as they pass by. You can also see how large dogs go by very calmly; they let the little yappers yap, and think to themselves: Yapping dogs don’t bite, they are not brave, they are cowardly. But a butcher’s dog must always have courage. The lapdogs run after the big dog and yap, but if the butcher’s dog turns round and looks at them, they immediately run away. So you see these little dogs are certainly lazy; they only do what is unnecessary and they are good for nothing. They are like certain people whom we should not listen to, even though they very often yap at us.
“These lapdogs are very small, the butcher’s dog is large. But there are other dogs in between—not as big as the butcher’s dog, but larger than the lapdog. Among the medium-sized dogs is the sheep-dog. The sheep-dog has to guard the sheep. In many districts it is a more difficult job than here. In many places—in Russia, for example—there are wolves, and the dog has to keep the wolves or any other animals away from the sheep; and so the sheepdog has gotten into the habit of continually running round the flock. In our country too it is good to have dogs who run round the flock all the time, because the shepherd is often asleep, and any evil-minded creature could come and steal some of the flock. So the sheepdog runs round and guards the flock. Even when there are no wolves, it is good for the sheepdog to run round and guard the flock; and sometimes the sheepdog guards the shepherd, as well, who is then awakened. It might even happen that a shepherd could be stolen while asleep!
“Thus the shepherd’s dog, the sheepdog, is of service; the sheepdog is a useful animal and can be compared with people who have found their proper work in life, people who are not useless like the idlers, the lapdogs. Yes, in human life too there is this difference between those who are like sheepdogs and those who are like butcher’s dogs. They are both useful, although the latter, like the butcher’s dog, are at times rather rough. Sometimes they say exactly the right thing in a few words and straight to the point, to guard something, to ward off an enemy. You can make a comparison with the sheepdogs also; they are like people who work quietly, waiting calmly until difficulties are upon them. The sheepdog runs round and round for a long time; he has nothing to do, but he must always be prepared for action, so that when the wolf or another enemy appears the sheepdog will be strong and courageous and well prepared to attack at the right moment. There are also people who have the duty to watch and wait until they are called on to fulfil some task. They must not allow themselves to be harassed by petty things in life, but always have to be ready for the moment when they must act, and act correctly.”
This is how I would speak to children, choosing some particular example from the animal world and leading their thoughts to analogies between animals and people. After speaking somewhat in this way you can read aloud the following passage, and when you have read it explanations will be unnecessary. If you were to give the children this little story first without any explanation they would not be fully prepared, because their perceptions and feelings would not be directed to what it contains. If on the other hand you do not explain until afterward, you would pedantically pull the passage apart, and so they would not be able to read it properly either.
The Sheepdog
One evening an old sheepdog who was a faithful keeper of the master’s sheep was on the way home. As he went down the street, some little lapdogs yapped at him. He trotted on without looking around. When he came to the meat stall, a butcher’s dog asked him how he could stand such constant barking and why he didn’t take one of them by the scruff of the neck. “I won’t,” said the herdsman’s dog, “none of them are worrying me or biting me; I must save my teeth for the wolves.”
You do not need to say another word to the children. The preparation must come first so that they understand what is read.
Another time you can say to the children, “My dear children! You have often gone for a walk; you have certainly gone for a walk in a meadow, in the fields, also in woods, and sometimes on the edge of the woods where the trees and meadow meet. While you walk in the wood you are right in the shade, but when you are on the edge of the woods the Sun can still shine very brightly on one side. When you find a meadow that borders the woods, you should stand quietly and watch, and see how the flowers grow. It’s always good when during your walks you look especially for the places where the trees meet the meadow, because then you can always be looking for something, sometimes in the woods, and sometimes in the meadow; you can continually notice afresh how the grass grows, and how the plants and the flowers grow in the grass.
“But you know, it is especially beautiful and lovely—a real delight—when you can go, not just through woods and fields, but somewhere where the meadows lie among mountains and valleys. Here you’ll find much more interesting things than in the meadows, which often get too much sun. Valley meadows that are protected by the mountains have very beautiful flowers, which we can often find among the moss growing in great abundance in these valley meadows. Violets especially are always found with moss growing near them.”
Then you can continue talking to the children about moss and violets, perhaps calling on a child to describe a violet and another to talk about moss. And when it is the right season you might even bring some violets and moss to school with you, because they can be gathered at the same time of year.
Then you could continue, “But look, dear children, if you have a valley of this kind near your home, maybe you could go there one day and only see moss. Then a week later you could go there again. What would you see this time? Violets growing in the moss! Yes, they have just appeared; when you were there before, they were hidden in the moss. Remember this, and next year when you go there you can have even greater pleasure, because now you think to yourselves: Last spring there weren’t any violets showing here yet, we didn’t see one. And then you try to separate the moss with your fingers. Ah! A violet! There it is!
“In nature, my dear children, it is often just as it is with people. There, too, much is often hidden that is good, much that is beautiful. Many people are not noticed because the good in them is concealed, it has not yet been found. You must try to awaken the feeling that will enable you to find the good people in the crowd.
“Yes, dear children, and there is still another way that you can compare human life with nature. Think of a really good person whom you know, and you will always find that person’s words to be honest and good. Now some people are modest and others are proud and arrogant. Modest people don’t attract much attention, but the pushy ones always like to be noticed.
“Now a violet is certainly very beautiful, but when you look at this violet and see how it stretches up its lovely little petals, you cannot fail to see that the violet wants to be noticed, it wants to be looked at. So I could not compare the violet with a modest little child who keeps in the corner out of the way. You could only compare it with a child who is really very anxious to be seen. You will say: That may be, but it doesn’t show itself when it’s hidden in the moss, does it? Yes, but look; when you see how the violet comes out among its leaves and then again how the whole plant creeps out of the moss, it is just as though the violet not only wanted people to see it and smell it, but to search for it as well. ‘Yes, yes! Here I am, here I am but you have to look for me!’ And so the violet is like a person who is certainly not modest but rather a sly rascal.”
It is good to discuss comparisons of this kind with the children, and to show them analogies between nature and human beings so that everything around them becomes alive.
You should have these talks with the children ahead of time, so they can enjoy the reading when it comes. After the reading no more explanations of any kind should be given. You will agree it would not make sense if I were now to begin giving you a lecture in Chinese. You would say, “That is senseless, because we never learned Chinese.” But if you all knew Chinese when I gave my lecture, you would find it extremely dull if afterwards I wanted to explain it all to you. You should have the same feeling about a piece of reading and do everything you can to make it enjoyable.
Talks such as these about modesty and conceit in people—and affectation, as well—can be developed in greater detail than we have done today, and you must let the children take a lively share. Then you can read them the following poem:
What’s gleaming in the sunshine though fast asleep? Oh, those are tiny violets that bloom in valley deep. Bloom quite hidden in moss-covered ground, So that we children no violets have found.
And what’s this little head that stretches silent there? What whispers in the moss so still and quiet here? “Search and you will find me, search for me still!” “Wait, violet, wait, and find you we will!”
—Hofmann von Fallersleben
When you teach children a poem in this way, they can enter its every nuance, and it will be unnecessary to spoil the impression with commentary and pedantry afterward. This is the method I want to recommend to you with regard to your treatment of selections for reading, because it will give you the opportunity to talk over many things that belong in your teaching, and further, the children will have a real feeling of satisfaction when such passages are read. This then is what I wish to lay upon your hearts about reading.
We will now continue our discussion on the treatment of individual children. Yesterday I asked you to think over how to treat “virtuous,” “good” children (the goody-goodies), who assert themselves but are not helpful to the rest of the class.
Various contributions were presented.
RUDOLF STEINER: I have presented this particular problem because it is difficult to discriminate between the harmful, selfrighteous children and those who can play a useful role. You must notice whether you are dealing with those who really have a contribution to make later. That is their nature. They are “useful” goody-goodies, but a bit of a nuisance!
In such a case you could relate the story of how the donkey got big ears. You can even use stronger measures with some of these goody-goody children, but you should not expose them to the class and thus reflect shame on them. That would be going too far. But you can give such a forward child exceptionally difficult tasks, with rod exercises for example, and let the facts speak for themselves; in this way, such children see that they cannot perform, and they have to tell the teacher so. From this it can become apparent whether their boasting was justified.
Other teachers made further remarks.
RUDOLF STEINER: The essentials of the problem have been presented in this discussion. First you must very carefully ascertain the worthiness of the self-assertiveness of the pupils who are more gifted and therefore more capable. You must not allow their greater talent to develop into ambitious egoism, but help them to use their gifts to help the other children. You can get the smart children like this to do something with their special powers that will help the others, so that they do not work just for themselves, but for the other children as well. If they are better at arithmetic, have them do the problem first, and let the others learn from them. Their greater ability is channeled properly when they hear from the teacher the consequence of a line of thought that could be expressed in this way: John is a good boy. Look how much he can do. Such people are a great help to others, and I’m very pleased with all of you that you learned so much from John.”
So you begin by praising one child and end by praising them all! When you have outstanding talent of this kind and have singled out these very self-possessed children (of whom there are always some), you will almost always find that you can deal most effectively with them by combining two methods. First, you must speak to them, not in front of the class, but in private so that they will realize that you see through them. You must very emphatically say, “You are doing this or doing that,” and then you characterize their qualities. In such a case you must then strike a personal note: “All right, you can go on doing it, you can do it over and over again. But do you think I like it? Do you think that you are pleasing me? No, I don’t like it at all; I find it very disagreeable.” This is how you should speak to them—as I say, not in front of the class, but in private. That is the first thing. You must make it very clear that you see through the student.
The second thing is this: you should give such children tasks beyond their powers and try to make it clear to them why they have to solve these problems that are too difficult for them; it is because they want to assert themselves. It is harder for such children to battle this propensity than to solve problems that are beyond them. But it is more disagreeable for them to do these tasks, so they will try to become less conceited, and we must tell them that they have been given these tasks because of their assertiveness. But if they can overcome their desire to be noticed, then they will not get anything different from the rest of the class.
But you can do both of these things together in the case of such pupils, whether boys or girls, you can combine the two methods—letting them know that you see through them and telling them why they get especially difficult tasks. By using these two methods together you will accomplish much. After some time, if you apply these methods, you will see that you have cured your students.
We still have many more difficult problems to solve in these discussions. But for tomorrow I would like to give you a similar problem connected with the last one, and yet a bit different; and in our treatment of this, eurythmy will be considered. Forgive me for placing this before you, but it belongs to the area of teaching. What should you do when, among your students, a foolish kind of adoration arises for the teacher. Does everyone know what I mean by “adoration?” It is when a boy idolizes a female teacher or the other way round, when a girl idolizes a male teacher, or when a girl adores a female teacher or a boy a male teacher. All these different varieties exist. Any real manifestation of this foolish adoration can be very disturbing to the pursuit of your work; please think about how it should be treated.
It must of course take such a serious form that your lessons are actually disturbed by it. Of course I do not mean genuine respect and sincere regard, neither do I mean proper affection and love for a female or male teacher, but just a kind of unhealthy adoration that disturbs your teaching, which is frequently found in classes.
Sechste Seminarbesprechung
Wiederholung der gestrigen Sprechübungen; dann neue:
Redlich ratsam
Rüstet rühmlich
Riesig rächend
Ruhig rollend
Reuige RosseProtzig preist
Bäder brünstig
Polternd putzig
Bieder bastelnd
Puder patzend
Bergig brüstend
Lesen einer Fabel von Lessing.
Rudolf Steiner: Sie müssen bedenken, daß Prosa je nach der Persönlichkeit in verschiedener Stimmlage gelesen werden kann.
Den Titel läßt man möglichst fallen bei so etwas und betont ihn nicht besonders.
Die Nachtigall und der Pfau
Eine gesellige Nachtigall fand unter den Sängern des Waldes Neider die Menge, aber keinen Freund. «Vielleicht finde ich ihn unter einer anderen Gattung», dachte sie und floh vertraulich zu dem Pfau herab. «Schöner Pfau, ich bewundere dich!» - «Ich dich auch, liebliche Nachtigall.» — «So laß uns Freunde sein», sprach die Nachtigall weiter. «Wir werden uns nicht beneiden dürfen, du bist dem Auge so angenehm, als ich dem Ohre.» Die Nachtigall und der Pfau wurden Freunde.
Kneller und Pope waren bessere Freunde als Pope und Addison.
Rudolf Steiner sagte statt dessen scherzweise: Frankreich und Italien sind bessere Freunde als Italien und England. So kann man auch sagen; die Anwendung kann nämlich in der verschiedensten Weise gemacht werden.
Rudolf Steiner: Jetzt möchte ich mit Ihnen ein Stück Unterricht besprechen. Ich möchte darauf aufmerksam machen, daß Sie niemals den Inhalt eines Lesestückes - ich will es prosaisch so nennen — dadurch für das Gefühl und die Empfindung verderben sollten, daß Sie das Lesestück lesen, oder mit den Zöglingen durchlesen, und es dann pedantisch erklären. Der einsichtige Psychologe wird es nicht so machen, sondern er wird das Gefühl dafür haben, daß ein Prosastück oder ein Gedicht auf die Seele so wirken muß, daß diese Seele, wenn sie es erlebt hat, mit dem Eindruck zufrieden sein kann; von dem Eindruck befriedigt sein kann, könnte man auch sagen. Man wird aber das nicht ausschließen dürfen, daß man gerade diese Befriedigung, welche aus dem Inhalte eines Lesestückes hervorgehen soll, für den Zögling dadurch erhöht, daß der Zögling vollständig alle Nuancen versteht, daß er dem Gefühl nach wenigstens, instinktiv, versteht, was in dem Gedichte darin ist. Man braucht keine Spintisiererei, keinen gelehrten Kommentar an einem Gedicht oder Lesestück zu entwickeln, aber man soll das Kind vollständig heraufheben zum gefühlsmäßigen Verständnis eines Lesestückes. Daher versuche man immer, das eigentliche Lesen eines Lesestückes zu allerletzt vorzunehmen, und alles das, was man tun will um des Verständnisses willen, das schicke man voran. Wenn man einigermaßen entsprechend das Richtige voranschickt, dann wirkt man nicht schulmeisterlich pedantisch, sondern man trägt dazu bei, daß nichts unerklärlich bleibt an dem Lesestück. Dann erhöht sich der Genuß und die Befriedigung des Kindes.
Ich würde daher - Sie würden das etwas ausführlicher machen — etwa folgendes in der Klasse mit den Schülern vornehmen. Ich würde sagen:
«Seht einmal, liebe Kinder, ihr habt ganz gewiß schon einmal Hunde gesehen! Nun, wer hätte unter euch nicht schon Hunde gesehen! Der müßte ja hinter dem Ofen sich verkrochen haben. Und ihr habt bemerkt, daß nicht alle Hunde gleich sind. Sie sind sehr, sehr voneinander verschieden. Es gibt winzige Hunde, ganz kleine Hunde, größere Hunde und ganz große Hunde. Ihr habt euch schon manchmal vor den ganz großen Hunden gefürchtet. Vor den ganz kleinen, winzigen, fürchtet ihr euch nicht; vielleicht aber doch, weil sie einen manchmal in die Waden beißen.
Nun wollen wir uns heute einmal ein paar Hunde ansehen. Da habt ihr wohl schon oft auf der Straße einen Wagen mit Fleisch gesehen und davor einen Fleischerhund. Wenn ihr genau aufgemerkt habt, werdet ihr gesehen haben, daß er sonst vor der Fleischerbude sitzt und achtgibt, daß niemand das Fleisch stiehlt. Wenn jemand kommt und das Fleisch nimmt, der kein Recht hat dazu, so muß er ihn beißen, oder wenigstens muß er bellen. Nun werdet ihr einsehen, daß der Fleischerhund nicht ein kleines Tierchen sein darf. Nein, das ist ein großer Hund! Ihr werdet auch immer gesehen haben, kleine Knirpse sind nicht eingespannt vor den Fleischerwagen, sie sind auch nicht vor die Fleischerbude gesetzt.
Nun, solch einen Fleischerhund kann man vergleichen mit einem Menschen, der auf etwas achtzugeben hat. Man kann oft Tiere vergleichen mit den Menschen. Was die Tiere aus Instinkt zu tun haben, das müssen die Menschen oft aus Pflicht tun. Ähnliche Sachen müssen so die Menschen und die Tiere tun, und deshalb kann man sie auch vergleichen.
Wenn zum Beispiel ein Mensch auf etwas aufzupassen hat wie der Fleischerhund vor der Fleischerbude, dann wird der Mensch sich etwas angewöhnen. Wenn einer kommt und etwas nehmen will, so wird er ihn beim Kamm nehmen - ja, so sagt man, wenn man jemand aufmerksam macht, daß er etwas nicht tun darf; so sagt man. Man sagt: «Beim Kamm nehmen», wenn man den Betreffenden hält. Beim Menschen sind es die Haare, es ist nicht ein richtiger Kamm. Man nimmt ihn bei den Haaren. Das tut ihm weh, daher reißt er nicht aus; daher tut man das. Und solche Sachen sagt man nicht so geradewegs, denn wenn man geradewegs so sagt: «Ich nehme dich bei den Haaren», so klingt es zu wenig spaßig. Es muß immer im Leben ein wenig Spaßiges beigemischt sein, daher sagt man: «Beim Kamm nehmen». Der Mensch hat Haare;
der Mensch ist manchmal etwas frech. Der Hahn ist fast immer frech; er hat einen Kamm. Deshalb sagt man: «Ich nehme dich beim Kamm.» So könnte man sich schon ganz gut vorstellen, wenn zum Beispiel ein anderes freches Vieh kommt und will sich aus der Fleischerbude ein Stück Fleisch holen, da könnte der Fleischerhund sagen: «Ich nehme dich aber beim Kamm!» — Da hätte man einen ganz guten Vergleich gemacht zwischen dem Menschen und dem Hund.
Nun, ihr wißt, Kinder, es gibt auch noch andere Hunde, kleine, sie sind meist Faulenzer, elende Faulenzer! Sie liegen auf Kissen, sie liegen manchmal auch auf dem Schoß der Herrin. Kurz, es sind faule Kerle. Das sind die Polsterhündchen, die Schoßhündchen. So nützlich sind sie nicht wie der Fleischerhund. Der Fleischerhund, der dient zu etwas; die Polsterhündchen, die spielen nur, sind unnütz im Grunde. Aber der Fleischerhund wird, wenn irgend jemand etwas macht, was er nicht soll, ihn beim Kamm nehmen, das heißt ihn anfassen, packen und ordentlich durchschütteln. Das wird nützlich sein, denn das andere Tier wird dann das Fleisch nicht stehlen können. Das Polster- oder Schoßhündchen tut so etwas Nützliches nicht, das kläfft nur. Es kläfft jeden an, und namentlich, wenn andere große Hunde kommen, flugs ist das Schoßhündchen hinterher und kläfft und kläfft und kläfft. Aber Hunde, die bellen, die beißen nicht, so sagt das Sprichwort; so denken auch große Hunde, wenn sie vorbeigehen. Daher kann man auch sehen, wie große Hunde ganz gelassen vorbeigehen, die kleinen Kläffer kläffen lassen und sich denken: kläffende Hunde, die beißen nicht. — Mutig sind sie nicht, feig sind sie. Ein Fleischerhund muß immer schon Mut haben. Die Schoßhündchen, ja, die laufen nach und kläffen, aber wenn der andere sie anschaut, dann reißen sie gleich aus. Nun ja, seht ihr, diese Hündchen sind jedenfalls Faulenzer, machen nur Unnötiges auf der Welt und taugen zu nichts. Sie gleichen denjenigen Menschen, auf welche man nicht hören soll, wenn auch solche Menschen einen sehr oft ankläffen.
Diese Polsterhündchen sind ganz klein, der Fleischerhund ist groß. Nun gibt es aber auch so mittelgroße. So einer ist nicht so groß wie der Fleischerhund, aber er ist größer als der Schoßhund. Von solch mittlerer Größe ist der Schäferhund. Dieser Schäferhund muß das Vieh hüten. In manchen Gegenden ist das schwerer als bei uns. In manchen Gegenden, wie zum Beispiel in Rußland, da kommen die Wölfe. Und der Hund muß achtgeben, daß kein Wolf kommt oder ein anderes Tier; da muß er immer um die Herde herumlaufen. Daher hat sich die Gewohnheit gebildet, daß der Hund immer um die Herde herumläuft. Es ist ja auch bei uns gut, daß der Hund um die Herde herumläuft, denn der Hirt schläft oft, und da könnte etwas Böses kommen und etwas von der Herde wegholen. Deshalb läuft der Schäferhund herum und hütet die Herde. Auch wenn kein Wolf da ist, ist es gut, wenn der Schäferhund herumläuft und die Herde hütet, und manchmal auch den Hirten hütet und ihn aufweckt. Es könnte manchmal auch vorkommen, daß ein Hirte gestohlen würde, wenn er schläft.
Also ein Hirtenhund, ein Schäferhund ist ein taugliches Wesen, ein nützliches Tier. Man kann sie auch vergleichen mit Menschen, die recht zum Leben stehen, die nicht unnütz sind wie die Faulenzer, die Polsterhündchen, die Schoßhündchen. Ja, es gibt solches auch im menschlichen Leben, diesen Unterschied zwischen solchen Menschen, die sind wie der Schäferhund, und solchen, die sind wie der Fleischerhund. Nützlich sind sie beide, wenn auch die, wie der Fleischerhund, manchmal grob sind. Manchmal sind sie so, daß sie ganz das Richtige in kurzer, treffender Rede sagen; daß sie so das Gefühl haben, man muß etwas bewachen, etwas hüten, man muß den Feind abwehren. Man kann den Schäferhund auch vergleichen mit Menschen, die mehr still ihre Arbeit verrichten, aber abwarten müssen, bis gerade die schweren Dinge ihrer Arbeit eintreten. Der Schäferhund läuft herum. Lange hat er nicht zu tun, aber er muß sich bereithalten, dann stark zu sein, mutig zu sein, gerüstet zu sein, wenn der Wolf oder ein anderer Feind kommt, um im rechten Augenblick zuzufassen. So sind auch manche Menschen verpflichtet, zu warten und wachsam zu sein, bis sie aufgerufen werden. Da dürfen sie sich nicht durch allerlei Kleinlichkeiten des Lebens kleinlaut machen lassen, müssen gerüstet bleiben bis zu dem Augenblick, wo sie das Richtige zu tun haben.»
Sehen Sie, so würde ich mit Kindern sprechen, damit sie auf die Tierwelt in einem besonderen Fall hingewiesen werden und ihre Gedanken auf die Analogien zwischen Tieren und Menschen lenken. Wenn man so etwas besprochen hat, dann wird man das Folgende vorlesen können, ohne daß man nötig hat, hinterher Erklärungen dazu abzugeben. Wenn man folgende kleine Erzählung erst ohne Erklärung den Kindern geben würde, dann würden sie nicht die volle Vorbereitung haben, weil ihre Empfindungen und Gefühle nicht auf alles hingelenkt sind. Wenn man erst hinterher Erklärungen geben würde, würde man es pedantisch zerzausen, und sie würden es auch nicht richtig lesen können.
Der Schäferhund
Ein alter Hirtenhund, der seines Herrn Vieh treulich bewachte, ging abends heim. Da kläfften ihn die Polsterhündchen auf der Gasse an. Er trabt vor sich hin und sieht sich nicht um. Als er vor die Fleischbank kommt, fragt ihn ein Fleischerhund, wie er das Gebell leiden könne, und warum er nicht einen beim Kamm nehme. «Nein», sagte der Hir tenhund, «es zwackt und beißt mich ja keiner, ich muß meine Zähne für die Wölfe haben.»
Dann braucht man gar nichts mehr zu den Kindern zu sagen; man muß vorher vorbereiten, daß es die Kinder verstehen.
Ein anderes Mal sprechen Sie zu den Kindern das Folgende: «Meine lieben Kinder! Ihr seid schon öfter spazierengegangen, seid spazierengegangen auf der Wiese, zwischen den Feldern, aber auch im Wald, auch manchmal so am Rand, wo der Wald an die Wiese grenzt. Wenn ihr im Wald drinnen geht, dann geht ihr ganz im Schatten; aber wenn ihr so am Rande des Waldes geht, dann kann von der einen Seite auch noch recht scharf die Sonne scheinen. Dann könnt ihr, wenn an den Wald eine Wiese angrenzt, ganz ruhig betrachten, wie die Blumen wachsen. Es wird immer ganz gut für euch sein, wenn ihr besonders die Plätze aussucht für eure Spaziergänge, wo Wald und Wiese aneinander grenzen. Dann könnt ihr immer bald im Wald, bald auf der Wiese etwas aussuchen. Da könnt ihr immer von neuem betrachten, wie das Gras wächst, und wie die Pflanzen und die Blumen im Gras drinnen wachsen.
Aber seht, ganz besonders lieblich und angenehm ist es, wenn man nicht bloß durch den Wald und auf die Wiesen gehen kann, sondern wenn die Wiesen noch besonders zwischen Bergen gelegen sind, in Tälern. Auf solchen Wiesen findet man noch viel Interessanteres als auf Wiesen, die zuviel von der Sonne beschienen werden. Talwiesen, die von den Bergen beschützt werden, die haben sehr schöne Blumen, und diese Blumen, die wachsen sehr häufig so, daß man sie auch zwischen dem Moos sieht, das da ganz besonders wächst in solchen Wiesentälern. Besonders die Veilchen, die sind gerade dort, wo das Moos benachbart ist.»
Jetzt kann man dann weiter mit den Kindern von Moos und Veilchen sprechen, kann vielleicht ein Kind aufrufen, das Veilchen zu beschreiben, ein anderes, das das Moos besprechen soll. Man kann sogar versuchen, wenn es gerade welche gibt, an dem Tage Veilchen und Moos mitzubringen. Sie sind ja beide zu gleicher Zeit zu haben.
Dann fährt man etwa fort: «Aber seht mal, liebe Kinder, wenn ihr solch ein Wiesental in der Nähe habt, dann könnt ihr erleben, daß ihr hinausgeht, und ihr seht nur Moos. Ja, dann geht ihr in acht Tagen wieder hinaus. Was seht ihr dann? Im Moos die Veilchen! Ja, die sind erst herausgewachsen, die waren früher im Moos drin versteckt. Ihr merkt euch das. Und wenn ihr das nächste Jahr hinausgeht, dann könnt ihr noch eine größere Freude haben. Da denkt ihr: «Im Frühjahr waren hier noch keine Veilchen! Wir haben noch keine gesehen.» — Nun versucht ihr, das Moos auseinander zu machen. Aha, da ist das Veilchen darin!
Es ist in der Natur, meine lieben Kinder, oftmals gerade so, wie es unter den Menschen ist. Da ist oftmals auch manches Gute und manches Schöne verborgen. Mancher Mensch wird nicht bemerkt, weil das Gute in ihm versteckt ist, weil es noch nicht gefunden ist. Man muß sich ein Gefühl dafür aneignen, die guten Menschen unter der Menge herauszufinden.
Ja, seht, liebe Kinder, man kann noch weiter das menschliche Leben mit der Natur vergleichen. Denkt euch einmal selbst so ein ganz gutes Menschenkind, dann werdet ihr auch finden, daß ein solches Menschenkind auch immer ganz gute, brave Worte redet. Nun gibt es bescheidene Menschenkinder und unbescheidene Menschenkinder. Bescheidene Menschenkinder, die wird man weniger bemerken. Unbescheidene Menschenkinder, die werden aber bemerkt sein wollen.
Seht, das Veilchen ist ja recht schön, aber wenn ihr so dieses Veilchen anschaut, wie es seine ganz lieblichen Veilchenblätter so hinaufstrafft, so werdet ihr doch merken: das Veilchen will bemerkt werden, es will angeschaut werden. Ich kann das Veilchen nicht vergleichen mit einem bescheidenen Kindchen, das sich zurückzieht und in der Ecke bleibt. Ihr könntet es nur vergleichen mit einem Kinde, das eigentlich sehr gerne gesehen wird. Ja, aber es zeigt sich doch nicht, wenn es im Moos versteckt ist? Ja, seht ihr, wenn ihr das Veilchen so anseht zwischen den Blättern, wie das herauskommt, und das Ganze wieder da aus dem Moose herauskriecht, das ist doch gerade so, als wenn das Veilchen ja gar nicht bloß gesehen sein möchte, als wenn es nicht bloß sich riechen lassen möchte; das ist doch so, als wenn es sich suchen lassen möchte: «Ja, Ja, Ja, Ja, Ja, da bin ich schon! Aber suchen mußt du mich!» - Dieses Veilchen, das ist so etwas wie ein nicht ganz bescheidenes Menschenkind, aber auch so etwas wie ein schalkhaftes Menschenkind.»
Es ist ganz gut, wenn man mit den Kindern solche Parallelen, solche Analogien zwischen Natur und Menschenwesen durchspricht, damit sich alles, was in der Nähe des Kindes ist, belebt.
Es wird gut sein, alle solche Besprechungen mit den Kindern als Vorbereitung zu halten, um von den Kindern irgend etwas genießen zu lassen. Nach dem Lesestück sollen überhaupt Erklärungen nicht mehr gegeben werden. Nicht wahr, es wäre doch Unsinn, wenn ich anfangen wollte, Ihnen jetzt auf chinesisch etwas vorzutragen. Sie würden sagen: Na, das hat doch keinen Sinn; Chinesisch haben wir doch nicht gelernt. — Wenn Sie aber alle Chinesisch kennen würden, und ich zu Ihnen sprechen würde, würden Sie es höchst langweilig finden, wenn ich Ihnen hinterher alles erklären wollte. So soll man es aber auch mit einem Lesestück halten: alles tun, was es zum Genuß bringen kann.
Etwas ausführlicher, indem Sie die Kinder recht viel mittun lassen, reden Sie so über Bescheidenheit der Menschen und Unbescheidenheit und Koketterie, und dann lesen Sie ihnen vor:
Ei, was blüht so heimlich am Sonnenstrahl?
Das sind die lieben Veilchen, die blühn im stillen Tal,
Blühen so heimlich im Moose versteckt,
Drum haben auch wir Kinder kein Veilchen entdeckt.Und was steckt sein Köpfelein still empor?
Was lispelt aus dem Moose so leise, leis’ hervor?
«Suchet, so findet ihr! suchet mich doch!»
Ei, warte, Veilchen, warte! wir finden dich noch!Hoffmann von Fallersleben
Wenn Sie das Kind die Sprache des Gedichtes gelehrt haben, dann kann das Kind in allen Nuancen mitmachen, dann brauchen Sie nicht hinterher durch einen Kommentar und Pedanterie ihm den Eindruck zu verderben. Das ist es, was ich Ihnen zur Behandlung von Lesestücken empfehlen möchte, weil Sie dadurch die Gelegenheit haben, vieles mit den Kindern zu besprechen, was dem Schulunterricht überhaupt angehören soll, und weil Sie dem Kinde ungeteilte Befriedigung geben können in solchem Lesestücke. Das ist es also, was ich Ihnen mit Bezug auf die Behandlung des Lesestückes ans Herz legen möchte.
Jetzt wollen wir fortfahren in der Behandlung der Kindesseele. Ich habe Sie gestern gebeten, nachzudenken, wie man behandeln soll Frömmlinge, Brävlinge; Bravlinge, die sich durch ihre Scheinheiligkeit, Bravheit vordrängen, sich aber nicht zum Nutzen der Klasse ausleben.
Es folgen Ausführungen der Anwesenden.
Rudolf Steiner: Ich habe diese Frage besonders aus dem Grunde gestellt, weil es schwierig ist, zu unterscheiden zwischen schädlichen und nützlichen Brävlingen. Man muß beachten, ob man es mit solchen zu tun hat, die später wirklich einmal eine Rolle spielen. Die sind auch so. Sie sind nützliche Brävlinge, aber unbequem.
Da könnte man die Geschichte erzählen, wie der Esel zu seinen Ohren kam. Man kann auch schärfere Mittel anwenden gegen besondere Brävlinge. Man sollte sie aber nicht vor der Klasse bloßstellen und beschämen. Das wirkt zuviel. Man kann aber einem Streber übergroße Leistungen, zum Beispiel Stabübungen auferlegen und dann die Tatsachen sprechen lassen, so daß das Kind sieht, daß es die Leistung nicht erfüllen kann, und daß es das dem Lehrer sagen muß. Dadurch zeigt sich, ob das Streben echt ist.
Es geben noch andere Teilnehmer Darstellungen hierzu.
Rudolf Steiner faßt am Schluß folgendermaßen zusammen: Ja, im wesentlichen ist ja bei dieser Diskussion die Sache schon herausgekommen, um die es sich handelt.
Das erste wird sein, daß man versucht, sorgfältig festzustellen, ob es sich handelt um ein berechtigtes Hervortun der begabteren Schüler, die mehr leisten können. Bei diesen wird man darauf sehen, daß nicht die größere Begabung in ehrgeizigen Egoismus übergehe. Man wird versuchen, das, was sie mehr können, für die anderen fruchtbar zu machen. Einen solchen Brävling wird man im Sinne seines größeren Könnens etwas machen lassen, was den anderen zugute kommt, so daß er nicht nur für sich, sondern auch für die anderen mitarbeitet. Kann er besser rechnen, so läßt man ihn den anderen vorrechnen und die anderen sich an ihm hinaufranken. Wenn er dann vom Lehrer die Folge seiner Gesinnung erfährt, die sich so ausdrücken kann: «Der Müller ist ein guter Junge. Seht, der Müller, der kann ja recht viel. Solche Menschen können den anderen viel nützen. Und ich lobe euch nun alle dafür, daß ihr von dem Müller so viel gelernt habt.» — Also überleiten das Lob auf den einen in das Lob für alle!
Hat man solche richtige hervorragende Schülerbegabung abgesondert, und hat man die wirklichen Brävlinge, die immer existieren, ausgesondert, dann kennt man sie, und man wird sie fast immer durch Vereinigung von zwei Methoden zu behandeln haben.
Das erste wird sein, daß man mit ihnen, nicht vor der Klasse selber, sondern unter vier Augen reden wird. So daß sie einsehen, sie sind durchschaut. Man redet mit ihnen sehr eindringlich: «Ihr macht dieses, ihr macht das», und man charakterisiert auch diese Eigenschaften und legt nachher in diesem Falle die Sache auf die persönliche Note. «Ihr könnt das immer machen, ihr könnt das immer wieder und wieder machen. Ihr glaubt, das sei mir angenehm, ihr tut mir damit einen Gefallen? Nein, ich will das gar nicht haben. Es ist mir unangenehm!» Nicht vor der Klasse, aber unter vier Augen spricht man so zu ihnen. Das ist das eine. Man macht dem Schüler ganz klar, daß man ihn durchschaut.
Das andere ist dieses: Man stellt ihm Aufgaben, die ihm zu groß sind, und versucht, ihm klarzumachen, wenn er diese übergroßen Aufgaben lösen muß, so ist es deshalb, weil er sich hervortun will. Es ist schwerer für ihn, diese Eigenschaften zu bekämpfen, als übergroße Aufgaben zu lösen. Aber unangenehmer ist es für ihn, diese Aufgaben zu machen. Deshalb wird er sich bemühen. Wir müssen ihm sagen, daß er solche Aufgaben deshalb bekommt, weil er sich hervordrängt. Aber wenn er diese Eigenschaften bekämpft, wird er keine anderen Aufgaben machen müssen als die übrige Klasse.
Man kann aber namentlich die beiden Dinge für einen Schüler oder eine Schülerin zusammenkoppeln und wird dadurch, daß man ihm sagt, daß man ihn durchschaut, und ihm sagt, daß er solche Aufgaben deshalb bekommt, weil er sich vordrängt, durch das Zusammenkoppeln dieser beiden Sachen sicher viel erreichen. Sie werden sehen, daß Sie den Schüler nach einiger Zeit kuriert haben werden, wenn Sie diese Methoden anwenden.
Wir werden ja noch manche größere Aufgabe zu lösen haben in diesen Seminarstunden. Für morgen aber möchte ich noch eine ähnliche Aufgabe stellen, die mit der letzten etwas verwandt, aber doch wieder anders ist, und bei deren Behandlung auch die Eurythmie in Betracht zu ziehen ist. Verzeihen Sie, daß ich diese Aufgabe stelle, aber sie gehört in das Gebiet der Didaktik: Was hat man zu tun, wenn sich unter den Schülern oder Schülerinnen ein besonderer Schwarm entwickelt für den Lehrer oder die Lehrerin?
«Schwarm», versteht jemand das nicht? Wenn ein Schüler schwärmt für eine Lehrerin oder umgekehrt, eine Schülerin für einen Lehrer, oder eine Schülerin für eine Lehrerin oder ein Schüler für einen Lehrer. Es kommen ja alle diese betreffenden Nuancen vor. Dieses tatsächlich richtige Schwärmen, das sehr störend auf die Fortführung des Unterrichts wirken kann, dies bitte ich Sie zu bedenken, wie das zu behandeln ist.
Es muß schon in einem Grade vorhanden sein, daß es wirklich den Unterricht stört. Ich meine natürlich durchaus nicht das echte Respektieren, die richtige Achtung, und auch nicht ein richtiges Hinneigen in Liebe zur Lehrerin oder zum Lehrer, sondern eben dieses, was den Unterricht stört durch ein ungesundes Schwärmen, wie es ja häufig in den Klassen vorkommt.
Sixth Seminar Discussion
Repetition of yesterday's speech exercises; then new ones:
Honestly advisable
Equip gloriously
Huge avenging
Calmly rolling
Repentant steedsOstentatiously praising
Baths rutting
Clattering cute
Boring tinkering
Powder smearing
Mountainous boasting
Reading of a fable by Lessing.
Rudolf Steiner: You must bear in mind that prose can be read in different tones of voice depending on the personality.
The title should be omitted if possible in such cases and not emphasized particularly.
The Nightingale and the Peacock
A sociable nightingale found many envious singers in the forest, but no friends. “Perhaps I will find one among a different species,” she thought, and flew down to the peacock. “Beautiful peacock, I admire you!” “I admire you too, lovely nightingale.” “Then let us be friends,” continued the nightingale. “We must not envy each other; you are as pleasing to the eye as I am to the ear.” The nightingale and the peacock became friends.
Kneller and Pope were better friends than Pope and Addison.
Rudolf Steiner jokingly said instead: France and Italy are better friends than Italy and England. You could also say that; the application can be made in many different ways.
Rudolf Steiner: Now I would like to discuss a piece of teaching with you. I would like to point out that you should never spoil the content of a reading piece — I will call it prosaic — for the feelings and sensations by reading the reading piece, or reading it through with the pupils, and then explaining it pedantically. The insightful psychologist will not do this, but will have the feeling that a piece of prose or a poem must have such an effect on the soul that, once it has experienced it, the soul can be satisfied with the impression; one could also say satisfied by the impression. However, one must not rule out the possibility that this very satisfaction, which should arise from the content of a reading passage, is enhanced for the pupil by the fact that the pupil understands all the nuances completely, that he understands, at least instinctively, what is in the poem. There is no need to develop a pedantic, scholarly commentary on a poem or reading passage, but the child should be lifted up to a complete emotional understanding of a reading passage. Therefore, one should always try to leave the actual reading of a passage until last, and do everything that needs to be done for the sake of understanding beforehand. If you do the right thing in a reasonably appropriate manner, you will not come across as pedantic, but will help to ensure that nothing in the reading passage remains unexplained. This will increase the child's enjoyment and satisfaction.
I would therefore – you would do this in more detail – do something like the following with the pupils in class. I would say:
"Look, dear children, you have certainly seen dogs before! Well, who among you has not seen dogs? You would have had to be hiding behind the stove. And you have noticed that not all dogs are the same. They are very, very different from each other. There are tiny dogs, very small dogs, larger dogs, and very large dogs. You have sometimes been afraid of the very large dogs. You are not afraid of the very small, tiny ones, but perhaps you are, because they sometimes bite your calves."
Now let's take a look at a few dogs today. You have probably often seen a cart with meat on the street and a butcher's dog in front of it. If you have paid close attention, you will have seen that it usually sits in front of the butcher's shop and makes sure that no one steals the meat. If someone comes and takes the meat without permission, it has to bite them, or at least bark. Now you will understand that the butcher's dog cannot be a small animal. No, it is a big dog! You will also have noticed that small dogs are not harnessed in front of the butcher's cart, nor are they placed in front of the butcher's shop.
Well, such a butcher's dog can be compared to a person who has to watch over something. Animals can often be compared to humans. What animals do out of instinct, humans often have to do out of duty. Humans and animals have to do similar things, and that is why they can be compared.
For example, if a person has to watch over something like the butcher's dog in front of the butcher's stall, then that person will get into a habit. If someone comes and wants to take something, he will grab him by the comb – yes, that's what you say when you warn someone that they mustn't do something; that's what you say. You say “grab him by the comb” when you hold the person in question. With humans, it's the hair, not a real comb. You grab them by the hair. That hurts them, so they don't run away; that's why you do it. And you don't say things like that directly, because if you say directly, “I'll grab you by the hair,” it doesn't sound very funny. There always has to be a little humor mixed in with life, that's why you say, “I'll grab you by the comb.” Humans have hair;
humans are sometimes a little cheeky. The rooster is almost always cheeky; he has a comb. That's why you say, “I'll take you by the comb.” So you could easily form a mental image, for example, if another cheeky animal comes along and wants to get a piece of meat from the butcher's shop, the butcher's dog could say, “I'll take you by the comb!” — That would be a very good comparison between humans and dogs.
Well, children, you know there are other dogs too, small ones, and they are mostly lazybones, miserable lazybones! They lie on cushions, sometimes even on their mistress's lap. In short, they are lazy creatures. They are lap dogs, lap dogs. They are not as useful as the butcher's dog. The butcher's dog serves a purpose; the cushion dogs only play, they are basically useless. But if anyone does something they shouldn't, the butcher's dog will grab them by the scruff of the neck, that is, touch them, grab them and shake them properly. That will be useful, because then the other animal will not be able to steal the meat. The lap dog doesn't do anything useful like that, it just barks. It barks at everyone, and especially when other big dogs come along, the lap dog quickly follows behind and barks and barks and barks. But dogs that bark don't bite, as the saying goes; that's what big dogs think when they walk by. That's why you can see big dogs walking by calmly, letting the little yappers yelp and thinking to themselves: yapping dogs don't bite. They're not brave, they're cowardly. A butcher's dog must always be brave. Lapdogs, yes, they run after you and yelp, but when the other dog looks at them, they immediately run away. Well, you see, these little dogs are lazybones, they do nothing useful in the world and are good for nothing. They are like those people you shouldn't listen to, even if such people often bark at you.
These lap dogs are very small, while the butcher's dog is large. But there are also medium-sized dogs. These are not as large as the butcher's dog, but they are larger than lap dogs. The sheepdog is of medium size. This sheepdog has to herd cattle. In some areas, this is more difficult than it is here. In some areas, such as Russia, there are wolves. And the dog has to make sure that no wolf or other animal comes near; it has to run around the herd all the time. That is why the habit has developed of the dog always running around the herd. It is also good for us that the dog runs around the herd, because the shepherd often sleeps, and something bad could come and take something from the herd. That is why the sheepdog runs around and guards the herd. Even when there are no wolves around, it is good for the sheepdog to run around and guard the flock, and sometimes also to guard the shepherd and wake him up. It could also happen that a shepherd might be stolen while he is sleeping.
So a shepherd dog, a sheepdog, is a useful creature, a useful animal. They can also be compared to people who have the right attitude to life, who are not useless like lazybones, couch potatoes, lap dogs. Yes, there is such a difference in human life between people who are like sheepdogs and those who are like butcher's dogs. Both are useful, even if those who are like butcher's dogs are sometimes rough. Sometimes they are such that they say exactly the right thing in a short, apt speech; that they feel that one must guard something, protect something, one must ward off the enemy. The sheepdog can also be compared to people who do their work more quietly, but have to wait until the difficult parts of their work arise. The sheepdog runs around. He doesn't have much to do for a long time, but he has to be ready, to be strong, to be courageous, to be prepared when the wolf or another enemy comes, so that he can seize the moment. In the same way, some people are obliged to wait and be vigilant until they are called upon. They must not allow themselves to be discouraged by all the little things in life, but must remain prepared until the moment when they have to do the right thing.
You see, this is how I would talk to children, so that they are made aware of the animal world in a special case and their thoughts are directed to the analogies between animals and humans. Once you have discussed something like this, you will be able to read the following aloud without having to explain it afterwards. If you gave the children the following short story without first explaining it, they would not be fully prepared because their senses and feelings would not be focused on everything. If you gave explanations afterwards, you would pedantically spoil it, and they would not be able to read it properly.
The Shepherd Dog
An old sheepdog, who faithfully guarded his master's cattle, was walking home in the evening. The little lapdogs in the alley barked at him. He trotted along and did not look back. When he came to the butcher's shop, a butcher's dog asked him how he could stand the barking and why he didn't grab one by the scruff of the neck. “No,” said the shepherd dog, “nobody pinches or bites me, I have to keep my teeth for the wolves.”
Then you don't need to say anything else to the children; you have to prepare them beforehand so that they understand.
Another time, say the following to the children: "My dear children! You have often gone for walks, walked in the meadow, between the fields, but also in the forest, sometimes at the edge where the forest borders the meadow. When you walk inside the forest, you walk completely in the shade; but when you walk at the edge of the forest, the sun can still shine quite brightly on one side. Then, if a meadow borders the forest, you can calmly observe how the flowers grow. It will always be good for you to choose places for your walks where the forest and meadow meet. Then you can always choose something in the forest or in the meadow. There you can always observe anew how the grass grows and how the plants and flowers grow in the grass.
But see, it is especially lovely and pleasant when you can not only walk through the forest and across the meadows, but when the meadows are also located between mountains, in valleys. In such meadows, you can find even more interesting things than in meadows that are exposed to too much sun. Valley meadows, protected by the mountains, have very beautiful flowers, and these flowers often grow in such a way that you can also see them among the moss, which grows particularly well in such meadow valleys. Especially violets, which are found right where the moss is nearby."
Now you can continue talking to the children about moss and violets, perhaps asking one child to describe violets and another to discuss moss. You can even try to bring violets and moss with you on that day, if they are available. After all, they are both available at the same time.
Then you continue: "But look, dear children, if you have a meadow valley like this nearby, you can experience going out and seeing only moss. Then you go out again in eight days. What do you see then? Violets in the moss! Yes, they have just grown out; they were hidden in the moss before. You remember that. And when you go out again next year, you can have even greater joy. You think: “There were no violets here in the spring! We haven't seen any yet.” — Now you try to part the moss. Aha, there's the violet in there!
In nature, my dear children, it is often just as it is among people. Often, many good and beautiful things are hidden. Some people go unnoticed because the good in them is hidden, because it has not yet been found. You have to develop a feeling for finding the good people among the crowd.
Yes, see, dear children, one can compare human life with nature even further. Think of a very good human child, and you will find that such a child always speaks very good, kind words. Now there are modest human children and immodest human children. Modest human children are less noticeable. Immodest human children, however, will want to be noticed.
See, the violet is quite beautiful, but when you look at this violet, how it stretches its lovely violet leaves upward, you will notice that the violet wants to be noticed, it wants to be looked at. I cannot compare the violet to a modest child who withdraws and stays in the corner. You could only compare it to a child who actually likes to be seen. Yes, but it does not show itself when it is hidden in the moss, does it? Yes, you see, when you look at the violet between the leaves, how it comes out and crawls out of the moss again, it's as if the violet doesn't just want to be seen, as if it doesn't just want to be smelled; it's as if it wants to be sought out: "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, here I am! But you have to look for me!" This violet is like a human child who is not entirely modest, but also like a mischievous human child.
It is very good to discuss such parallels, such analogies between nature and human beings with children, so that everything around the child comes to life.It is good to hold all such discussions with children as preparation, so that they can enjoy something. After the reading, no further explanations should be given. Wouldn't it be nonsense if I were to start reciting something to you in Chinese? You would say: Well, that makes no sense; we haven't learned Chinese. — But if you all knew Chinese and I spoke to you in Chinese, you would find it extremely boring if I tried to explain everything to you afterwards. The same applies to a reading passage: do everything you can to make it enjoyable.
In a little more detail, letting the children participate quite a bit, talk about modesty in people and immodesty and coquetry, and then read to them:
Oh, what blooms so secretly in the sunbeam?
Those are the lovely violets blooming in the quiet valley,
Blooming so secretly, hidden in the moss,
That even we children have not discovered any violets.And what is that little head quietly raising?
What is whispering so softly, softly from the moss?
“Seek, and you shall find! Seek me!”
Wait, violet, wait! We will find you!—Hoffmann von Fallersleben
Once you have taught the child the language of the poem, the child can participate in all its nuances, and you don't need to spoil the impression afterwards with commentary and pedantry. This is what I would like to recommend to you when dealing with reading passages, because it gives you the opportunity to discuss many things with the children that should be part of school lessons, and because you can give the child undivided satisfaction in such reading passages. So this is what I would like to recommend to you with regard to the treatment of reading passages.
Now let us continue with the treatment of the child's soul. Yesterday I asked you to think about how to treat pious children, well-behaved children who push themselves forward with their hypocrisy and good behavior, but do not live out their lives for the benefit of the class.
The following are comments from those present.
Rudolf Steiner: I asked this question specifically because it is difficult to distinguish between harmful and useful goody-goodies. One must consider whether one is dealing with those who will actually play a role later on. They are like that too. They are useful goody-goodies, but inconvenient.
One could tell the story of how the donkey got its ears. One can also use more severe measures against particular troublemakers. However, one should not expose and shame them in front of the class. That has too much of an effect. However, you can assign a nerd excessive tasks, such as bar exercises, and then let the facts speak for themselves, so that the child sees that they cannot perform the task and that they must tell the teacher. This will reveal whether their ambition is genuine.
There are other participants who have commented on this.
Rudolf Steiner summarizes as follows at the end: Yes, essentially, this discussion has already brought out the issue at stake.
The first thing will be to try to carefully determine whether this is a case of justified excellence on the part of the more gifted students who are capable of achieving more. In the case of these pupils, care will be taken to ensure that their greater talent does not turn into ambitious egoism. An attempt will be made to make what they can do more fruitful for the others. Such a talented pupil will be allowed to do something that benefits the others, so that he works not only for himself but also for the others. If he is better at math, he will be allowed to show the others how to do the calculations and the others will be able to learn from him. When the teacher then explains the consequences of his attitude, which can be expressed as follows: “Müller is a good boy. Look, Müller can do a lot. People like him can be very useful to others. And I now praise you all for learning so much from Müller.” — So the praise for one turns into praise for all!
Once you have identified such truly outstanding student talent and singled out the real goody-goodies, who always exist, then you know who they are, and you will almost always have to deal with them by combining two methods.
The first will be to talk to them, not in front of the class, but in private. So that they realize they have been seen through. You talk to them very emphatically: “You do this, you do that,” and you also characterize these traits and then, in this case, give the matter a personal touch. “You can always do that, you can do it over and over again. You think that pleases me, that you are doing me a favor? No, I don't want that at all. It makes me uncomfortable!” Not in front of the class, but in private, you talk to them like this. That's one thing. You make it very clear to the student that you see through them.
The other thing is this: you give them tasks that are too big for them and try to make it clear to them that if they have to solve these oversized tasks, it is because they want to show off. It is harder for them to fight these traits than to solve oversized tasks. But it is more unpleasant for them to do these tasks. That is why they will make an effort. We have to tell him that he is given such tasks because he wants to stand out. But if he fights these traits, he will not have to do any other tasks than the rest of the class.
However, you can combine these two things for a student and, by telling him that you see through him and that he is given such tasks because he pushes himself forward, you will certainly achieve a lot by combining these two things. You will see that you will have cured the student after some time if you use these methods.
We will still have some bigger tasks to solve in these seminar hours. But for tomorrow, I would like to set a similar task, which is somewhat related to the last one, but different, and which also takes eurythmy into consideration. Please forgive me for setting this task, but it belongs to the field of didactics: What should one do when a particular infatuation develops among the students for the teacher?
Does anyone not understand the term “infatuation”? When a male student is infatuated with a female teacher or vice versa, a female student with a male teacher, or a female student with a female teacher or a male student with a male teacher. All these nuances occur. This genuine infatuation, which can be very disruptive to the continuation of the lesson, is something I would ask you to consider how to deal with.
It must be to such a degree that it really disrupts the lesson. Of course, I do not mean genuine respect, proper esteem, or even a proper inclination toward love for the teacher, but rather that which disrupts the lesson through unhealthy infatuation, as often occurs in classes.