The Rudolf Steiner Archive

First Meeting

Dr. Steiner: We will begin school at 8:00 a.m. During the period from November 15 through February 15, I suggest we begin at 8:30 a.m. The class teachers will be:

Class 1 Miss von Mirbach
Class 2 Pastor Geyer
Class 3 Miss Lang
Class 4 Mrs. Koegel
Class 5 Dr. von Heydebrand
Class 6 Mr. Oehlschlegel
Classes 7 & 8 Dr. Treichler and Mr. Stockmeyer

In addition, Dr. Stein, Mr. Hahn, and Mr. and Mrs. Baumann will also be teaching.

The religion, singing, and music classes will be in the afternoon from 2:00 until 3:30. Eurythmy will also be in the afternoon. Therefore, the afternoon schedule will be:

2:00-3:30 Music
3:30-4:00 Recess
4:00-5:00 Religion
5:00-6:00 Eurythmy and Gymnastics
6:00 Dismissal

There will be no school on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Therefore, the teaching schedule will be as follows:

2:00-3:30 p.m. Singing & Music 4:00-5:00 p.m. Religion 5:00-6:00 p.m. Eurythmy Monday Grades 7 & 8 Grades 7 & 8 Grades 1& 2 Tuesday Grades 5 & 6 Grades 5 & 6 Grades 3 & 4 Wednesday Thursday Grades 3 & 4 3rd & 4th Grade Grades 5 & 6 Friday Grades 1 & 2 Grades 1 & 2 Grades 7 & 8 Saturday

The teachers can decide the number of hours.1 We will give religion instruction in reverse order of the classes. It is good for the teachers to have the youngest children just before Sunday. Thus, on Thursday and Friday we will have religion for the four lowest classes at 4:00 in the afternoon.

In the first, second, and third grades, we will have only eurythmy; in the fourth through eighth grades, we will also have gymnastics. The gymnastics teachers will observe during eurythmy; the eurythmy teachers will observe during gymnastics. Now we come to the morning schedule.

In the first three-quarters of the year, we should go through everything in a connected manner. That is, we will take the subjects one-quarter of the year3 at a time according to choice. In the last quarter of the year, we can separate the various subjects and alternate them as a repetition.4 We can separate the subjects only during the repetition. The remainder of the time we will always take one subject at a time, for instance, telling fairy tales and then reading.

Third grade Monday–Saturday 8:00-10:00 a.m. with the class teacher.

Twelve hours is sufficient for the teacher. That will be an eight-hour work day, including preparation.

Fourth grade is the same as the third grade.

September 8, 1919 3 Grade 5: Mon. Wed. Fri. 8-10 a.m. Main Tues. Thur. Sat. 10:15- 12:15 Lesson Grade 6: Tues. Thur. Sat. 8-10 a.m. Main Mon. Wed. Fri. 10:15- 12:15 Lesson

In the 7th and 8th grades, the teachers will alternate.

Grade 7: Teacher 1 Mon. Wed. Fri. 8-10 a.m. Teacher 2 Tues. Thur. Sat. 8-10 a.m. Grade 8: Teacher 1 Tues. Thur. Sat. 8-10 a.m. Teacher 2 Mon. Wed. Fri. 8-10 a.m.

Languages:

The first grade has a class of English and French every day, either before or after Main Lesson depending upon whether Main Lesson begins at 8 or 10:15. We may eventually have to do that in the afternoon, but if possible, we should teach it in the morning.

The second grade is the same as the 1st.

The third grade also has a class of English or French every day.

The same is true for the fourth grade. However, in addition, they will have two hours of Latin every day in the afternoon, except for Wednesday and Friday. Thus, they will have eight hours of Latin per week. If possible, we should do this in the morning.

[Dr. Steiner later changed this so that both Latin and Greek began in the fifth grade. Refer to the discussion on July 20, 1920.]

The fifth grade is like the fourth grade.

In the sixth and seventh grades, we will add Greek. Thus, beginning in the sixth grade, we will drop three of the English/ French classes and teach 1½ hours of Latin and 1½ hours of Greek instead.

All language instruction shall occur between recesses.

Dr. von Heydebrand will teach English in the 1st and 2nd grades, and Mr. Oehlschlegel will teach the remaining classes. Mr. Hahn will teach French in the first through third grades and Dr. Treichler, grades four through eight. Pastor Geyer will teach Latin in the fourth and possibly fifth grades, and Dr. Treichler, the sixth grade. Dr. Treichler will also teach Greek.

Dr. Stein will replace Miss Mirbach during the period of her absence, and perhaps he can also assist Dr. Treichler in Latin for three or four weeks, until about the middle of October. We can give handwork to an extent, or perhaps we can fit it into the afternoons.

The anthroposophical instruction, that is, the independent religious instruction, can be given by the class teachers. However, we should wait until September 23 to begin that.

I will be in Dresden from September 18 to 21, but will return on the 23rd. We will certainly have much to discuss then, and you can ask everything at that time. However, on the 26th I must again leave.

A teacher asks about equipment for physics.

Dr. Steiner: We will purchase teaching aids as we need them. However, you should let us know four weeks ahead of time.

A teacher asks a question about teaching physics.

Dr. Steiner: You must differentiate between percussive, plucked, and bowed tones through monochords.

[Dr. Steiner mentions two books commonly used in Austria for teaching Latin and Greek. There is also some discussion about fairy tales, sagas, and stories, as well as history, in connection with the teachers’ library. A discussion of the Free Waldorf School Association and unified elementary and secondary schools follows.]

Dr. Steiner: The meetings are free republican discussions. Each person is sovereign in them. Every teacher should keep a small journal.