Faculty Meetings with Rudolf Steiner
GA 300a
9 June 1920, Stuttgart
Tenth Meeting
Dr. Steiner: The teachers will understand their students better because each teacher will remain with his or her class. We must continue to work in this direction and use those things we discussed in the teachers’ seminar. When you can properly judge a child’s temperament, everything will come of itself. You should work toward reflecting the child’s temperament in the sound of your voice when you call the child.
The year-end report and a brochure are discussed.
Dr. Steiner: We should include something about the layout and plan of the school, as well as the curriculum, in the yearly report. We should also include something about the students and where they came from: 161 from elementary schools, 50 from middle schools, 64 from secondary schools, 12 beginning students—altogether, 287. And we should say something about the students’ religious affiliations.
Include something about the many volumes in the teachers’ library. Also, the collections and displays, but we should not discuss the individual collections, only provide a summary. Mention the students’ library, also.
Say something about eurythmy as a new subject. I would ask Mr. Baumann to report about that. We can also include something about handwork classes, perhaps including some remarks about the lack of industriousness. However, we should emphasize what is of lasting value.
The history of the school year should receive special treatment. Begin with the brochure. Later, however, we will replace the brochure with a report by a faculty member. For the present, we can simply include the brochure.
Each of you who wants to can write an autobiography to include in the yearly report. We should also have a description of each teacher, for example, what the teacher did before becoming a teacher. We can also include eulogies for those who died in the past year.
Often, we bring out things too strongly that belong behind the scenes.
A teacher remarks that Dr. Steiner’s leadership of the school should be emphasized.
Dr. Steiner: You can mention my courses and lectures as well as those that the teachers have given. We should also say something about the lecture series sponsored by the Waldorf-Astoria factory, although those lectures have less connection with the school than with the adult education school. Give a history of that school along with a list of lectures the teachers have held there. In fact, we should say something about the general educational activities at the factory. Mention also the activities and lectures by the teachers in the independent apprenticeship school, as well as the courses for social understanding given for young people. Say something about the archive also.
We need to have a separate section about the preparatory instruction for the Youth Festival. Actually, we need to discuss the activities of the Lutheran, Catholic and independent religious classes, but if we cannot have a special section for each of the religions, we should leave it out.
All the classes were then discussed. All the teachers gave a report about what they did in the course of the school year, how far they came, and what the state of the class was.
First, two teachers spoke about the main lessons in the first and second grades, and then a teacher spoke of the main lesson and foreign language in the third grade.
Dr. Steiner: In the foreign languages, you should not rely upon a dictionary and should not translate. You should also avoid giving the children the text in German. The best thing is to read the foreign language text first, and then to tell the children the content in your own words.
There is so much dust on the desks and dirt in the classrooms!
The teachers should collect information about psychological aspects, sort of an almanac about psychological abnormalities. It would be an almanac in a broad sense. From a spiritual scientific perspective, these things are quite obvious. You can talk about them, since many things have actually occurred.
Something interesting occurred today in the eighth grade. What was the boy’s name? He writes exactly like you do, Dr. Stein. He imitates your handwriting exactly. That is certainly an interesting thing. If someone has straight hair, he will learn the handwriting of the teachers. A child with curly hair would not have done that.
A teacher reports about the fourth grade. The children did not know anything about grammar, asking what it was.
Dr. Steiner: It would be good if, at the end of the main lesson, you had the children remember in reverse order everything they did that morning.
A teacher: What did you mean by the psychological “almanac”?
Dr. Steiner: It would be a collection for the faculty, and could be very important. You could include all kinds of interesting things. If you think about it, you can immediately find a barrelful of such things. Each teacher can take note of all the things observed. For the higher grades, you should provide information about what the children did not know when they came to us. You should describe the things the children were missing. If you could put that together for the first yearly report, I would be very grateful.
That the children asked, for instance, “What is German grammar?” is culturally significant. You should record observations of the children who entered the Waldorf School. You should note what the children forgot and what kinds of misbehavior they had. Then include things about the instruction. At the end of the collection, we could state that it is obvious that we did not completely realize our intentions with each of the grades in the course of the year, but only generally.
Two teachers report about the fifth and sixth grades.
Dr. Steiner: The children in the sixth grade write unbelievably horribly. They are really happy when they can write “lucky” with two “k”s. It is more important that they can write business letters and learn algebra than that they can spell “lucky” with two “k”s.
A teacher reports about the humanities in the seventh and eighth grades. It is difficult to complete the material for history. The children don’t know anything more than what they learned in religion class.
Dr. Steiner: In 1890, I went to the Goethe Archive in Weimar. The director, Mr. Suphan, had two boys and one of my tasks was to teach them. In that way, I gained some insight into the schools in Berlin. I have to admit that although history was well taught in Austria, you couldn’t detect that those children had learned any of it in Germany. Their textbooks contained nothing about it. There were thirty pages of introductory information from Adam to the Hohenzollern, then the history of the Hohenzollerns began. That is true of all Germany; there is really nothing appropriate in middle school history classes.
A teacher asks about Allah.
Dr. Steiner: It is difficult to describe that supersensible being. Mohammedism is the first manifestation of Ahriman, the first Ahrimanic revelation following the Mystery of Golgotha. Mohammed’s god, Allah, Eloha, is an Ahrimanic imitation or pale reflection of the Elohim, but comprehended monotheistically. Mohammed always refers to them as a unity. The Mohammedan culture is Ahrimanic, but the Islamic attitude is Luciferic.
A teacher: In the Templar records, a being by the name of Bafomet appears often. What is that?
Dr. Steiner: Bafomet is a being of the Ahrimanic world who appears to people when they are being tortured. That happens really cleverly, since they then bring a lot of visions back with them when they return to consciousness.
In 869 A.D., there was the Filioque Argument. History books say nothing about this, but you can read about it in Harnak’s “Dogmengeschichte” (History of dogma).
A teacher asks a question.
Dr. Steiner: The Catholic religious instruction is much further ahead, the Lutheran, very limited.
Compared to other biographies, the one on Goethe by the Jesuit priest Baumgartner is quite well written, though he complains a lot. Everything else is simply rubbish. The biography of Goethe by the Englishman Lewes is poor. Swiss folk calendar.
A teacher reports about the instruction in natural sciences in the 7th and eighth grades.
Dr. Steiner: You can interrupt the natural science instruction at any point.
The meeting continued on Saturday, June 12, 1920 at 3:00 p.m.
Zehnte Konferenz
Rudolf Steiner reiste am 7. Juni von Dornach nach Stuttgart und blieb bis zum 28. Juni. Unentwegt war er für die Dreigliederungsbewegung tätig; die Aktiengesellschaft «Der Kommende Tag» sollte aus der Taufe gehoben werden - in einem Mitgliedervortrag in Stuttgart am 24. Juni 1920 schilderte er die Probleme, die in der Zusammenarbeit unter den Mitgliedern auftraten (in GA 197).
Seit dem letzten Besuch an der Schule am 14. März waren zwölf Wochen vergangen, in denen Schüler und Lehrer ihren Weg des Zusammenarbeitens fortsetzten. Während seiner Anwesenheit besuchte Steiner die Klassen, hielt eine Ansprache an einer Monatsfeier, sprach an einem Elternabend und beriet sich mit einigen Kollegen über die Neugestaltung der Dreigliederungsbewegung. In dieser Zeit wurden vier Konferenzen (am 9., 12., 14. und 23. Juni) mit ihm abgehalten.
Themen: Die Bedeutung der Temperamente. Der Jahresbericht der Schule. Orthografisches. Die Lehrer sollten «Psychologika sammeln».
Bemerkungen: Steiner berichtete über seine Erfahrungen in den Schulklassen. Wieder machte er darauf aufmerksam, dass die Temperamente der Schlüssel zum Verständnis der Schüler seien.
Diese Konferenz bringt den nie erfüllten Wunsch Steiners, die Lehrer mögen doch eine Sammlung psychologischer Merkwürdigkeiten anlegen, ein «Goldenes Buch» der Psychologie wobei Steiner sich erhoffte, dass eine solche Sammlung im Jahresbericht der Schule erscheinen würde (siehe seine Antwort an Karl Schubert).
Walter Johannes Stein fragte im Zusammenhang mit dem Geschichtsunterricht nach der Wesenheit Allahs. Steiner ging nicht gerne darauf ein, denn «es ist schwer, übersinnliche Wesen zu charakterisieren, indem man sie einregistriert.» Er machte dann doch einen Versuch und schilderte das Wesen in seinem Verhältnis zu den kosmischen Kräften ahrimanischer und luziferischer Signatur (siehe Hinweis).
Vorsitz: Rudolf Treichler.
RUDOLF STEINER: Dadurch, dass jeder [Lehrer] seine Klasse behält, wird eine intimere Kenntnis der Schüler errungen. Man muss versuchen, nach dieser Richtung weiter zu streben. Es muss versucht werden, diese Dinge anzuwenden, [die im Lehrerkurs besprochen wurden]. Sobald man das Temperament eines Kindes richtig beurteilen kann, kommt alles andere von selbst. Man müsste sich den Blick aneignen, dass man ihn [dass man das Temperament], wenn man den Namen aufruft, [im Klang der Stimme schon] darin hat.
Es wird über einen Jahresbericht und einen Prospekt gesprochen.
RUDOLF STEINER: [Im Jahresbericht müsste etwas stehen über] Grundriss und Plan der Schule. Bemerkung über die Lehrkräfte [und den] Lehrplan. [Dann über die] Schüler: [deren] Herkunft nach Schulen: 161 Volksschüler, 50 Mittelschüler, 64 [aus] höheren Schulen, [12 Schulneulinge; zusammen 287]. [Dann über die] Konfessionen [der Schüler].
Weiter über die Lehrerbibliothek, viele Bände. [Die] Sammlungen und Kabinette; [dabei sollte das] Inventar der einzelnen Sammlungen [nur] summarisch [angegeben werden]. [Die] Schülerbibliothek.
[Dann die] Eurythmie [als] eine neue Sache. [Darüber] wird Herr Baumann gebeten, einen eigenen Bericht zu machen. [Auch über] Handfertigkeit und Handarbeit [könnte etwas darinstehen, mit] Bemerkungen über die Mängel der Leistungen. [Vor allem aber] soll das Dauernde berücksichtigt werden.
Abgesondert davon [wäre] die Geschichte des ersten Schuljahres [darzustellen]. Man beginnt mit dem Prospekt. Später würde man anstelle dieses Prospektes eine Abhandlung von einer Lehrkraft haben; dieses Jahr kann [dafür] der Prospekt darinstehen.
[Im Jahresbericht soll sich] jeder, [so], wie er [es] will, seine Autobiografie schreiben. Auch Charakteristisches über die Lehrer kann im Bericht stehen; [man kann da zum Beispiel sagen], im Allgemeinen gehalten, was man vorher war, ehe man Lehrer wurde. Nachrufe über Verstorbene [können auch darinnenstehen].
Es werden [oft] zu stark Dinge [heraus]gestellt, die hinter die Kulissen gehören.
EMIL MOLT: Die Tätigkeit Dr. Steiners [in der Leitung der Schule] muss hervorgehoben werden.
RUDOLF STEINER: [Meine Kurse können erwähnt werden und ebenso die Vorträge, die die Lehrer gehalten haben. Dann sollte etwas darinnenstehen über das] Vortragswesen der Waldorf-Astoria, das [ja] weniger an die Schule [angeschlossen] ist, [also über die] Arbeiterbildungsschule; [die] Geschichte dieser Schule [mit einer] Liste der Vorträge, die die Lehrer [dort] gehalten haben. [Überhaupt über] die Bildungsbestrebungen der Fabrik. Die Arbeit muss geteilt’ werden. Über Disziplin. [Auch über die] Tätigkeit [und die] Vorträge der Lehrer in der freien Fortbildungsschule [für Lehrlinge und über den] Jugendkurs für soziale Erkenntnis, [Auch über das] Archiv.
[Ebenso über den] Vorbereitungs-Unterricht für die Jugendfeier in einem eigenen Abschnitt. [Überhaupt über die] Angelegenheiten des evangelischen, katholischen und freien Religionsunterrichts. Wenn man für die einzelnen Religionen kein besonderes Kapitel machen [will], müsste man es auslassen.
Es werden nun alle Klassen der Reihe nach durchgesprochen. Jeder Lehrer gibt einen genauen Bericht, was er in diesem Schuljahr behandelt hat, wie weit er gekommen ist, wie der Stand der Klasse ist und so weiter:
LEONIE VON MIRBACH [zur 1. Klasse]: Einfache Sätze können geschrieben werden, und zwar lateinisch /in lateinischen Buchstaben]. Mit Deutsch /der deutschen Schrift] wird jetzt auch begonnen. Beginn mit Rechnen und rhythmischem Zählen, Malen mit Wasserfarben.
JOHANNES GEYER [zur 2. Klasse]: Lateinische Buchstaben aus dem Zeichnen heraus entwickelt. Diktat und Abschreiben. Tierfabeln [und] Gedichte. Rechnen: alle vier Rechnungsarten. Zeichnen: verschiedene Motive, [hat] weniger Erfolg. Französisch: Gedichte. Kindertemperamente.
HANNAH LANG [zur 3. Klasse]: Rechnen: Dividieren. Andere Rechnungsarten wiederholt. Deutsche Sprache ganz von Anfang an. Grammatik bis Umstands- und Bindewort. Jede Woche ein bis zwei Stunden gerechnet, auch jede Woche gezeichnet. Lesen und Geschichten erzählen. Fabeln. Englisch: Grundlagen seit Weihnachten, verschiedene Lehreinheiten, Familie, kleine Unterhaltungen. Französisch, seit Ende Februar: Zimmer, Haus, Schulzimmer, Klasse. Schwereres Vorwärtskommen als im Englischen. Tierwelt, Pflanzen, Heimatkunde.
RUDOLF STEINER: [Im] Sprachunterricht sollte man nicht lexikalisch vorgehen und nicht übersetzen. [Man sollte auch] möglichst vermeiden, den deutschen Text vorzusagen. [Am besten ist es, den fremdsprachlichen Text erst zu] lesen [und dann den Inhalt mit eigenen Worten] wiederzugeben.
[Es ist so viel] Staub auf den Bänken, so viel Dreck in den Klassen!
[Die Lehrer sollten] Psychologika sammeln! [Das] könnte gewissermaßen eine Art Goldenes Buch der psychologischen Merkwürdigkeiten sein, ein Goldenes Buch, Psychologika im weitesten Sinne. Geisteswissenschaftlich sind die Sachen selbstverständlich. Man kann sie auch sagen. Manches ist auch schon vorgekommen.
Es war mir heute interessant in der 8. Klasse. Wie heißt der Junge? Er schreibt genau wie Sie [zu Walter Johannes Stein]. [O. D., er ahmt Ihre Schrift nach.] Das ist eine interessante Tatsache. Wenn jemand liegende Haare hat, wird er sich die Schrift vom Lehrer aneignen. Ein Kind mit struppigen Haaren würde so etwas nicht getan haben.
HERTHA KOEGEL [zur 4. Klasse]: Heimatkunde, Geschichtliches, Diktate, Aufsätze und Sagen. Rechnen ganz von vorne. [Das] Bruchrechnen [ist] neu. Grammatik [ganz] von vorne. [Von] deutscher Grammatik [haben die Kinder] gar nichts gewusst. [Sie fragten, was das sei.] Naturkunde noch durchzunehmen. Französisch, Englisch, Zusammenfassung [?]. Handarbeit.
RUDOLF STEINER: [Sehr gut ist es, wenn man die Kinder veranlasst, sich am Ende der 4. Stunde] rückwärts zu erinnern [an das, was sie] am ganzen Morgen [gemacht und] durchgenommen haben.
KARL SCHUBERT: Wie soll [so ein Goldenes Buch] gedacht sein?
RUDOLF STEINER: Als Sammlung der Lehrerschaft. Das kann eine große Bedeutung haben. Allerlei interessante Dinge [wären darin zu vermerken]. Jeder wird, wenn er nachdenkt, gleich einen ganzen Schippel solcher Sachen finden. Jeder Lehrer [be]spricht in einer Anzahl prägnanter Bemerkungen, was er [beobachtet]. In den höheren Klassen sollte angegeben werden, was den Kindern [an Wissensstoff] gefehlt hat, [als sie zu uns kamen]. [Man sollte] solche Dinge charakterisieren, was den Kindern fehlte. Wenn man das im ersten Jahresbericht zusammengestellt hätte, da würde ich schr dankbar sein.
[Dass] die Kinder [zum Beispiel] fragten: Was ist das, «deutsche Grammatik»? — das ist kulturhistorisch bedeutsam. [Also] Observationen bei den in die Waldorfschule eingetretenen Kindern. Was man bemerkt, was die Kinder vergessen, was sie für Ungezogenheiten hatten. [Dann auch] mehr das Unterrichtliche. Am Schluss der Sammlung können wir sagen: Es ist selbstverständlich, dass unsere Intentionen mit jeder einzelnen Klasse in diesem Jahr noch nicht [voll] erreicht worden sind, [sondern nur] pauschaliter.
CAROLINE VON HEYDEBRAND [zur 5. Klasse]: Bis Ostern Rechnen erledigt. Dann Geschichte [und] Pflanzenmorphologie. Vegetationszonen, Wachen und Schlafen der Erde. [Geografische] Zonen [und] Mensch. Von Grammatik nichts gewusst. Novellistische Aufsätze. Große Fortschritte in Zeichnen und Malen. Malen aus der Phantasie heraus, Malen mit Wasserfarben.
EUGEN KOLISKO in Nachfolge von Friedrich Oehlschlegel [zur 6. Klasse]: Geografie: sehr viel durchgenommen. Geschichte weniger. Physikalische Geografie. Geologie. Zins- und Wechselrechnung. Geschichte von morgenländischer bis mittelalterlicher [Kultur]. Im Allgemeinen [sind die Kinder darin] zurück. Naturgeschichte und Mensch mit Betonung des Dreigliedrigen. Tierbeschreibungen. Botanik. Buchstabenrechnen. Physik: nicht mehr, höchstens Akustik. Geschäftsbriefe. Ferner noch etwas Geometrie, mangelhaft. Das Schreiben [ist] schlecht.
RUDOLF STEINER: Unglaublich unorthografisch schreiben die Kinder in der 6. Klasse. Wenn sie glücklich mit zwei k schreiben, sind sie überglücklich. Es ist viel wichtiger, dass sie Geschäftsbriefe schreiben und Buchstabenrechnung lernen, als dass sie glücklich mit zwei k schreiben.
WALTER JOHANNES STEIN [über die humanistischen Fächer in der 7. und 8. Klasse]: [In der] Geschichte [macht die] Stoffbewältigung Schwierigkeiten, erst bis zu den Entdeckungen gekommen. Die Kinder wissen nichts, [als] was sie aus dem Religionsunterricht kennen.
RUDOLF STEINER: [1890 kam ich nach Weimar ans Goethe-Archiv. Dessen] Direktor war Suphan, der zwei Buben hatte. Mir ist auch die Aufgabe zugefallen, die[se] Buben zu unterrichten. Ich bekam [dadurch] einen Einblick in die Berliner Schulen. Ich muss sagen, während man in Österreich einen ordentlichen Geschichtsunterricht bekam, war in Deutschland überhaupt nicht[s] [davon] zu bemerken, dass die Kinder einen Geschichtsunterricht hatten. In den Büchern war nichts [davon] zu bemerken. [Da gab es] dreißig Seiten Vorbereitung von Adam bis zu den Hohenzollern, dann geht die Geschichte der Hohenzollern los. Das ist in ganz Deutschland so, dass in den Mittelschulen nichts [Ordentliches über Geschichte] vorkommt.
WALTER JOHANNES STEIN fragt nach der Wesenheit Allahs.
RUDOLF STEINER: Es ist schwer, die übersinnlichen Wesen zu charakterisieren, [indem] man sie einregistriert.
Der Mohammedanismus [ist] die erste ahrimanische Manifestation, die erste [ahrimanische] Offenbarung nach dem Mysterium von Golgatha. [Der Gott] Mohammed[s], Allah, [Eloha], [ist] ein ahrimanischer Abglanz der elohistischen Wesenheiten, der Elohim, [aber monotheistisch erfasst]. Er bezeichnet sie immer in einer Einheit. [Die mohammedanische] Kultur [ist] ahrimanisch, [aber] die Gemütsverfassung der Islamiten ist luziferisch. /Siehe Hinweis.]
WALTER JOHANNES STEIN: In den Templerprozessen wird oft ein Wesen namens Bafomet genannt. Was ist das?
RUDOLF STEINER: Bafomet, das ist ein Wesen der ahrimanischen Welt, welches den Leuten erschien, wenn sie gefoltert wurden. Das ist raffiniert gemacht worden. Dann haben sie eine Menge [von Visionärem] mitgenommen, als sie ins Bewusstsein zurückgekommen sind.
869 nach Christus ist der Filioquestreit. Die Sache wird in den Geschichtsbüchern verschwiegen. [Darüber ist nachzulesen in] Harnacks Dogmengeschichte.
Es folgen weitere Fragen oder Ausführungen, deren Inhalt nur in Stichworten festgehalten wurde.
RUDOLF STEINER: Der katholische Religionsunterricht ist weit voraus; der evangelische ist der allerbeschränkteste.
Die Goethe-Biografie des Jesuiten Baumgartner ist genial geschrieben gegenüber den anderen Biografien, obwohl er schimpft. Das andere ist Mist. Die Goethe-Biografie von dem Engländer Lewes ist schlecht. [...] [Zum Weiteren siehe Hinweise.]
KARL STOCKMEYER berichtet über den naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht in der 7. und 8. Klasse: Akustik, Optik, Mechanik der festen Körper; Elektrizität und Chemisches fehlt noch. Chemie noch mehr.
RUDOLF STEINER: Naturgeschichtlicher Unterricht, den kann man jederzeit unterbrechen.
Fortsetzung Samstag 15 Uhr.
Tenth Conference
Rudolf Steiner traveled from Dornach to Stuttgart on June 7 and remained there until June 28. He worked tirelessly for the threefold social order movement; the joint-stock company “Der Kommende Tag” was to be launched – in a lecture to members in Stuttgart on June 24, 1920, he described the problems that arose in the cooperation among the members (in GA 197).
Twelve weeks had passed since his last visit to the school on March 14, during which time students and teachers continued their path of cooperation. During his visit, Steiner visited the classes, gave a speech at a monthly celebration, spoke at a parents' evening, and consulted with some colleagues about the reorganization of the threefold movement. During this time, four conferences (on June 9, 12, 14, and 23) were held with him.
Topics: The significance of temperaments. The school's annual report. Orthography. Teachers should “collect psychological observations.”
Comments: Steiner reported on his experiences in the school classes. Once again, he pointed out that temperaments were the key to understanding the students.
This conference brings up Steiner's never-fulfilled wish that teachers should compile a collection of psychological curiosities, a “golden book” of psychology, which Steiner hoped would appear in the school's annual report (see his reply to Karl Schubert).
Walter Johannes Stein asked about the nature of Allah in connection with history lessons. Steiner was reluctant to respond, because “it is difficult to characterize supersensible beings by registering them.” He then made an attempt and described the being in relation to the cosmic forces of Ahrimanic and Luciferic signature (see note).
Chair: Rudolf Treichler.
RUDOLF STEINER: By each [teacher] keeping their class, a more intimate knowledge of the students is gained. We must try to continue striving in this direction. We must try to apply these things [that were discussed in the teacher training course]. Once you can correctly assess a child's temperament, everything else comes naturally. You have to learn to recognize it [the temperament] when you call their name, [in the sound of their voice].
There is talk of an annual report and a brochure.
RUDOLF STEINER: [The annual report should include something about] the layout and plan of the school. Comments on the teaching staff [and the] curriculum. [Then about the] students: [their] origins by school: 161 elementary school students, 50 middle school students, 64 [from] high schools, [12 new students; 287 in total]. [Then about] the denominations [of the students].
Further on about the teachers' library, many volumes. [The] collections and cabinets; [here, the] inventory of the individual collections [should only] be summarized [briefly]. [The] student library.
[Then] eurythmy [as] something new. [About this] Mr. Baumann is asked to write his own report. [Also about] manual dexterity and handicrafts [could be included, with] comments on the shortcomings of the performances. [Above all, however] the lasting should be taken into account.
Separate from this [would be] the history of the first school year [to be presented]. One begins with the prospectus. Later, this prospectus would be replaced by a treatise by a teacher; this year, the prospectus can be included [for this purpose].
[In the annual report,] everyone should write their autobiography as they wish. Characteristic details about the teachers can also be included in the report; [for example, one could say] in general terms what one was before becoming a teacher. Obituaries of deceased persons [can also be included].
Things that belong behind the scenes are [often] emphasized too strongly.
EMIL MOLT: Dr. Steiner's work [in the management of the school] must be emphasized.
RUDOLF STEINER: [My courses can be mentioned, as well as the lectures given by the teachers. Then there should be something in it about the] lecture series at the Waldorf Astoria, which [is] less [affiliated] with the school, [i.e., about the] workers' educational school; [the] history of this school [with a] list of the lectures that the teachers [there] have given. [In general, about] the educational efforts of the factory. The work must be divided. About discipline. [Also about] the activities [and] lectures of the teachers in the free continuing education school [for apprentices and about the] youth course for social awareness, [also about] the archive.
[Also about] the preparatory lessons for the youth celebration in a separate section. [In general about] matters of Protestant, Catholic, and free religious education. If one does not want to create a separate chapter for each religion, one would have to omit it.
All classes are now discussed in turn. Each teacher gives a detailed report on what they have covered during this school year, how far they have progressed, the status of the class, and so on:
LEONIE VON MIRBACH [on the 1st grade]: Simple sentences can be written, namely in Latin /in Latin letters]. German /German script] is now also being introduced. Start with arithmetic and rhythmic counting, painting with watercolors.
JOHANNES GEYER [on the 2nd grade]: Latin letters developed from drawing. Dictation and copying. Animal fables [and] poems. Arithmetic: all four types of calculation. Drawing: various motifs, [has] less success. French: poems. Children's temperaments.
HANNAH LANG [3rd grade]: Arithmetic: division. Other types of calculation repeated. German language from the very beginning. Grammar up to adverbs and conjunctions. One to two hours of arithmetic every week, also drawing every week. Reading and storytelling. Fables. English: basics since Christmas, various teaching units, family, small conversations. French, since the end of February: room, house, classroom, class. More difficult to progress than in English. Animal world, plants, local history.
RUDOLF STEINER: [In] language teaching, one should not proceed lexically and one should not translate. [One should also] avoid reciting the German text if possible. [It is best to first] read the foreign-language text [and then reproduce the content in one's own words].
[There is so much] dust on the benches, so much dirt in the classrooms!
[Teachers should] collect psychological observations! [This] could be a kind of golden book of psychological curiosities, a golden book of psychological observations in the broadest sense. In the humanities, these things are self-evident. They can also be said. Some things have already happened.
I found it interesting in the 8th grade today. What is the boy's name? He writes just like you [to Walter Johannes Stein]. [O. D., he imitates your handwriting.] That is an interesting fact. If someone has straight hair, they will adopt the teacher's handwriting. A child with tousled hair would not have done such a thing.
HERTHA KOEGEL [to the 4th grade]: Local history, history, dictations, essays, and legends. Arithmetic from the very beginning. [The] fraction calculation [is] new. Grammar [from] the very beginning. [The children] knew nothing about German grammar. [They asked what that was.] Natural history still to be covered. French, English, summaries [?]. Handicrafts.
RUDOLF STEINER: [It is very good to encourage the children at the end of the fourth lesson] to remember backwards [what they] did and covered throughout the morning.
KARL SCHUBERT: How should [such a Golden Book] be conceived?
RUDOLF STEINER: As a collection by the teaching staff. That can be very significant. All kinds of interesting things [could be noted in it]. If they think about it, everyone will immediately find a whole bunch of such things. Each teacher discusses what they have observed in a number of concise remarks. In the higher grades, it should be noted what the children lacked [in terms of knowledge] when they came to us. Such things should be characterized, what the children were lacking. If this had been compiled in the first annual report, I would be very grateful.
[That] the children asked [for example]: What is “German grammar”? — that is culturally and historically significant. [So] observations of the children who entered the Waldorf school. What you notice, what the children forgot, what misbehavior they had. [Then also] more about the teaching. At the end of the collection, we can say: It goes without saying that our intentions have not yet been [fully] achieved with each individual class this year, [but only] in general terms.
CAROLINE VON HEYDEBRAND [on the 5th grade]: Math completed by Easter. Then history [and] plant morphology. Vegetation zones, waking and sleeping of the earth. [Geographical] zones [and] humans. Knew nothing about grammar. Novella-style essays. Great progress in drawing and painting. Painting from the imagination, painting with watercolors.
EUGEN KOLISKO following Friedrich Oehlschlegel [on the 6th grade]: Geography: covered a great deal. History less so. Physical geography. Geology. Interest and exchange calculations. History from Oriental to Medieval [culture]. In general, [the children are] behind in this. Natural history and man with emphasis on the threefold. Animal descriptions. Botany. Letter calculation. Physics: no more, at most acoustics. Business letters. Furthermore, some geometry, deficient. Writing [is] poor.
RUDOLF STEINER: The children in 6th grade write with unbelievable spelling mistakes. If they are happy to write with two k's, they are overjoyed. It is much more important that they write business letters and learn letter calculation than that they are happy to write with two k's.
WALTER JOHANNES STEIN [on the humanities subjects in the 7th and 8th grades]: [In] history, [the] material is difficult to master, only up to the discoveries. The children know nothing [other than] what they learn in religious education.
RUDOLF STEINER: [In 1890, I came to Weimar to work at the Goethe Archive. Its] director was Suphan, who had two sons. I was also given the task of teaching these boys. This gave me an insight into Berlin schools. I must say that while children in Austria received proper history lessons, in Germany there was no sign whatsoever that children were being taught history. There was no mention of it in the books. There were thirty pages of preparation from Adam to the Hohenzollerns, and then the history of the Hohenzollerns began. This is the case throughout Germany, that nothing [proper about history] is taught in middle schools.
WALTER JOHANNES STEIN asks about the nature of Allah.
RUDOLF STEINER: It is difficult to characterize supernatural beings [by] registering them.
Mohammedanism [is] the first Ahrimanic manifestation, the first [Ahrimanic] revelation after the Mystery of Golgotha. [The god] of Mohammed, Allah, [Eloha], [is] an Ahrimanic reflection of the Elohist beings, the Elohim, [but understood in a monotheistic way]. He always refers to them as a unity. [Mohammedan] culture [is] Ahrimanic, [but] the disposition of Islamites is Luciferic. [See note.]
WALTER JOHANNES STEIN: In the Templar trials, a being called Baphomet is often mentioned. What is that?
RUDOLF STEINER: Baphomet is a being from the Ahrimanic world who appeared to people when they were being tortured. This was done in a sophisticated way. Then they took a lot [of visions] with them when they returned to consciousness.
869 AD is the Filioque controversy. The matter is concealed in the history books. [You can read about it in] Harnack's History of Dogma.
Further questions or explanations follow, the content of which has only been recorded in keywords.
RUDOLF STEINER: Catholic religious education is far ahead; Protestant religious education is the most limited.
The Goethe biography by the Jesuit Baumgartner is brilliantly written compared to the other biographies, even though he rants and raves. The others are rubbish. The Goethe biography by the Englishman Lewes is poor. [...] [For further information, see notes.]
KARL STOCKMEYER reports on science lessons in the 7th and 8th grades: Acoustics, optics, mechanics of solid bodies; electricity and chemistry are still missing. Chemistry even more so.
RUDOLF STEINER: Natural history lessons can be interrupted at any time.
Continued Saturday at 3 p.m.