Kings Langley Steiner/Waldorf Teacher Training Course
The Teacher Training course at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley is an initial training for mature students who may wish to take up a teaching post at a Steiner Waldorf school. It enables both them and us to judge if they are suited to the task. All students are expected to be familiar with anthroposophy and to have worked in other capacities before embarking on the course.
The course is full time and students are expected to do extensive research and preparation outside of the actual seminars. The seminars are held on five weekdays during school hours. The duration of the course over a three term year amounts to over 720 hours, of which students must attend at least 90% in order to be considered to have completed the course. A record of attendance will be kept in respect of each student. A certificate will only be issued after satisfactory completion of a probationary year’s full time teaching. This should ideally take place in the year following the course unless the student embarks on an additional training in order to specialize.
Individual study and assignments will be set and must be completed outside of course time. Initial classroom observation during the first term will lead on to subsequent teaching practice. Preparatory reading will be given before the course begins. Students are expected to join in the life of the school as far as possible; this includes festivals, playground duties and school events. They are given the opportunity to join the staff meetings on child study from the spring term.
One constraint is that there is no outside funding and the students must live off their own financial resources for the duration of the course. The Steiner Waldorf Schools’ Fellowship has criteria that each course must follow in order to be recognized. This work increases in importance as the schools develop a higher profile and more parents want Steiner Waldorf Education for their children. It should be noted that on completion of the course, a student is not yet considered a “Steiner/Waldorf” teacher. This will require at least one year of successful classroom practice under the mentor-ship of an experienced colleague.
The course fee is £500 per term payable on the first day of each term. Accommodation is not provided.
Applicants should write giving a brief autobiography and stating their reasons for wishing to become a Steiner teacher. For a short reflection on a former student’s experience of this course, click here.
|