Class News - Spring 2010
Second/Third Grade
My class is now in second and third grade and loving it!
This is a great group of students and the class is very
balanced with 5 boys and 5 girls. This is a year of rich
curriculum and subjects.
Stories about the lives of Saints and Heroes are one of
the subjects in which children of this age are immersed
in a Waldorf school. The study of Saints and Heroes
provides an opportunity to address the growing sense of
morality in the almost 9 year old. They are beginning to
see that the world is not all black and white, but has
many shades of gray. This can be very confusing for a
child of this age, when they are just coming into a sense
of individuality and seeing the world with new eyes.
Hearing stories of people who were brave and held to
their beliefs amidst the most challenging circumstances,
gives them confidence and hope when they too face
obstacles. This study is also helpful when it comes to
social dynamics. When an 8 or 9 year old has the first
experience of being alone in an opinion or belief among
peers, it is frightening to stand up for what she believes.
Often, the group mentality wins out and personal values
can be cast away. For example, if a child hears another
child insult someone, she may be afraid to speak out.
Yet, she needs to find that courage. One helpful way to
model this strength of character is through the stories of
humans who did this under great duress. Developing
inner and outer courage is a goal of the Class Teacher
during this developmental phase. My class responded
very strongly to these stories which brought about many
interesting discussions. They particularly enjoyed the
legend of John Henry.
In addition, the children are honing their reading and
math skills and beginning to learn about grammar and
sentence structure. Third grade is a year when the
students want to know about practical arts and how
things come about so farming, building, fiber arts, and
animal stewardship will be explored and worked with
beginning this spring. They will be measuring, sawing,
planting, carting and baking. There is so much to learn
and do!
Jen Nelson
Second/Third Grade Class Teacher |
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