Sunday, February 1, 2009

Handwork teachers are the Priestesses of the school

I took a great workshop yesterday! It was the Spacial dynamics workshop run by Edmund Knighton
http://www.sfmovement.citymax.com/edmund.html
if you ever get a chance to take a spacial dynamics workshop you should jump at the opportunity.

Well in our workshop we periodically stop and he talks to us.....at one point he started to talk about how Handwork teachers and he said that we "are the Priestesses of the school.....Handwork teachers hear EVERYTHING at the school and if they don't keep that silence and grace, the school could get into a lot of trouble" "when Children start to work with their hands, they inadvertently start to talk and the handwork teacher is there is listen."

So to this I say, hold these conversations sacred and understand that we are not here to judge but to listen, guide and support.

The film below is of Edmond working with some of the kids at school during games class. it is a clapping exercise.

3 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear of the passing of your teacher. What an amazing cycle we live.
    I quite like the idea of our being priestesses of the school. One definitely does hear some interesting conversations from time to time. I s'pose it becomes a bit of a confessional.

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  2. Hels used to come home last year sharing bits of "handwork conversation". I can only imagine the things our handwork teacher has overheard! All the important stuff gets talked about during handwork.

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  3. Oh yes, we do hear it all! I love how open my students are with me, and I am glad you mentioned this...so it is not just my classes! I am a handwork teacher at a public waldorf in CA, and have been following your blog for a while, and trying to get my own going! Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us!

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