Teaching Movement in Waldorf Education
Each afternoon from 11:45 to 2:45 Pacific time movement teachers will gather together for presentations and discussions specifically relevant to teaching movement and games in Waldorf education.
There is a unique clarity that emerges in the fifth grade body.
Movements begin to organize themselves with greater purpose.
Balance and form are no longer merely practiced—they are experienced.
The child stands at the center of childhood, grounded and upright, ready to meet the world with growing confidence.
This conference invites Waldorf movement teachers to step deeply into that moment.
Together, we will explore how movement in fifth grade supports the whole child—physically, socially, and developmentally—through practices rooted in beauty, rhythm, and balance. We will look closely at how clear forms, consistent expectations, and thoughtful progression strengthen will forces without slipping into rigidity or perfectionism.
Our work will include practical games, social forms, and movement sequences that prepare the ground for the Pentathlon—not as spectacle, but as an embodiment of harmony, courage, and inner balance. We will also address the realities of today’s classrooms: children who struggle to inhabit their bodies, varied abilities, safety considerations, and inclusive practices that allow every child to participate meaningfully.
This is a collegial, participatory space—one that honors movement teachers as pedagogical artists working at a crucial developmental threshold.
Join us for an exploration of the fifth grader in movement. Together, we will journey through the stages of child development that lead to this moment of balance and grace. We will share games and practice activities that support healthy growth and harmonious movement for the ten- and eleven-year-old. We will discuss ways to work with social dynamics through forms of play and physical activity. The fifth-grade year is crowned in the community gathering of Pentathlon—an opportunity to embody and celebrate beauty, grace, and form. We will address the importance of safety in bringing the disciplines of the Pentathlon and share our experiences of participating in and hosting this memorable event.
Meet the Movement Team!
We are honored to be working with an amazing team of movement teachers who are teaching and leading this portion of the conference!
Jennifer Gould
Jennifer Gould has been a Movement Education teacher, coach, mentor, and Waldorf parent for more than two decades, based at the Pasadena Waldorf School in Southern California. While holding the role of Lower school (grades 1-8) Games/PE teacher, she appreciates the multidimensionality of the work, including helping the children navigate social/emotional spaces as well as physical activity and play in various forms while swimming in rivers of joy and laughter. Dedicated to being a lifelong learner, she is grateful for the value which schools place upon professional development. In addition to Waldorf teacher training, Jennifer completed a 5-year certification with the Spacial Dynamics Institute, with continued studies through that body of mentorship in Bothmer Gymnastics, Pentathlon/Hands in Peace event coordination training, as well as intensives with the Movement for Childhood organization. She has hosted multi-school gatherings for Pentathlon events, Medieval Games, and Track and Field competitions. She finds it invaluable to gather with colleagues over the course of a year to share, collaborate, and help strengthen each other and is especially proud to be a mentoring member of the collective of Waldorf movement teachers in the US and abroad, an incredibly diverse and fun group of people.
Theodora Mason
Theodora is a regular faculty member of our handwork teacher training program. She was an integral part of the Sanderling Waldorf School in Southern California. Theodora developed and taught the handwork and movement program for 1st - 8th grade students. She then taught movement at the Portland Waldorf School from 1st -12th grade. She is now a class teacher at Living Oaks in Texas Hill Country. Theodora has over twenty years of teaching experience, with over sixteen of them teaching children in a Waldorf school.
Theodora is a graduate of level l and an ongoing student in the level ll and lll Spacial Dynamics training program, certified in Bothmer gymnastics, a life-long yoga practitioner and a certified instructor. She understands the vital importance of an education that supports and encourages each child’s development as a free human being.
