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Opening Windows Into the Developing Child

Writer's picture: Shellie SmithShellie Smith


Snapshot of a Tuesday Afternoon:


It’s a Tuesday afternoon. The favorite day of the week for the children of the 2nd grade class because they get to have games class AND handwork! For the handwork teacher, this can be one of the most challenging days. Prepped with yarn balls and knitting needles she arrives in the 2nd grade classroom. The children are sweaty and excited from games class. They know the routine is to wash their hands, get a drink of water, and come into the classroom for handwork. The handwork teacher leads the class in opening verse, previews the work for the day, and passes out the materials. 80% of the children are able to successfully navigate this transition. But there are always a few who are not. 


While the other children pick up their knitting and get started, Maria suddenly bursts into tears. She is upset over something that happened during games class and is inconsolable. Kai is hovering over his neighbor's desk tossing a yarn ball back and forth over his friend’s head. Julia is struggling with clammy hands to navigate her tight stitches. The teacher wonders, why does she always hold her knitting on the right side of her body, twisting in her chair to see the needles? And Simon is still outside the classroom. He’s hiding in the coat cubby and refusing to come inside. It’s a typical day in the life… We’ve all been there!


Opening Windows:


Are these children being naughty and disobedient because they are not behaving as expected? Should they be “in trouble” for not following the instructions or rules? Or is there a deeper need that is not being met causing a child to have difficult behavior? 


Each child in this scenario is unique. Each child needs something different. But what is the answer? What do each of these children need in this snapshot moment? Finding the answer is the key to classroom management. And it is the key to supporting children on their path of growth and development.


Kim John Payne, author of  The Soul of Discipline,  joined us in one of our recent online conferences to offer a foundation for understanding disorientation. He offers valuable strategies for meeting the needs of children whose behavior is manifesting as disruptive. In his guest blog post, Disobedient or Disoriented? Kim writes that there is no such thing as a disobedient child, only a disoriented one. 


So how do we solve the puzzle and find the key to helping each child reorient themselves? Unfortunately, there is no one right answer. There is no “one size fits all” method or response to meeting the needs of every child. Every child is a unique, individual soul in the constellation of a class.


What we CAN do is look through as many windows as possible to find the light that shines within. This is one of the core principles of the 2-year WHE Online International Handwork Teacher Development Course. Our goal is to open as many windows and doors into the developing child as we can. 


The foundations of Anthroposophy, Waldorf education, and Steiner’s indications on child development lay the foundation. This is the bedrock we build upon. We begin with understanding the roots:


  • The four-fold human being 

  • 7-year cycles of development 

  • Thinking, feeling, and willing 

  • The 4 temperaments 

  • The 12 senses

  • And more


These fundamental pieces are brought to our students every month through our core faculty members Betty Staley, author, Waldorf teacher, and adult educator for more than 50 years. And Sven Saar, 30 year Waldorf teacher and co-founder of Waldorf Modern Teacher Education in the UK.


These are essential windows to look through in understanding child development. And, as we all know, the world is changing. Children today are not the same as they were 10 years ago, let alone 100 years ago. The world keeps moving faster and faster. Children today have so much external stimuli coming at them 24/7. Modern research has opened so many more windows and we have a duty to open as many as possible to deepen our understanding. 


At WHE, we do this by inviting modern experts from around the globe to share diverse perspectives with our students on:


  • Developmental optometry - also known as behavioral optometry, focuses on how children process visual information, coordination between sight and movement, tracking, and focusing.

  • Sensory processing and integration - how one receives, organizes, and responds to sensory input from their own body and from the environment

  • Emotional regulation and co-regulation - a child’s ability to regulate and manage emotions in a variety of situations

  • Neurodiversity- respect for diverse ways of thinking, learning, behaving, and communicating

  • Rhythm, routine, and classroom management

  • And more


There is no one answer for every child. Often, there is no one answer for one child. It is more likely a combination of issues a child is working through. With each passing month of the 2-year teacher development program, we are gathering more tools in our problem-solving repertoire. Each tool we gather is another way we can understand the unique needs of the children in our care and better support them on their journey to growth, development, and reorientation.


Whether you’ve been teaching for 2 years or 30 years, there is always more to learn. There are always new perspectives to explore and new windows to open. Take the next step in your handwork teaching journey and join us for the 2025/26 cohort of handwork teacher development. Find new windows to open and let the light of each unique child shine through!


"Our rightful place as educators is to be removers of hindrances. Each child in every age brings something new into the world from divine regions, and it is our task to remove bodily and psychical obstacles out of their way, to remove hindrances so that their spirit may enter in full freedom into life."


Rudolf Steiner The Oxford Conference, summer of 1922, 15-29 August


Learn more about our handwork teacher development program. Now accepting applications for our 2025/26 cohort! Classes begin January 2025






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Waldorf Handwork Educators is committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion, grounded in the principles of humanity and equity. We believe that only through a diverse and inclusive community, where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging, can we achieve our vision of making education more human. No matter who you are, where you come from, or how you identify—you are welcome here.

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