Decolonial Dialogues on Waldorf Education

Starlight Rays in Darkened Times: Seminars on Contemporary Topics

with Alison Henry & Chérie Rivers

Central to the task of the Waldorf educator is the removal of hindrances that would otherwise prevent students from entering fully and freely into the world and sharing the gifts that they, the students, bring with them from spiritual realms. But what happens when culturally embedded narratives (often invisible) prove to be hindrances, themselves? What happens when the students who arrive in your high school classrooms have already internalized narratives that are rooted in–and that continue to sustain–ways of being that yield systemic inequity and other forms of social, cultural, and ecological devastation?

Whether or not students come into your care with such internalized narratives in the context of humanities, sciences, math, arts, or other fields, this workshop provides tools for identifying pedagogical practices and curricular content at the high school level that foster free thinking, integrated feeling, and ethical action. Through a decolonial dialogic practice, Chérie Rivers and Alison Henry create a space of inquiry and introspection where educators reflect on the epistemic power teachers wield and the profound implications of the forms of knowledge teachers choose to represent (or not) in their classrooms.

Collectively, Chérie and Alison have created a professional development initiative for Waldorf educators, which includes Decolonial Dialogues on Waldorf Education as well as in-depth consulting on curriculum and culture.