Grades Lead Teacher 2025-2026

* The grades teacher works towards a deep understanding of the Waldorf grades curriculum –
including child development providing appropriate activities, and creating the best physical
environment. The grades teacher works to provide group and individualized lessons for the
children and to provide remedial work when necessary.
* The grades teacher is committed to their own spiritual development and
meditative work upon the children. This includes a continued study of
anthroposophy as it relates to the Waldorf curriculum and child development.
* The grades teacher provides daily and weekly rhythmical actives that follow the Waldorf plan.
This includes movement, mental work, practical and academic activities, investigative and
artistic work.
* The grades teacher is expected to work with the soul development of their students in ways that
are pedagogically indicated.
* Each grades teacher will hold clear expectations for their students and work toward specific
social, academic, physical goals, and in the middle grades give written assessments at the end of
each block.

* The grades teacher creates an environment where authority is respected by the children and
guidelines and expectations are clearly defined. It is the teacher’s responsibility to hold the
physical and emotional safety of the children as the children develop their own social skills.
* The grades teacher creates a classroom community in which the children learn to respect and
understand themselves and one another. The teacher teaches the children to work out their
differences in a socially healthy way.
* The grades teacher is responsible for the physical well-being and safety of the children. This
includes attention to outdoor activities and physically aggressive behavior.
* The grades teacher works to develop their own artistic abilities so that the lessons can be
supported by the teacher’s skill and experiences. These experiences can include painting,
drawing, handwork, music, speech, and storytelling.
* The grades teacher is expected to communicate regularly with the specialty teachers so all are
aware of the children’s participation and progress. The class teacher will visit each specialty in
their class during the year and participate in a follow up conversation concerning the visit. A
written observation by that grades teacher will be provided at the follow up meeting.
* The grades teacher participates in child study on a voluntary basis.
* The grades teacher interviews children and families in order to make a
recommendation as to the placement of a child in the grades program.
* The grades teacher evaluates the progress of the children. These evaluations include three end-
of-term (trimester basis) written reports that follow a provided format. These reports are filed in
the child’s school file and shared with the parents. The teacher holds two yearly Parent-Teacher
conferences to discuss the content to the reports with parents/guardians.