A Waldorf Journey Podcast

Episodes

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  Classroom Management Is a Skill You Can Learn (Plus, My New Guide!) 26.10.2026 18m

  I'm convinced that classroom management is one of the most challenging parts of teaching—and one of the things we spend the least amount of time learning in Waldorf teacher training. I know because I struggled with it myself. A LOT! When I first started teaching, I had a hard time stepping into my role as the authority in the classroom. I thought that if I could just make my lessons interesting and engaging enough, everything else would fall into place. Over time, I discovered that effective ...
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  Waldorf Festivals: Celebrating with Intention 11.10.2026 26m

  Festivals are one of the most beautiful and memorable parts of Waldorf education. They bring us together, connect us with the rhythms of the year, and create moments of reverence that can be hard to find in everyday life. But how often do we stop to ask why we celebrate the festivals we do? In this episode, I'm revisiting a conversation from the archives about the role of festivals in Waldorf education. I share some of my earliest experiences with Waldorf celebrations, along with the question...
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  Why Your Students Aren’t Listening—and What to Do About It 05.10.2026 18m

  By October, the honeymoon phase of the school year may be wearing off—and you might be noticing some classroom habits that could use a reset. In this episode, I revisit ideas from one of the most popular posts on A Waldorf Journey, 4 Reasons Why Your Students Aren’t Listening. We’ll look at a few things we do as teachers that can unintentionally encourage students to tune us out, including talking too much, repeating instructions, and second-guessing ourselves. I share practical strategies fo...
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  Waldorf Education in the Age of AI: Why Being Human Matters More Than Ever 27.09.2026 17m

  Want more info about the content in this episode? Here's where to find it. A Waldorf Journey on SubstackMy curriculum guides and resourcesThe Creativity Comeback articleA Waldorf Journey on InstagramThere’s plenty of anxiety about artificial intelligence and what it might mean for education, creativity, work, and our relationships with one another. But the more I’ve actually used AI—and the more I’ve watched the culture around it change—the less worried I’ve become about whether it can replac...
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  Why Children Need the Seasons 14.09.2026 19m

  There’s something deeply comforting for children about rhythm. Knowing what comes next—at bedtime, at breakfast, throughout the week—creates a sense of security and makes everyday family life run more smoothly. But if rhythm is the structure of life with children, the seasons are the spark. In this episode, I’m exploring why seasonal life can be so meaningful for children, and how daily rhythm and the larger rhythm of the year work together. Seasonal traditions don’t need to mean elaborate fe...
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  Literacy in the Waldorf Classroom with Janet Langley, Part Two 07.09.2026 1h 19m

  In Part Two of my conversation with Janet Langley, co-author of Roadmap to Literacy, we move from understanding the stages of literacy development into the practical question every teacher eventually asks: Okay, so what do I actually do? Janet walks us through the kinds of classroom experiences that support children as they move through the emergent, phonemic awareness, pattern, and syllable phases of literacy development. We talk about everything from helping first graders hear words and ind...
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  How Children Learn to Read: A Waldorf Approach to Literacy 30.08.2026 1h 8m

  This week, I’m reaching back into the A Waldorf Journey archives to revisit a conversation that feels especially worthwhile as we begin a new school year. In this episode, originally recorded in 2019, I talk with Janet Langley, co-author of Roadmap to Literacy, about what Waldorf teachers need to understand about how children actually learn to read—and why literacy is one area where class teachers need to become specialists rather than generalists. Janet shares the story behind Roadmap ...
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  The Art of the Recall 24.08.2026 18m

  In this episode, I’m kicking off a new series exploring the different components of the Waldorf main lesson, starting with one that can be easy to overlook: the recall. We’ll look at why reviewing yesterday’s lesson is so much more than simply going over old material. A thoughtful recall helps students transform something they’ve heard into something they truly know—and become more conscious of their own learning. I share practical ideas for keeping recall lively and engaging, including: Aski...
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  3 Waldorf Blocks I Love to Teach 16.08.2026 26m

  This week, I’m taking a break from all the back-to-school planning talk to remember one of the best parts of being a Waldorf teacher: the curriculum itself. I’m sharing three blocks I really love to teach—and what makes each one so well suited to the children at that particular age. We’ll talk about: The first block of first grade — establishing the rhythms, habits, and expectations that will carry you through the year.Fifth grade botany — the beautiful meeting of science, art, imagination, a...
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  Dreamers, Doers, and Imagination in the Waldorf Classroom 09.08.2026 20m

  In Waldorf education, we talk a lot about bringing lessons through pictures—and about the importance of children creating their own inner pictures as they listen to a story. But what about the child who doesn't experience stories that way? This week's episode was inspired by a listener who asked about aphantasia, a condition that makes it difficult or impossible to voluntarily create images in the mind's eye. Her question got me thinking more broadly about what we really mean when we ask chil...
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  3 Things I Would Do This Week If I Were Starting a New School Year 03.08.2026 24m

  The beginning of August makes the new school year suddenly feel real. Whether you've already begun planning or are just starting to think about it, this podcast is for you. In this episode, I share the three areas I would focus on this week if I were preparing for a new school year. What are three things you can do to help make sure you're starting your lesson planning on the right foot? I encourage teachers to begin with the relationships that make your teaching possible: your relationship w...
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  Weekly Rhythm: Let the Week Do Some of the Teaching 26.07.2026 20m

  One of the greatest gifts of Waldorf education is rhythm. When we think about rhythm, we often think first about the daily rhythm of the classroom or the larger rhythm of the school year. But one of the rhythms that has made the biggest difference in my own teaching is the rhythm of the week. In this episode, I explore how giving each day its own character can simplify planning, reduce decision fatigue, and create a classroom that feels more grounded for both teacher and students. I also intr...
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  How I Plan a Main Lesson Block 19.07.2026 15m

  When I begin planning a new main lesson block, I don't start by writing daily lesson plans. Instead, I begin by thinking about the larger picture: the stories, skills, experiences, and artistic work that will shape the children's experience over the coming weeks. In this episode, I walk through the framework I use to plan every main lesson block and explain why each element matters. In this episode: Why I don't begin with individual lesson plansThe role of imaginative content in block plannin...
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  Why Waldorf Education Thinks Differently About Authority 12.07.2026 24m

  When I began teaching, I thought authority was something to avoid. I wanted to be kind. Understanding. Flexible. I also lacked confidence and didn't feel particularly qualified to tell them what to do. I thought that if I cared enough, authority would somehow take care of itself. It didn't. Over time I learned that children aren't looking for adults who step back—they're looking for adults who can step forward with calm confidence. In this episode, I explore what authority really means in Wal...
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  What Should Waldorf Teachers Actually Do During the Summer? 05.07.2026 28m

  Summer is a season of rest—but it's also an opportunity to lay the foundation for a joyful, well-prepared school year. In this episode, I share the approach I've developed over more than twenty years of Waldorf teaching for easing into summer planning without sacrificing the rest and renewal that every teacher needs. Rather than jumping straight into lesson plans, I suggest four simple ways to begin: Gather the planning supplies that make the process enjoyable.Build a clear picture of child d...
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  Back from the Classroom (and now back to A Waldorf Journey) 28.06.2026 19m

  After a year of being mostly quiet, I'm back behind the microphone! In this episode, I share where I've been, why I stepped back from creating content, and what's next for A Waldorf Journey. I talk about my unexpected return to the classroom, the balance of teaching and school leadership, and why I'm excited to have more time this year to mentor teachers, create resources, and record podcasts again—even if they're a little more spontaneous than before. I also share updates about my Summer Vis...
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  Habits to Start Strong in First Grade 31.03.2025 18m

  In this episode, I’m diving into what it really takes to start the year strong in first grade. This is such a tender, transformative time—children are stepping out of the warm, dreamy world of early childhood and into something more structured, more purposeful. And they’re looking to you for clarity, confidence, and rhythm. First grade is when we really begin to form the class, and the habits we establish early on can shape the whole year (and beyond). Here are the grounded, steady practices ...
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  Creating a Waldorf Home: Nurturing Rhythm, Simplicity, and Beauty 17.03.2025 35m

  What does it really mean to create a Waldorf-inspired home? In this episode, I share what first drew me to the peaceful beauty of Waldorf living—and the moments when it felt completely out of reach. From the temptation to chase the aesthetic to the deeper values that truly make a Waldorf home, we’ll explore how rhythm, simplicity, and presence matter more than wooden toys and silks. We’ll talk about: The heart of a Waldorf home: rhythm, warmth, and intentionDaily and weekly rhythms that suppo...
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  Teaching Natural Sciences – Physiology & Anatomy in the Waldorf School 03.03.2025 34m

  In this episode of A Waldorf Journey, I explore the unique approach to teaching natural sciences in a Waldorf classroom, with a particular focus on physiology and anatomy in the seventh and eighth grades. I discuss how Waldorf education brings warmth, storytelling, and experiential learning to these subjects, fostering a deep and lasting connection rather than just rote memorization. Topics Covered: 🦴 The importance of warming the soil—creating a deep feeling connection to the subject matter ...
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  Bringing the Waldorf Class Play to Life 16.02.2025 51m

  In this episode of A Waldorf Journey, I welcome my colleague Laura Elmore for a deep dive into one of the most cherished Waldorf traditions—the class play. With decades of experience in Waldorf education, Laura shares her insights into why class plays are such an integral part of the curriculum, how they evolve from the early grades to middle school, and the pedagogical purpose behind them. Looking for a play to perform with your students? My first- and second-grade plays are available on my...