what is a steiner

Steiner education, also known as Waldorf education, is an educational philosophy based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher and educator. The first Steiner school opened in Stuttgart in 1919 for children of workers at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory. The Steiner educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils intellectual, artistic, and practical aspects. The curriculum is a flexible set of pedagogical guidelines, founded on Steiner’s educational principles that take account of the whole child. The priority of the Steiner ethos is to provide an unhurried and creative learning environment where children can find the joy in learning and experience the richness of childhood rather than early specialization or academic hot-housing. Steiner schools seek to nurture each individual and connect them to the reverence and awe of the natural environment, one another, and the world around them. Steiner education fosters the human spirit in children and young adults, allowing them to flourish in a holistic learning environment that is oriented towards moral growth, social consciousness, and citizenship.