I'm just back from my teacher training week at Rudolf Steiner College and I'm full of ideas for planning for the coming school year.

I hope you enjoy the podcast and if you do, I'd love it if you'd head to iTunes and leave a review or a star rating. Those reviews and star ratings are how people find the podcast, so help spread the word.

Notes This Week

Thoughts after my Art of Teaching Grade 8 experience at Rudolf Steiner College.

Discussion about future plans.

Planning

Starting with the big picture and narrowing focus.

8th Grade Block Rotation

September/October -- Meteorology/Physics

November -- History

December -- Play/Platonic Solids

January -- Chemistry

February -- The Short Story

March -- History

April -- AnatomyMay -- Geography

June -- History/Current Events

Summer Reading

Meteorology/Physics

• The Golden Weather Book
• The Invention of Clouds -- biography of Luke Howard
• William Beebe biography (the co-inventor of the bathysphere)

American Revolution

• Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution by AJ Langguth
• 1776 by David McCullough
• Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
• The American Soul by Jacob Needleman

French Revolution

• Essential Histories: The French Revolutionary Wars by Gregory Fremont-Barnes

Geography

• Seeds of Change: 6 Plants that Transformed Mankind by Henry Hobhouse
• Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast

End of Main Lesson Verse

May wisdom shine through me

May love glow in me

May strength penetrate me

That in me may arise

A helper for humanity

A servant of sacred things

Selfless and true.

Free 3-Part Video Course

Subscribe on the blog to my free 3-part video course about planning your own Waldorf curriculum.

video #1 -- Why plan your own curriculum? What are the challenges you face and how can you overcome them? Why are you the best person to plan curriculum for your students? Planning for the year, month, week and day.

video #2 -- Things to think about when planning your year. A step-by-step guide to thinking about the big picture of your Waldorf curriculum.

video #3 -- Guiding thoughts for planning your month, week and day.

To get the link for the free video, subscribe to my newsletter list. You'll receive my Ultimate Guide to Chalkboard Drawing, as well. If you're already subscribed, you'll get the link to the first video automatically.

I hope you'll share this video course offer with other teachers and homeschoolers who you think might be interested. I'm excited to create a community of teachers working and planning together on A Waldorf Journey and you can help me make that happen!

This week's Calendar of the Soul verse is the 16th week.

To bear in inward keeping spirit bounty
Is stern command of my prophetic feeling,
That ripened gifts divine
Maturing in the depths of soul
To selfhood bring their fruits.