Bluey’s School (Glasshouse School) (2/?)
References in this post are primarily from this link: https://academics.hamilton.edu/government/dparis/govt375/spring97/Teacher_Training/tt4.html
Waldorf Schools
Any episode that includes Bluey’s school… right away you can tell that it is an atypical school. It is: it’s a Waldorf school. The teaching style, curriculum, etc. are all distinct from standard approaches.
Here’s a deep dive on this based on some online research…
Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the first Waldorf school in Germany in 1919, believed that all children should be given "individualized" attention (rather than just those with special needs.)
This style of education emphasizes a focus on the 'individual' rather than the 'group', with each child being valued for their individual accomplishments: every child is deserving of the same attention typically given to gifted and learning-disabled students in conventional educational streams.
Classes within these schools are structured in a unique system of "blocks" that focus on particular areas of study for a period of three to four weeks rather than the same subjects for the whole school year or semester.
As children grow older, more concrete and technical areas of subjects are introduced. Through this method, not only are the developing child's needs met, but so are their interests. As a result, students are kept actively engaged.
Features of this style of education
Key elements of the Waldorf educational approach include:
Teachers try to fully engage the individual student at each step by gearing the curriculum to their age and needs.
Teachers focus on the child's learning processes and achievements in all areas, not just the academic. In this way, the children can be developed as complete human beings.
Waldorf classrooms don't include computers, televisions, etc. Note how in “Typewriter”, Bluey thinks she needs a typewriter for a story but her teacher takes the focus off of typing a story and onto Bluey and her friends actually having an adventure.
The Waldorf curriculum integrates arts and music into all areas of study. Daily activities include drawing, painting, singing, instrument playing…
Even the aesthetic atmosphere of the classroom is different to a standard school: The Tampa Tribune described a Waldorf school setting: "Imagine a classroom with old wooden tables, a backyard garden and children learning to knit and crochet. Where art and music is intertwined with every subject, students write their own textbooks and the toys are all handmade". Which is definitely the look/feel in Bluey’s school…
Additionally, a tenet of this style of education is that a focus on art and nature in education can lead to a greater appreciation for the beauty of life later on.
Waldorf schools encourage children to keep working on their imagination skills beyond kindergarten, using these skills to learn how to co-operate, share and interact. This concept of letting children progress into adulthood at their own level is a unique cornerstone of the Waldorf education method.
This concept of letting children progress into adulthood at their own level is a unique cornerstone of the Waldorf education method. This last piece is very key -- we seldom see anything being taught to the children; they’re free to do their own thing, make up activities, interact with one another, problem-solve, etc. and Calypso is there to gently guide them towards solutions occasionally.
So Why is This in “Bluey”?
The show “Bluey” is somewhat based on the show’s creator, Joe Brumm’s life experiences as a parent. Joe Brumm chose to have his daughter educated this way after she started the first grade. This is explained by Joe Brumm in an interview with the website The Father Hood:
"Bluey was still in embryonic form when Brumm’s eldest daughter started school. Her experience changed the course of the show.
'Play time was suddenly taken away from her, it was just yanked and seeing the difference in her was horrendous,' he says. 'There was no playing, there was no drawing, it was just straight into all this academic stuff. And the light in her eyes just died.'
Brumm researched alternatives for schooling and researched the value of play for child development. It is said that this is what led him to select Waldorf-style education for his daughter.
'Bluey is just one long extrapolation of that,' Brumm says. 'It’s to encourage people to look at play not just as kids mucking around, but as a really critical stage in their development that, I think, we overlook at their peril.'
Quotes from Joe Brumm from this link:
Closing comment & a caution
Personally, I think it’s interesting to see a different approach of educating children depicted in a TV show. It’s not “oddball”, it’s just a part of these dog-children’s lives.
I feel like the public is exposed to a lot of examples of children’s education on television and it’s generally portrayed in a negative light: e.g. The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers… and even on shows like “Arthur” the kids were often complaining about school, or having something unpleasant/stressful take place while at school.
My only concern for Bluey and her classmates (and maybe it’s a long-term issue, nothing to worry about in the short term) is this: a potential downside to a Waldorf-style education would potentially be the sharp adjustment a student will encounter transitioning from this nurturing environment to one where that isn’t the case. It could well be unsettling.
…phew, ok, maybe one or two more posts about the school to come.
(Maybe, because of the source material, some of this post may sound a little like a giant sales pitch… it’s not meant to be. I think it’s interesting because it’s different; something else to learn about, etc.)
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Relevance and Importance of Teacher Training
One of the most demanding vocations in the world is that of teachers and to fulfill this role teachers need constant training, motivation, along with mental and emotional rejuvenation. Teacher learning is a continuous and never-ending process as teachers need to master novel skills, enhance proficiencies, and upskill themselves in order to provide an engaging and modern teaching environment to their students. All around the world the education system recognizes the significance of teacher capacity building which is evident from the resources spent on teacher training programs.
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"India is my country..... I am proud of its rich and varied heritage..." Every child begins his school everyday with this pledge sung in the school assembly. This pledge is melodiously sung amidst the pleasant morning atmosphere underneath the open sky. Nagpur school children are no exception! Thirty school teachers participated in the 'Teachers'Training program' organised by INTACH Nagpur Chapter and Architectural Sankul. Teachers were trained with the strategies and system to establish Heritage Clubs in their respective schools. This program was strongly supported by INTACH HECS. Many schools in the town namely: 1) Delhi Public school, Lava 2) St. Ursula Girls High School,Civil lines 3) Delhi Public School, Kamptee 4) St.Francis de Sales,Sadar 5) Dinanath High School, Dhantoli 6) Gaikwad Patil International School s 7) Shrinivas Public School, Seminary Hill and 8) Centre Point School,Wardhaman nagar have already installed the Heritage Club in their respective schools. INTACH, New Delhi team has appreciated the Architectural Sankul organization for being the first INTACH Chapter to initiate for establishing Heritage Clubs in the schools of Nagpur city. INTACH Nagpur Chapter Convenor Mr.Kishor Divekar, Dr.Madhura Rathod (Co-Convenor INTACH Nagpur Chapter and Co founder of Architectural Sankul) along with Architect Nitika Ramani (INTACH Nagpur Chapter Executive Committee member and Co founder of Architectural Sankul) has appealed to the citizens of Nagpur to propagate the Heritage awareness on larger scale. Various activities are being planned for school Heritage clubs for forthcoming academic year. Media coverage by Yugdharam, Lokmat Samachar and Navabharat for heritage clubs installations at Schools of Nagpur in association with INTACH HECS,Delhi, INTACH Nagpur Chapter, and Architectural Sankul, Nagpur #architectural_sankul #architectural_sankul_team #architectural_sankul_event #young_intach #intach #hecs #school #college #heritage_club #heritage_education #love_for_nagpur #love_for_heritage #loveforhistory #teacher_training #workshop #mediacoverage #media #newspaper #apna_nagpur #nagpur #navabharat #lokmat #lokmat_samachar #apna_nagpur #yugdharam (at Architectural Sankul) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ekfx0FQHg/?igshid=sufj5o3iobej
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