Some Thoughts on First Grade

First Grade is all about “YES!!!”

“Yes, I can raise my hand and wait to be called on.”“Yes, my teacher loves me.”, “Yes, I can learn!” Rudolf Steiner spent all of Lecture IV in Practical Advice to Teachers, discussing the significance of the first day of school... it is important to think through every aspect of that day- what can you do to help each student feel successful? How will you use form and rhythm to create a healthy learning environment so that each student feels confident in her ability to learn?

First Grade is also about teaching academic foundations. The curriculum that you bring your students in both math and language arts, will provide the very foundation upon which all future academic learning will be based. It is crucial that teachers attend to this aspect of the curriculum with creativity, enthusiasm, rigor, and knowledge.