Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Education Full-Time

RSCC Now a Recognized Career College

Career College (CC) status enables the College to enroll students who have no previous teaching experience, as was previously required when the RSCC teacher education program was classified as professional development. Now, as of June 2021, the Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Education Full-Time program is included as a Career College program at RSCC.

Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Education Full-Time

The full-time early childhood program of the Rudolf Steiner College Canada requires one year of study at our campus north of Toronto in Thornhill.

This program focuses on Waldorf early childhood education from Birth-to-Seven. Experience shows that effective Waldorf early childhood teachers are aware of the whole educational journey from kindergarten through the grades and high school. Therefore, courses in early childhood education and high school education make our program comprehensive and give graduates some flexibility in pursuing their career objectives.

Strengths of the program include:

Low student to teacher ratio allows for considerable attention to each student’s personal development
9 weeks of teaching practice in Waldorf schools with experienced Waldorf early childhood teachers
Understanding the whole journey of Waldorf education from birth to age 21
Comprehensive arts and crafts to inspire confidence in creative ability

Program Content

Fall Term: The Journey of the Child to Adulthood – Phases of Development

from Birth to 21 Years

This first term has as its objective to give the student an overview of the stages of development of the child pertaining to education: the soul spiritual processes of human development and the need to understand how the being of the child develops through successive “births”, beginning with the physical body’s entry into earthly life, and culminating in the emergence of the I-being with adulthood. This subject presents the basis of the educational approach that is known today as Waldorf Education.

	CREDITS		HOURS	WEEKS
Module 1	1	The Education of the Child	12	1
Module 2	1	Early Childhood Education	45	3
Module 3	1	Grades – Phases of Childhood	30	2
Module 4	1	Child Observation and Study	15	1
Module 5	1	The Importance of the First Three Years	20	1
Module 6	1	The Temperaments and the 12 Senses of the Child	15	1
Module 7	1	Adolescence	15	1
Module 8	1	Evolution of Consciousness: Ontogenesis in the Curriculum	30	2
Module 9		Festival Week: Presentation of the Students’ Work – Connecting with the Environment	15	1
TOTAL	9		197	13

Educational Methods in the Early Childhood Classroom Winter Term: The Teacher as the Curriculum- Waldorf Early Childhood Pedagogy

Based upon the first trimester’s thorough study of the stages of the development of the growing child, the second trimester’s focus is on how to create an early childhood curriculum that is both engaging, creative and lays the foundation for all future academic work. In this sense, the teacher becomes the curriculum and must find ways to bring this to the child.

	CREDITS		HOURS	WEEKS
Module 1	1	Storytelling/Puppetry	15	1
Module 2	1	Circle/Movement Journeys	15	1
Module 3	3	Waldorf Early Childhood Essentials 1	45	3
Module 4	1	Professionalism	15	1
Module 5	1	Meeting the Needs of the Mixed-Age Kindergarten	20	1
	7		110	7

Spring Term: The Teacher as Collaborative Colleague

Waldorf schools are self-administered organizations governed by the standards of their membership in the governing body of AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America), WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America), and recognized by IASWECE (International Association of Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education) which set standards for member schools. Waldorf Early Childhood teachers are expected to be a person of initiative and resource, meeting the needs of their class of children, their parents and their colleagues.

	CREDITS		HOURS	WEEKS
Module 1	1	Educational Support in the Classroom	15	1
Module 2	3	Waldorf Early Childhood Essentials II	45	3
Module 3	1	Individual Research Project & Presentation	15	1
Module 4	1	The Teacher’s Threefold Role in the Administration of the School	15	1
Module 5	1	Graduation /Evaluation/Review	15	1
	7		105	7

Overview of Courses and Total Hours for the Complete Study Year

	SUBJECT	HOURS	WEEKS
1	The Journey of the Child to Adulthood: Phases of Development from Birth to 21 Years	197	13
2	The Teacher as Curriculum: Waldorf Early Childhood Educational Methodology	110	7
3	The Teacher as Collaborative Colleague	105	7
4	Practice Teaching in the Waldorf Early Childhood Classroom	225	9
5	Skills Development	178
	TOTAL HOURS	815	36

Practice Teaching in the Waldorf Early Childhood Classroom

In 3 practica (1 weeks, 4 weeks, 4 weeks), the student will accompany a trained and experienced Waldorf Early Childhood teacher in an accredited Waldorf early childhood classroom. Child observation and journaling of WECAN Shared Principals will form the reflective practice of the practicum, while an increasing role in practice teaching, under the guidance of the host teacher, will form the active element of the practice. Host teachers will provide written evaluations. Student will complete a self-evaluation and will be visited in class by the director.

First practicum (1 week in Fall Term): Observation/Child Study I / Practice

Second practicum (4 weeks in Winter Term): Gradual taking on of assistant responsibilities

Third practicum (4 weeks in Spring Term): Guided lead teacher responsibilities Child Study II / Grade One Readiness

		HOURS	WEEKS
Module 1	Observation & Child Study I	25	1
Module 2	Teaching Practice II	100	4
Module 3	Teaching Practice III & Child Study II	100	4
	TOTAL	225	9

Skills Development

Throughout the year, afternoon time is dedicated to skills development for the different subject areas required of a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher.

		HOURS	WEEKS
Module 1	Foundations in Human Experience	11.25
Module 2	Inner Development of the Teacher	11.25
Module 3	Waldorf Early Childhood Essentials	15
Module 4	Teaching Methods – Storytelling/puppetry	24
Module 5	Teaching Methods – Music	27
Module 6	Teaching Methods – Handwork	27
Module 7	Teaching Methods – Painting & Drawing	40.5
Module 8	Eurythmy/Movement	22
	TOTAL	178

Summer Festival of Arts and Education

Included in the full-time fees are two weeks of the Summer Festival. These two weeks may be taken right before or after the year of study.

Rudolf Steiner College Canada is recognized as a full member teacher education institute of AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America) and WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America).

The WECAN SHARED PRINCIPLES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION form the basis of our understanding of our work together and are used in our self-study and membership processes. As a living document these Shared Principles will continue to be refined through the work of the WECAN board, The WECAN Early Childhood Teacher Education Committee, and our Member Teacher Education Programs and Institutes. Our course hours exceed the “Minimum Expectations” or 450 in-class hours for a full-time Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher program as established by WECAN.

Graduates who have successfully completed the program will be awarded a Waldorf Teacher Early Childhood Certificate. The awarding of a certificate for the one-year program will require the completion of Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy – Distance or Encounter program. What Do Graduates Say About the Program?

Ariadna Castello, 2018-2019 – “I feel that the full-time program you the opportunity to be 100% in Waldorf education and anthroposophy. For the whole year I was at the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto and the Toronto Waldorf School – it was really a full immersion. I am so happy that I did the full-time program. I needed it, especially with me coming from zero as I had very little understanding of Waldorf education. The full-time program allowed me to focus and I needed that. Completing Foundation studies before the study year moves many things inside you so that when you already know the basic ideas.”

1. Click button above for application form. Complete the form and submit it with $100 CAD Non-Refundable Application Fee.

In addition to completing and submitting the application form you will also need to complete the following steps:

2. Obtain personal and professional letters of reference.

3. Once your application has been received, we will contact you to schedule an interview in which we will talk about your preliminary studies in anthroposophy, your reasons for applying and your professional goals

4. Upon acceptance student teachers must obtain a police clearance letter from their local police department.

5. International students will need to obtain a student visa. RSCC is registered with Immigration Canada as a Designated Learning Institute. Upon acceptance into our one-year program, you may apply for a one-year study visa. Email a copy of your visa to info@rscc.ca

6. International students will also need to arrange for travel health insurance to cover the duration of their stay in Canada since international students with visas are not covered by Ontario health insurance.

All the above documents must be submitted to info@rscc.ca

Applications are due by the end of April. (Applications received after this date may be considered if places are still available.)

Tuition fee $10,200 CAD

Financial Assistance

1. AWSNA Loan/Grant

AWSNA offers financial aid in the form of a loan/grant. The loan is forgiven (becomes a grant) when the graduate completes three years of successful teaching in an AWSNA-recognized school.

Click here for details of the program.

AWSNA Loan Application Form

If your school is a member of AWSNA, definitely apply for this loan which turns into a grant, which can be up to $2,000 depending on the number of applicants.

AWSNA offers financial aid in the form of a grant for those teachers currently working in an AWSNA accredited Waldorf school. Applications go directly to AWSNA

2. Vidar Foundation Tuition Loan

Vidar offers limited, no-interest loans to students (Canadian only) to cover tuition and other expenses associated with becoming a Waldorf teacher or Waldorf early childhood teacher through RSCC.

Loans will be secured through community co-signers (‘loan guarantors’) and will be repayable over a five-year period following graduation. Vidar will forgive 10% of your loan after each year of full-time teaching at a Canadian Waldorf School, to a maximum of 3 years and 30% of tuition in the 5 years after graduation. This is in addition to any other tuition assistance or bursaries from other sources.

Vidar Foundation Tuition Loan Program Info

Vidar Foundation Tuition Loan Program Application Form

Your school does not need to be an AWSNA member for you to apply for this loan/grant. However, your school must be Canadian. The loan (up to 80% of tuition cost) will be 50% forgiven if you work at a Canadian Waldorf school for 2 years after graduation.

The good thing about this loan, besides the grant option of 50%, is that there is 0% interest charged and you can repay over 5 years after you graduate (so, ~ $120 a month).

Program Directors

Karen Weyler, Director of Early Childhood Teacher Education, is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with 25 years of experience as a Waldorf early childhood teacher, including kindergarten, nursery, parent-and-child classes, home childcare operator, and licensed childcare centre supervisor. She was a founder of the Trillium Waldorf School and of the Star Seedlings Family and Childcare Centre in Guelph. As a teacher educator, she has taught in Canada as well as in China, Nepal and Vietnam. As a true thought leader in the field, she brings deep knowledge of child development and an abiding passion for ensuring children are met with warmth and wisdom through their early years.

James Brian has been the Executive Director and Director of Teacher Education at RSCC since June of 2017. He has completed three diplomas in Waldorf education: a three-year special education degree in Germany (Curative Education Diploma, 1978-82), Waldorf teacher’s certification in Germany (Waldorf Teacher Diploma 1982-83), and a two-year post-graduate diploma in Waldorf School Administration and Community Development (1998-2000). James was active as a Waldorf class and subject teacher for 18 years in Germany and Canada.

Our programs prepare students for working in Waldorf Early Childhood classrooms.

These programs do not lead to membership with the College of ECEs or the College of Teachers.

Registered as a career college under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005