Healing Education and Remedial Training
– The HEART Program
Over the past decades, teachers have met increasing numbers of children who are struggling to meet their developmental stages due to sensory, emotional, and educational challenges both at home and at school.
With remedial support, these students often progress quickly once their underlying needs are met. Without this help, students can carry long standing difficulties into their adult lives.
The goal of the HEART program is to strengthen, support, and train educators dedicated to helping students work through their challenges.
HEART is a graduate level, professional development program that provides teachers, therapists and educational specialists with knowledge and practical skills to work in a healing manner with children facing developmental, social/emotional, and learning challenges.
HEART is based on Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophical picture of the human being, Waldorf child development and educational methodologies, and the adult development of the educator. It develops capacities to observe with understanding, assess with depth of knowledge, and remediate with effective practical technique.
The Extra Lesson – An Introduction
Central to this work are Steiner’s own indications for remedial education, as well as the depth of research conducted by those who have carried these indications over many years of practical work, such as the foundational research of Audrey E. McAllen, author of The Extra Lesson. McAllen developed an assessment and remediation program using movement, drawing and painting exercises to help children with difficulties in writing, reading and arithmetic.
Course Content and Structure
The HEART program has been designed to accommodate busy lives and consists of three parts. Program start dates are flexible and students can work through the program at their own pace within certain time parameters.
Parts 1, 2, and 3 each consist of 30 one-hour mentored sessions plus 5-10 hours of homework per session (readings/artistic and movement activities/journal work). The curriculum content has been grouped into modules of study. Part 3 will have the addition of case studies and research, group webinars, practicum (40 hours), and on-site mentoring, observation and evaluation with an accredited Extra Lesson practitioner.
Even though students work at their own pace, please note that the program is to be completed within 5 years of the student’s HEART program commencement date.
Prerequisites
• Training in Waldorf education with experience working in early childhood OR the grades
OR
• Public school teacher training
OR
• Therapeutic or medical training
AND
• Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with children
• Post-secondary education accreditation
• Internet access
What Graduates Say About H.E.A.R.T.
“I am continually thankful for this journey through the HEART program. Somehow, these modules and meetings with mentors meet me where I am in a very personal way. …. (It has ) impacted my teaching–and my own intentions toward self-education in a very meaningful way. Not only have I started doing more movement exercises with my students, it is starting to change the way that I have looked at them.” – Elizabeth Schrader – Winter, 2019
“In every classroom around the world there is an increasing need for student support, and an increasing need for teachers who are equipped to meet those needs. As a class teacher of 15 years, I felt that I needed a better understanding of how to meet the range of needs in my classroom in a meaningful and effective way. The Healing Education and Remedial Teacher program (HEART) at the Rudolf Steiner Center Toronto (RSCT) is an outstanding program and gives teachers both the understanding and practical tools to support the learning, behavioral and social/emotional needs of students. The dedicated and knowledgeable faculty provide an understanding of child development and remediation through an anthroposophical lens that is applicable for any teacher interested in a deeper perspective of learning support. This program transformed my teaching and as a program alum I am proud to highly recommend it! ” – Sandra Ghali – March, 2021, Calgary AB
“My journey into the study of Healing and Remedial Education Training has been enlightening, and fascinating. I’m grateful for the opportunity to undertake this post graduate training while working full time. Each module enriches and deepens my understanding of human development, and therefore Waldorf Education pedagogy. The insights I’ve gained will in turn, enrich my teaching, and therefore the experiences of my students. I would recommend this as essential learning for all educators.” – Amy Bomberry, March, 2021, Everlasting Tree School, Brantford ON
Qualifications and Certification
Upon satisfactory completion of all course work, including all assignments and written work, and a successful practicum experience, graduates of the course will be presented with a certificate of completion from Rudolf Steiner College Canada.
This certificate verifies you have trained as an Extra Lesson Educational Support Teacher, both to provide Learning Support in Steiner/Waldorf classroom settings, and to work one-on-one with individuals, to assess learning needs and to remediate those needs through educational therapies, as laid out in the body of work known as the Extra Lesson.
The Certificate of Completion of the HEART Program issued by RSCC carries the approval and authority of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.
HEART Program Director
Arlene Kamo
Arlene Kamo has a Specialized Honours BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph and an MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toronto.
A trained psycho-educational consultant, Arlene came across the Waldorf school movement early in her life’s work, and since 1987 has taught more than two cycles from Grade One to Eight as well as Kindergarten and Parent and Child classes.
Arlene completed the Foundations in Anthroposophic Art and Biography Counselling with Arscura and received her Anthroposophic Art Therapy diploma from the Tobias School of Art in England.
She is a graduate of the first cycle of HEART offered through the Association of Healing Education (AHE) and is an Orton-Gillingham Associate. Arlene is a facilitator for the New Adult Learning Movement focusing on adult learning processes. This approach is central to the HEART program studies.
In addition to offering services as an outside evaluator for Waldorf schools, Arlene is currently on the faculty of the Trillium Waldorf School where she provides educational support for students through the Extra Lesson, anthroposophic art therapy, and tutoring. She also mentors teachers and facilitates parent/adult education courses.
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HEART Mentoring Faculty includes:
Click Here for Tuition Fee Information
To apply for tuition assistance, download, fill out, and submit this form: Tuition-Assistance-application-template.docx
HEART/Extra Lesson – Auditing Option
The Auditing Option offers certified Extra Lesson practitioners, in addition to other interested professionals, the opportunity to deepen their studies, further their research and reinvigorate their work. All Part 1 and Part 2 modules are offered as auditing options.
Donations Welcome
Donations to HEART Program scholarship fund will be gratefully accepted.
For more information please contact: Rudolf Steiner College Canada
www.rscc.ca • info@rscc.ca
9100 Bathurst Street, #4, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 8C7
© Copyright 2023 RSCC. All Rights Reserved.
This program does not require approval under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.