Welcoming Joshua Berman as Director of Middle School Outdoor Education
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT We are happy to announce that Joshua Berman, ak.a. “don Josué,” is stepping into the role of Director of Middle School Outdoor Education at Shining Mountain Waldorf School (SMWS)—in addition to continuing his work as a teacher in the lower school and as Social Media Director. Joshua has been a teacher at SMWS […]
Empowering Digital Navigators
Cyber Civics at Shining Mountain Waldorf School As screens and media become integral to our lives, Shining Mountain Waldorf School is at the forefront, equipping students to be ethical, responsible, safe, compassionate, and courageous members of both real-life and digital realms. Join us in shaping future leaders with a keen understanding of technology and a […]
Finding Inspiration and Overcoming Fear: An Interview with Sarah Gillis
On Interviewing Sarah Gillis, Shining Mountain Waldorf School Class of 2012, about how Waldorf education helped her develop curiosity, creativity, and imagination to become a successful engineer and problem-solver. Complete interview video and transcript here. by Annabelle Boak The wall behind us was mottled with luminous pink and purple, and superimposed on its artistic cacophony […]
Untold Story: How Waldorf Education Prepares Students for the Online World
By Joshua Berman This article was originally published in The Boulder Daily Camera’s “Raised in the Rockies” Family and Parenting Guide on August 1, 2022 An excited cluster of sixth graders surrounded the table where I’d placed an assortment of devices — an old iPhone, PC and laptop. I was about to remove the side […]
The Greatest Scientists are Artists Too
Louis Pastuer was a painter. Albert Einstein and Francis Arnold were both accomplished musicians. New research shows that award winning scientists, and especially Nobel Prize winners, are far more likely to have artistic hobbies than the general public. Many of them, including Einstein, cite the role of the arts in their breakthroughs. Creativity and perseverance […]
Working with Your Hands Does Wonders for Your Brain
Prolonged focus between our hands and raw materials encourages cognitive connections, fine-motor activity, concentration, perseverance with tasks, and a sense of pride in meaningful work. Susan Biali Haas M.D., originally published in June 2019 on the Psychology Today website. I’ve been working hard on a proposal for a new book. This involves a lot of sitting […]
Is ‘AQ’ more important than intelligence? Educating for an Uncertain Future
By Seb Murray, originally published in Nov. 2019 on the BBC website, Worklife 101 . As workplaces change, is it enough to be smart? Enter AQ, the capacity to adapt that may well determine your future career success. Once, if you wanted to assess how well someone might do climbing the career ladder, you might […]
Waldorf Schools are Media Literacy Role Models
By Soni Albright, originally published in Oct. 2021 on the Cyber Civics website. As we celebrate Media Literacy Week 2021, it’s hard to believe that Waldorf schools in North America have been leading the way when it comes to Media Literacy education. What’s that? Waldorf schools and “Media” Literacy? Do you mean those schools that […]
Field Day 2020: Summer Wishes and Water Splashes!
Here’s an end-of-the-school-year, pre-summer gift from all of our faculty and staff. This video goes out to all our dear families—especially students and parent volunteers who would normally have been out at Field Day today! Be sure to turn up your volume, watch the video all the way to the end, and don’t forget your […]
The SMWS Post, 2nd Edition, a 7th Grade publication
2nd edition, Spring, 2020, Boulder, CO By students in the 7th grade at Shining Mountain Waldorf School Editors: Lilla Molnar, Finneas Palazzari, Sascha Panian A note from Joshua Berman, Language Arts (and Spanish) teacher at Shining Mountain Waldorf School: In the second week of March, seventh grade students were preparing for a field trip to […]
Video Premiere! Educating our Children Beyond the Classroom
At Shining Mountain Waldorf School, an independent K-12 school in Boulder, CO, educating our children continues as faculty and staff deliver the comprehensive, experiential curriculum of Waldorf Education into our students’ homes. This video, which was created by Nita Davanzo, Class of ’99, on behalf of SMWS’s Advancement Team, provides a glimpse of the magic […]
May Festival at Shining Mountain Waldorf School
Ah, to be skipping through the May sunshine in the north field at Shining Mountain Waldorf School! The hogback rises to the west, the May Pole stands straight and true, and our entire community gathers to usher in the spring! This is a brief tribute to past May Festivals at our school, and also a […]
New video from AWSNA, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
Waldorf: An Education for the Future On September 19, 2019, Waldorf education celebrates 100 years. Across the globe, Waldorf schools are engaging in creative, social and environmental actions. With these initiatives, Waldorf communities are seeding the future. 100 years is only the beginning. Visit https://www.waldorfeducation.org/waldorf100 to learn more. Join the movement. Seed the future.
Teaching World Languages with Storytelling: A Waldorf-friendly approach
By Joshua Berman I walk into the brightly colored 3rd grade classroom, where the children are already seated, with my guitar case slung over one shoulder and a covered basket of props in my hand. A few items are strategically overflowing and students try to catch a glimpse of what’s inside—today, a chef’s hat, a […]