Title: "Finding my good side"
Description: In this qualitative case study, I use Connell's Self-System Model (1990) to examine an alternative school's interpretation and adoption of Waldorf educational philosophy as a strategy to engage six formerly disengaged high-risk youth. Waldorf education is an interdisciplinary, arts-based approach that considers the whole child--head, hands, and heart--and develops in children the imaginative capacity to intuit moral decisions, guiding them to become socially responsible citizens. Students who attend this school have a history of educational failure in conjunction with challenging home situations that include violence, drugs, poverty, and crime. Some are referred to the school by a parent or a School Attendance Review Board; others are on parole, on probation, expelled, and/or homeless (California Department of Education, 2008). The school interprets Waldorf philosophy as a curative education in its potential to meet the students' academic, social, and emotional needs. The school combines Waldorf-inspired elements (e.g. flute class, main lesson block, and handwork) with additional practical skills (e g CAHSEE preparation and keyboarding) necessary to obtain a high school diploma and/or future employment. The school also implements developmentally appropriate instruction according to Steiner's (1972b) theory of human development and pays careful attention to the rhythm, balance, and ritual of daily school life.

From interviews, observations, and document review, the students in the sample show evidence of (voluntary and coerced) behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. They largely attribute their engagement to the appeal, accessibility, and accommodating nature of the Waldorf-inspired model. They further credit school factors that exist in, but are not exclusive to, Waldorf education, such as low student-teacher ratio and the perception of care. In addition, students identify a four-stage progression from their initial, disaffected state to a well-invested one in the school. Briefly, the stages are: (1) Something Different (Shift from disengagement) (2) Hooked In (Engagement as habit) (3) Recognition (Engagement with purpose) (4) Giving Back (Investment in others) Significantly, students in the study achieve academic milestones that belie their previous educational trajectories. This study portrays student engagement as a journey of on-going discovery, and focuses on Waldorf-inspired learning as a possible remedy for disaffected youth.
Subjects: Children with social disabilities, Education, Waldorf method of education, Alternative education
Places: United States