On the way to becoming a fully qualified Waldorf teacher

Obtaining my teaching certificate and honors degree was a great achievement for me. Little did I know that fate had bigger things for me. The Waldorf calling started, when I left Zimbabwe for South Africa due to economic hardship. I got a job at Hermanus Waldorf School in the Cape Province. I had two very excellent mentors Louise Oberholzer and Marrian Penfold. I received a lot of in-house mentorship which greatly helped me to have an insight into the Waldorf methodology of teaching. When the situation became better in Zimbabwe I came back. I got a teaching vacancy at a Waldorf inspired school. I was all alone with no mentor. I felt exposed, nervous and unsure of what to do with the children. Visitors from abroad would give their own individual views and advice. I was like the branches of a tree on a windy day that sway wherever the wind forces them. I would sway to and fro. Implementing the given advice, even though some of it totally contradicted with what my South African mentor had taught me. But since I had no training, so I felt I had to do as I was told. This was very confusing for me. It was a big challenge to my sense of self as a teacher. Imagine soup being cooked by many cooks. I got more and more confused and disheartened. Instead of enjoying my work as a teacher. I became scared. Wherever there were visitors. I became afraid and scared of their comments which I often found very demoralizing.

Last year I enrolled the East African Waldorf Teacher training. It is a program that allows me to continue working in our school, but doing modules in Kenya each holiday. This training has been God sent. It has restored my heart. It has put my heart back into teaching. I now feel proud, confident and knowledgeable. I now know why we do certain activities in a certain way. I am increasingly well informed and can now stand my ground and explain why we do what we do in Waldorf. I now feel I belong to the Waldorf movement and can easily link it with our daily living. The breathing in and out aspect has helped me slowdown in my teaching. The oneness with nature and the individual differences in temperaments has helped me to see children as individuals and to be grateful of their individual gifts. I have now become more mature as a teacher and I have gained a deeper self awareness, independence and authority in my work. I am now a better teacher, well informed responsible, sensitive and caring. I have also realized that learning does not end. Hence I am reading more about the founder of this amazing movement the honourable Rudolf Steiner. I am amazed at how much truth there is in all that he said way back. Most of the things he said such a long time ago are now manifesting. This training has opened doors for me in other spheres like the biodynamic farming. I will forever be grateful for such an opportunity.

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