Modern Kindergarten Educational Design: The Waldorf Model Critical Thinking

The basic human psyche establishes the fact that people respond to their immediate environment, and the quality of surroundings significantly impacts the educational and professional outcomes in one’s life. However, the concept of modern education is focusing on the element of environmental quality rather than maintenance of followership of the established routine. The ideas of Waldorf‘s educational philosophy argues that the teaching staff must implant the sensual notion of unconventional thinking in the students. The study of Waldorf based its whole stature on the Freud’s basic and fundamental assumption that people develop their personalities’ blueprint during the initial five to six years of their lives, and therefore, they have to receive special attention and regard with reference to their educational needs during that period. The profession of teaching does have a leading role embedded within its nature, and the teachers cannot perform their roles without developing interpersonal linkages with the students. However, the developed world listened to the thoughts of their genius, and implemented them as they were stated by the cited behavioral scientist.
At the same time, the educationalists have to keep some aspects of traditional educational system intact because we have to formalize the process of learning as well so that the teachers and administrative staff can evaluate the performance of the students according to some universal standards. However, the true spirit of educational model proposed by Waldorf is based on the need to develop and integrate students into the society who has the proven and progressive ability to think. The educational process has its foundations in the social exchange of information that would take place between the students and the teacher. The modern educational system operates with the help of developing a setup that runs by taking informative inputs from both the sides of the intellectual process who are namely students and teachers. Furthermore, human developmental journey cannot occur in the total absence of the will to learn and adapt. The educational mechanism proposed by the abovementioned social and educational scientist is urging the latest forms of school to value the unique nature of each student, and the teachers have to give a special degree of attention to each one of them so that his or her specific literally needs can be fulfilled on a regular basis. The concept of Waldorf operates in order to create living schools where kids can enjoy the process of learning, and they have to receive practicalized knowledge as well. The whole idea behind the philosophical explanation of education that Waldorf model suggests is simple, but at the same time, it is a difficult and illusive notion to grasp because the teacher has to entertain the reality that he or she is not the center of educational universe any longer. However, he or she has to enlarge his or herself in order to give the students the opportunity to speak up their minds.
Additionally, the personalities of teachers have to receive a special level of grooming and development so that they can learn the contemporary art and science of teaching that requires a different and advanced level of academic awareness. The relation of teacher and students under the operational background of the theory presented by Waldorf is informal in nature, and therefore, the concept of interpersonal respect does not prevail in between two of the groups that are material to this analytical study. On the other hand, human development cannot occur in the environment where there is no value of creativity and individualism.
Waldorf’s model does not promote anything new, but it is developed in the favor of a centuries old educational and academic concept that is identified by the name of educational freedom. The students should grow the power of thinking so that they can grow into active intellects later in their lives. The Waldorf’s way of working in education cements the existing practices in the schools of developed and advanced nations. Those educational institutions that are operating in the developing parts of the world have much to learn from the model of Waldorf. In conventional setup of education, there was no commitment towards the interpersonal needs of the students, and the teachers did not have the courage to step forth in this regard. In the light of modern and latest educational research, academicians found out that there was an element of fear present between the students and the teachers.
The work of Waldorf is greatly inspired by that of Freud, and therefore, the theory has its roots in the illusive idea of freedom because humans are not free. They have to follow cultural, societal, and ethical norms that handicap them to a certain extent. Still, the teacher has the duty to permit the students to practice freedom at an operational level of the project assigned. The pupils must decide on how to do the assigned work, and the teacher has to give them some loosely defined set of rule in this regard. Furthermore, humanistic concerns dictate that students should not work under the constant fear of failure because in this way, they cannot allow their creativity to flourish, and eventually, they will develop into conformists. The conformism kills the sense of individuality in a person, and he or she becomes a psychological and even physical copy of another personality due to lack of self-confidence and empower image of the self. Waldorf promoted leadership behaviors in teachers that were based on physical movements and gestures that kids had to imitate. The positive body language signifies the presence of healthy mind, and therefore, Waldorf wants to train the kids regarding development of self-confidence, and the concept of free play further emphasized on the attainment intrinsic motivational goals mentioned above. The real objective of educational intervention designed by Waldorf was to have confident kids who should behave fearlessly in order to pursue their interests. The relation of teacher and student is not formed on the basis of fear, but on the principles of mutual understanding and respect.
Classical psychology urges people to develop internal locus of control so that they can take a difficult and challenging route of independent living during their existence on the face of Earth. Humans are classified with respect of their thoughts, and Buddhism considers thought as the elementary unit of action. The teachers have to form a friendship with children so that they can form an informal social linkage with them. Then, the juniors will feel free to communicate their deeper thoughts and beliefs with their seniors, and the teachers have to align the thinking of their followers in the direction of positivism rather than negativism. The evaluated theory of educational behavior stems out of the need to support the ability of constant learning so that the students develop an addiction towards simulating new information every now and then. The featured model does not only train the students of junior classes in literal sense, but it gives them the message of action and practicality as well. Waldorf developed a theoretical framework that considered the work of Freud as a base in order to construct a positive school of thought that suggests to the students that life belongs to them, and they shall choose how they want to spend it. Yes, the Waldorf model of education prepares the students for living in the 21st century through enhancement of their inherent abilities.

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