Quote Originally Posted by piebaldpython
So, you have them ALL 8 years? WOW, I never heard of that. That can be very rewarding......OR.....hell on earth, depending on the kids.
Yep, 4 of them have been with me since first grade, and the rest for from 2 to 5 years, having joined us along the way. It's a brilliant part of the Waldorf curriculum in my experience. The class becomes a kind of family. It can be challenging and demanding work, but I've never found it onerous. When you know that a child will be with you for 8 years, it creates a different expectation for you both, an incentive - a need - to find a way to meet that child and to find a way to love them. It's usually not hard - kids are naturally wonderful people and can stay that way if you give them good experiences and protect their childhood from being overwhelmed by the pressures of contemporary culture. Actually, a lot depends on the parents and their willingness to work with the program!