Let’s Get a Conversation Going–Comment What Are Your Making Now?
Many of you have completed the survey to help plan the Summer 2020 Wool Wood Wax Waldorf Teaching Workshop. So far we’ve had the highest votes for the topics of Hands-On Making and New Project Ideas.
Let’s just get an idea of the breadth of the student projects happening in our classrooms this week. Comment below what you and your students are working on during the middle of December. Your perennial project might be a new idea for others.
Feature your work in “Waldorf Teachers Share What Works”
We all want to see what you are doing! Email me your project photos and/or lesson plans or thoughts and a short bio and photo and I’ll feature you in a future “Waldorf Teachers Share What Works” post. When talking about collaboration, the experienced Waldorf Educator and Teacher, Elizabeth Seward, told me this week that “ONE fax machine is no good at all.” Thanks for sharing!
Wool Wood Wax 
In this second week of November, my 1-8 Handwork and Woodwork students are working on:
First Grade: Finishing a white square to make into bunnies, 7th graders who need a task during study hall come in once a week to help struggling knitters. The 7th graders are knitting carrots to put on the shelf where all the bunnies live until they are ready to go home.
Second Grade just started knitting a washcloth from cotton yarn, Knit on cast on of 3 stitches, K2, Yarn Over. knit to end. On a magic day in the future all students (no matter how many rows they have knitted will start the decrease together–k1, k2tog, Yarn Over, Knit to end.
Third Grade just finished a clothing/fiber block and they will crochet a long chain for our doorway curtain next.
Fourth Grade has embroidered their own drawing on muslin and today started sewing on the backs of their pillows. We walked three steps forward and one step back before sewing three stitches forward and then a backstitch.
Fifth Grade just finished knitted acorns and started mittens today. I have some struggling or new knitters and they are making 150 stitch scarves, a project I stole with pride from Theresa Baker at Shining Mountain Waldorf School
Sixth Grade is using their new felt animal sewing skills to host Stuffy Hospital, K-3 brings in stuffed animals and the sixth grade sews up their seams, fixes ears, makes eye patches, etc. and then delivers them back to the classroom with a certificate while wearing a lab coat. Super fun! They are also sanding the spinning tops they carved.
Seventh Grade is shaping and sanding their spoons and bowls. Next week we will have rice and gluten free soy sauce and have our first meal together with our new utensils. I don’t have them for handwork this quarter.
Eight Grade is working on self directed projects. They have chosen to make: needle felted owl and fox, a machine sewn skirt, a waldorf doll, a skateboard, a dovetail box, a puzzle box, a cable knitted hat, a project from the book “knit your own dog,” a knitted castle and night, a carved wooden dog, a carved wooden spirit from cottonwood bark.
Good gravy, I have a great job.