Suncoast Waldorf School Educates the Whole Child

Driving onto the campus of the for the first time, even the setting is nontraditional. Instead of the huge concrete walls of a public school, Waldorf is beautifully landscaped, and could easily be mistaken for an antique or crafts shop.

The ungraded private school for grades K-8 takes a nontraditional approach to education. Barbara Bedingfield, the school's founding director, has been at Waldorf for 14 years.

“Waldorf unlocks the beauty, mystery and romance of the world in such a way that children can’t help but to fall in love with the world,” Bedingfield said. “Students learn responsibility, appreciate aesthetics, develop compassion and view the world as a whole.”

The school's educational philosophy was developed in Germany by scientific philosopher Rudolf Steiner during the early 1900s. He established the Anthroposophical Society to spread his teachings, which focused on the true nature of the human being.

The first Waldorf School opened in America in 1925. There are more than 900 Waldorf schools worldwide.

The Suncoast Waldorf School, at 1857 Curlew Road, has eight teachers and an enrollment of 108 students. All teachers on staff have completed a rigorous course of study at various Waldorf training institutes across the country. They all hold a Waldorf teacher certification.       

A typical student’s day at Waldorf consists of a multisensory, hands-on education that includes art, playing an instrument (either violin or flute), cooking, singing, drawing, acting and public speaking. The academic curriculum is presented in a creative, interactive manner.

There are no textbooks or computers.

“The computer removes the student from the teacher and from one another," Bedingfield said. "Learning should be done in groups; this is social learning.”

Teachers observe the students closely throughout the schoolday. Waldorf advocates the use of love, observation and preparation in every aspect of teaching and learning.

The facility has the feel of a home as opposed to a school building. Student work is displayed throughout. Walls are painted in soft pastel colors, and handmade classroom shelves have subject area knickknacks on display.

The school's interactive approach to education is evident immediately upon entering the classroom. On a recent visit, kindergarten students were cooking their midmorning snack. The science teacher was facilitating a food science lesson and was in the process of cooking doughnuts three different ways. In a math class, students were working with desktop blackboards and colored chalk. English students had boxes of colored pencils and worked on journals. All students were engaged and on task.

The students at Waldorf enjoy the experience of pure learning and interacting positively with their classmates. There is no intense preparation for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (students do not take the FCAT), no bells or buzzers, no huge cafeterias.  

It’s as if this place is a throwback to a simpler time, when students were enthusiastic about learning and teachers could get to know their students and truly be their mentors.

The students have an hour each day to eat lunch under the trees. They seem to enjoy the simple pleasures that Mother Nature has to offer in the school's pastoral setting.

The Suncoast Waldorf School is not a charter school under the auspices of the Pinellas County School Board. It is a private nonprofit organization.

Tuition assistance is available for interested students. For information, call Barbara Bedingfield at 727-786-8311 or visit www.suncoastwaldorf.org.