This paper deals with art education at the free Waldorf Kindergarten in Germany. This school is well known for its creative-emotional education as a method of open-ended education that forms the basis for the education of creative and well-rounded chi...
This paper deals with art education at the free Waldorf Kindergarten in Germany. This school is well known for its creative-emotional education as a method of open-ended education that forms the basis for the education of creative and well-rounded children; being ideally suited for the information society of the 21st Century in terms of emotional intelligence.
Unlike cognitive intelligence (the IQ), emotional intelligence (the EQ) can be developed through education. A systematic emotional education beginning in the early stages of development plays a vital role not only in a well-rounded education that includes cognitive, social, and emotional development, but also in actually living a creative life. Therefore, art education during childhood is the basis of all education.
In this sense, art education at the free Waldorf Kindergarten emphasizes the importance of emotional education during childhood based upon Rudolf Steiners Theory of Education and Art. Steiners theory is a systematic principle and methodology for child education according to the stages of development and individual characteristics.
The goal of this paper has been to investigate art education at the free Waldorf Kindergarten in Germany, which is known to enhance emotional intelligence in children. For this purpose, this paper first studied personal and comprehensive intelligence and interpersonal intelligence, which are two types of emotional intelligence based on Gardener‘s nine types of intelligence. We also studied what kind of art education could enhance emotional intelligence in children based upon the five major abilities of emotional intelligence that has been presented by Goleman (in his book Emotional Intelligence).
Next, we studied Steiner‘s anthroposophy and the Theory of Education and Art, which have formed the theoretical foundation of art education at the free Waldorf Kindergarten. We found that the meaning of art education includes the fostering of a free ego by developing a childs will during early childhood. Then, we reviewed the environment and the contents of art education at the free Waldorf Kindergarten that actually applies these educational theories in real education.
Among them, the wet watercolor class is conducted with color stories which stimulates/facilitates communication between children and the emotions that colors bring out from deep inside ones heart; and therefore, it enhances greatly the emotional ability of children.
Finally in this paper, we visited the Waldorf educational institutes in Korea to see whether this foreign idea has been/is being adequately applied. Then, we analyzed art education of the Waldorf Kindergarten based upon the five abilities of emotional intelligence presented above.
The conclusions drawn from this study are as follows:
First, art education at the Waldorf Kindergarten is a systematic and long-term educational program that considers the characteristics and development stages of each child.
Secondly, art education at the Waldorf Kindergarten also considers sensuous factors that cannot be seen, which emphasize a naturally friendly and integrated education. This is an important part of a well-rounded education because it helps children form relationships with the world and form their own identity through overall art activities with the head, heart, and hands.
Thirdly, art education is performed not merely as program-oriented but is regarded as an essential thing for life. It internalizes creative sensibilities and helps develop an eye for beauty that can help organize and express ones experiences in life.
Fourthly, the artistic behavior of the teacher is a role model for the children, who unconsciously imitate the efforts and passion of creative behavior. The repeated artistic activities allow the children to become totally absorbed; and thereby, they experience an internal order through concentration and tolerance. It helps them develop self-confidence that leads to creativity and helps develop emotional ability, which, in turn, helps children to accept the ideas of other people.
Fifthly, art education at the Waldorf Kindergarten values the process and not the outcome of art endeavors and does not compare, evaluate, or display the art of children. Thus, children develop positive egos and have self-respect by encouraging their own characteristics and uniqueness.
Finally, during early childhood, body and soul are combined as one and children are most affected by their surroundings. Art education at the Waldorf Kindergarten emphasizes the association between teachers and families in education in order to further creative/artistic activities of the children. In other words, it emphasizes an overall emotional education for life.
Therefore, art education at the Waldorf Kindergarten carries implications for enhancing emotional abilities in children. Therefore, if applied adequately, we believe that it could present an excellent model for childrens art education by stimulating childrens emotional abilities as well as their natural creativity; and further, develop a flexible and creative attitude that could make life with other people better.