The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Closing Remarks

[ 1 ] Today I would like to conclude these reflections by once again drawing your attention to what I would, so to speak, like to urge you to keep in mind; that is, that you adhere to four things:

[ 2 ] First, the teacher influences his students—both in general and in specific ways—through the spiritual depth of his profession and in the way he utters each word, develops each concept, and conveys every single feeling. Keep in mind that the teacher should be a person of initiative, that he should never become careless—that is, not be fully engaged in what he does at school or in how he behaves toward the children. That is the first point: The teacher should be a person of initiative in both the big picture and the small details.

[ 3 ] The second point, my dear friends, is that as teachers we must take an interest in everything that exists in the world and concerns human beings. As teachers, we must take an interest in all things worldly and all things human. To shut ourselves off in any way from something that might be of interest to people—if that were to take hold in a teacher—would be most regrettable. We should take an interest in the great and the smallest matters of humanity. We should be able to take an interest in the great and the smallest matters of each individual child. That is the second point: The teacher should be a person who takes an interest in all that is worldly and human.

[ 4 ] And the third point is: The teacher should be a person who, deep within, never compromises with falsehood. The teacher must be a person of deep inner truth; he must never compromise with untruth, otherwise we would see untruth seeping into our teaching through many channels, especially in our methods. Our teaching will only be an expression of truth if we are carefully mindful of striving for truth within ourselves.

[ 5 ] And then there is something that is easier said than done, but which is also a golden rule for the teaching profession: A teacher must not wither away or become embittered. A fresh, vibrant spirit! Do not wither away or become embittered! That is what a teacher must strive for.

[ 6 ] And I know that if you have truly taken to heart what we have explored from various angles over these fourteen days, then—precisely through this detour through the worlds of feeling and will—what seems distant will come very close to you as you put these lessons into practice. Throughout these fourteen days, I have said nothing other than what can become immediately practical in the classroom if you allow it to take effect in your souls. But the Waldorf School will depend on your proceeding in this way within yourselves—that you truly allow the things we have now gone through to take effect in your souls.

[ 7 ] Think about some of the things I have tried to explain in order to foster a psychological understanding of human beings, particularly the developing human being. And if you do not know how to present one thing or another in class, or when and where to do so, then ideas about such teaching methods will come to you naturally if you correctly recall what has taken place over the past few days. Of course, much of this would need to be said many more times, but I certainly do not wish to turn you into teaching machines; rather, I want you to be free, independent teachers. This is also how what has been presented to you over the past fourteen days has been approached. The time was so short that, for the rest, we had to rely on your dedicated and understanding efforts.

[ 8 ] But always keep in mind what has just been said about human understanding, and especially that of children. It will be helpful to you in all methodological questions.

[ 9 ] You see, if you think back, our thoughts will converge even in the various impulses of these fourteen days. For I myself—and I can assure you of this—will look back on them. For this Waldorf School weighs very heavily indeed today on the minds of those involved in its founding and establishment. This Waldorf School must succeed! Much will depend on its success! Its success will serve as a kind of proof for many aspects of spiritual development that we must champion.

[ 10 ] If I may now say a few words of my own to conclude, I would like to say: For me personally, this Waldorf School will be a real source of concern. And I will have to return to this Waldorf School again and again with anxious thoughts. But if we consider the full gravity of the situation, we can truly work well together. Let us hold fast, in particular, to the idea that fills our hearts and minds: that the spiritual movement of the present is, after all, just as closely connected to the spiritual forces governing the course of the world. If we believe in these good spiritual forces, they will be a source of inspiration in our lives, and we will be able to teach.