What happens when you turn over control of the classroom and project-based experiences to the students?
In this short interview, Rosie Howes, a Waldorf kindergarten teacher and ‘democratic classroom’ expert teaches us how to make the shift from classrooms led by content to ones led by Inquiry. As an educator, you will learn how to:
- Use simple classroom routines to put students in charge of the learning process
- Masterfully guide learning in whatever direction your students want to take it
- Use student passion and interest as a starting point for the learning process- and still be able to teach them how to read, write and do arithmetic
- ‘Trust in the Process’
- Get students to ask questions that would baffle full grown adults
- “Sit back and listen and watch the little people in this world blow you away.”
Get in Touch With Rosie:
Instagram: @ accidentally_alternative
LinkedIn: @rosie-howes-38b3244a
Rosie’s Bio:
Rosie Howes is a teacher from London, UK. She has worked in a range of inner London schools across the Early Years and Key Stage 1.
After moving to Australia, she discovered a very different school setting. Rosie joined the team at Currambena School, a democratic school with a truly child-centered approach. During this time, a spark was ignited and she never saw education the same way again. Instead of focusing on reading and writing (a previous love of hers), she grew to embrace a uniquely holistic curriculum and the notion of ‘Free Fridays’.
The democratic values and respect for childhood supported Rosie’s journey into alternative education. When she moved to Hong Kong, Rosie knew she could no longer work in a system focused on assessment and tick boxes. In 2020, Rosie joined Highgate House School, an international Waldorf Kindergarten, and over the last year has thrown herself into learning more about the Waldorf approach to education.
At school you can find her in the garden, baking bread and telling stories.