For nearly a decade now I have made the annual road trip down to Duncan BC, to photograph students and staff at Island Oak High School, one of Vancouver Island’s only Waldorf high schools. It’s a pretty different kind of place than the schools I went to as a kid. A Waldorf education is a unique experience that incorporates art and creativity into a broader sense of learning. Waldorf teachers must learn how to provide this to students by being continually mindful of their creative selves. An interesting component of the Waldorf experience is that teachers move through the grades with their class. Therefore, an important aspect of teaching in a Waldorf school is to build strong relationships and to develop a sense of community within, as well as outside of the school population. Teachers who are answering a calling have a deep longing to be passionately connected to the work they do. When learning intersects with life and does not seem to be removed from it, then it is far easier to engage young minds and draw out their thirst for discovery. Teachers are extremely valuable in our society, and a good teacher can make all the difference in the life of a child. Of course, any school is only as good as its teachers and Island Oak High is a wonderful school with some very dedicated teachers. That must be why the kids are so great!
Always a pleasure Island Oakers.
