The Power of Wonder as an antidote to Soul Tiredness.

Andrew Hill, the CEO of Steiner Education Australia (SEA),recently wrote an article on this topic. Here it is, slightly edited:

It can sometimes feel like we are running on empty. At such times it may be useful to remind ourselves of what we need to do to recharge.

The Irish writer John Connell has published a beautiful memoir of his recovery from burnout (the book is simply titled 12 Sheep), although he called that experience something else:

“My wife called it burnout; I called it a soul tiredness.”

It’s a good description of an inner mood. He had run out of all creative energy and felt completely empty: his soul was tired.

The recharging of his soul came through becoming a farmer and immersing himself in the life of his farm and especially in the care of a flock of just twelve sheep (it’s an Irish farm!). The wonder of the birth process in the work of birthing lambs, and the beauty of the grand cycles of nature are what changed him. He writes:

We are here to experience wonder. That is what we have come into this life for, I think. From the birth of a lamb to a sunset over the fields. To not live a life of wonder is to not live at all. Becoming part of the great symphony of life ….is a calling. I have been invited to take part.

There is a wonder in the moment, wonder in the action, and I know now that in the wonder, I can discover myself.

How beautiful! He found himself again through wonder. We don’t all need to become farmers: wonder is all around us if we can only lift our gaze and attune our hearts. For Steiner teachers at every stage of the school journey, it’s an important element of the curriculum.

Wonder can’t be taught (it’s an inner feeling so no explicit instruction here!), but it’s a mood a teacher creates subtly in the classroom. When you read memoirs like John Connell’s, you realise how building this mood of wonder into a student’s experience is not just a nice thing to do, it’s a life skill that will give them tools for the journey of life. It’s a lesson for us all and especially at this time of year as we move from winter towards spring.

Drama

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Class 11 & 12 production of Sherwood - The Adventures of Robin Hood. The performances, the costumes, the set and the mood of the play were a delight for every audience member. We are so lucky to have such an amazing drama team to lead and run the drama programme. The student performances are a credit to the many years of work by kindy and class teachers up to Class 7 who support the development of voice, gestures, expression and storytelling. The drama programme is compulsory in Class 8 to 10 and the result of the hard work by drama teachers to hone specific skills and techniques is witnessed in the plays directed by our specialist drama teachers. The drama programme is a manifestation of what we mean when we say, loudly and proudly, that we embed the creative arts in our curriculum. 

With gratitude

Bruce Lee
School Administrator

The power of my heart's bright flame,
Is striving to stream out through cold and dark.
God gives me power to fulfill my aim,
That fires of love be kindled from each golden spark.

A heart of love that in the dark is brightly burning
Will mean that often to do deeds of love my hands are turning.

by Michael Hedley Burton / verse no. 41

Open Day and Fair

The Parkerville Steiner School and Silver Tree Steiner School Open Day and Fair is coming up on Sunday 8^th September from 10:00am-3:00pm. 

Come along to explore our classrooms, attend a tour, view students work displays and enjoy shopping at the food and craft stalls. See what makes Steiner Education one of the fastest growing educations systems in the world.

We hope to see you there!