Steiner Voices XYZ

Rosemary Gentle OAM has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in Steiner education. Beginning as a parent, she was over three decades a Class teacher, High School Coordinator,  College Chair and finally Board Co-Chair at Glenaeon School in Sydney, before becoming Executive Officer of the Rudolf Steiner Schools Association of Australia, precursor to Steiner Education Australia. Her memories of working closely with Glenaeon’s founder Sylvia Brose provide a unique glimpse of the remarkable woman who brought Steiner education to Australia. Rosemary recalls the early days when the struggles to build the credibility of a Steiner school in the eyes of sceptical NSW authorities was an ongoing challenge, and the benefits that hard-won credibility has brought to the Australian Steiner school movement. In recognition of her work with many schools, Rosemary was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her services to Steiner education and the community. Her contribution continues today in her role as Co-Chair of the Steiner Education Foundation, a philanthropic body raising funds for Steiner schools and organisations across the country. For more information on the Foundation and its work, you can visit, and contribute directly to, < https://steinereducation.edu.au/about/steiner-education-foundation/ 

For more information about Steiner education: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/⁠⁠

For more information about locations and contact details of Steiner schools: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/schools/⁠⁠

 Teacher education and professional learning: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/events/⁠⁠

 Working in a Steiner school: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/jobs/#vacancies⁠⁠

 Our facebook page is ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/steinereducationaustralia⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/steinereducationaustralia/⁠⁠

 The beautifully performed theme music ‘Libertango’ is played by Esther Abrami and Alexandra Whittingham. 

 Esther’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.estherabrami.com/⁠⁠

 Alexandra’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.alexandrawhittingham.com/⁠⁠

Podcast produced by: ⁠⁠https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/

Dr Brad Kershner is Head of School at the Kimberton Waldorf School, Pennsylvania, USA, and was the keynote speaker at our recent GLAM (Governance, Leadership, Administration and Management) conference at Samford Valley Steiner School. Qld. Brad has a fascinating background as an early childhood teacher, religious studies scholar, meditation practitioner, administrator, and now a school leader working with Steiner education and anthroposophy. We will explore Brad’s personal story in a coming podcast episode. His keynote addresses were powerful statements on the importance of Steiner education at this moment in world history and they received universally positive, indeed effusive feedback, so much so they deserve to be heard widely. Here then is Dr Brad Kershner in his first keynote where he explores the increasing complexity of the times in which we live, this time between stories, and the role Steiner schools can play in helping to move us to a positive vision of the future.

 For more information about Steiner education: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/⁠⁠

For more information about locations and contact details of Steiner schools: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/schools/⁠⁠

 Teacher education and professional learning: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/events/⁠⁠

 Working in a Steiner school: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/jobs/#vacancies⁠⁠

 Our facebook page is ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/steinereducationaustralia⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/steinereducationaustralia/⁠⁠

 The beautifully performed theme music ‘Libertango’ is played by Esther Abrami and Alexandra Whittingham. 

 Esther’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.estherabrami.com/⁠⁠

 Alexandra’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.alexandrawhittingham.com/⁠⁠

Podcast produced by: ⁠⁠https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/

Chris Jack trained as an architect, then worked in construction and property before realising his life’s vocation was in teaching. After coming to a fork in the road in his life, he moved his young family to Emerson College, UK to train as a Steiner teacher. Returning to his hometown of Brisbane, Chris became the pioneer teacher of Samford Valley Steiner school which in his time has grown from then, a staff of three to now over 100: he describes the path of a pioneer as like “finding a way through the forest without a track”. He later pioneered Birali Steiner school, Qld, shepherding its progress from 14 students in a rented hall to being the owner of 26 acres with over 100 students. Chris reflects also on his time as Chair of the Board of Steiner Education Australia, contributing to the growth of Steiner schools nationally. Music has always been a central part of Chris’s life, from guitarist in Murphy’s Pigs, an internationally acclaimed Celtic rock band, to his personal guitar Victor who plays a key role as Chris’s “assistant” in the classroom.

For more information about Steiner education: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/⁠⁠

For more information about locations and contact details of Steiner schools: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/schools/⁠⁠

 Teacher education and professional learning: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/events/⁠⁠

 Working in a Steiner school: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/jobs/#vacancies⁠⁠

 Our facebook page is ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/steinereducationaustralia⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/steinereducationaustralia/⁠⁠

 The beautifully performed theme music ‘Libertango’ is played by Esther Abrami and Alexandra Whittingham. 

 Esther’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.estherabrami.com/⁠⁠

 Alexandra’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.alexandrawhittingham.com/⁠⁠

Podcast produced by: ⁠⁠https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/

Dr Tim Dunn’s educational journey began in IT and computing, then led him on to a university career as a scientist with a PhD in cancer research and immunology. Tim was drawn into teaching when asked by friends to help out in the fledgling high school at Samford Valley Steiner School. He negotiated a release from university commitments of one afternoon per week to teach Maths, but soon found himself captivated by the quality of thinking he encountered in the high school students: a flexible, active and engaged thinking that contrasted with the fixed and formulaic thinking with which he was familiar. The one afternoon per week became a full time commitment when he left a position as Senior Lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, and became a Science teacher at the school. Tim describes the Steiner school approach to science as an “elegant journey of awakening”: one following the classic traditions of the great scientists, of clear and intense observation of phenomena following by a critical reflection that builds the concepts of Physics, Chemistry and Biology into a living whole. The process is as important as the content in helping students to not only know their subject, but also to learn to think critically and creatively.

For more information about Steiner education: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/⁠⁠

For more information about locations and contact details of Steiner schools: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/schools/⁠⁠

 Teacher education and professional learning: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/events/⁠⁠

 Working in a Steiner school: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/jobs/#vacancies⁠⁠

 Our facebook page is ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/steinereducationaustralia⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/steinereducationaustralia/⁠⁠

 The beautifully performed theme music ‘Libertango’ is played by Esther Abrami and Alexandra Whittingham. 

 Esther’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.estherabrami.com/⁠⁠

 Alexandra’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.alexandrawhittingham.com/⁠⁠

Podcast produced by: ⁠⁠https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/

In this 28th episode of Steiner Voices XYZ, it’s time to look back on some highlights. Every episode has been a highlight for me as the podcaster, remarkable for the huge breadth of voices and experiences demonstrating the rich and diverse endeavour of Steiner education.

Yet for the great diversity, there has also been a remarkable unity
and coherence of experiences, like the many polished facets on a full-cut
diamond, each reflecting the light in their own unique way. So here are
highlights from the voices of three alumni from different Steiner schools in
different parts of Australia. For all the different locations, they have common
memories of a beautiful education, a time of creativity and calm, of vivid
colours, imagination, deep trusting relationships with teachers, immersion in
nature, and most importantly, of learning that was both challenging and joyful.
Rudolf Steiner himself put it so perfectly: “there is no greater joy than
learning”

For more information about Steiner education: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/⁠⁠

For more information about locations and contact details of Steiner schools: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/schools/⁠⁠

 Teacher education and professional learning: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/events/⁠⁠

 Working in a Steiner school: ⁠⁠https://steinereducation.edu.au/jobs/#vacancies⁠⁠

 Our facebook page is ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/steinereducationaustralia⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/steinereducationaustralia/⁠⁠

 The beautifully performed theme music ‘Libertango’ is played by Esther Abrami and Alexandra Whittingham. 

 Esther’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.estherabrami.com/⁠⁠

 Alexandra’s website: ⁠⁠https://www.alexandrawhittingham.com/⁠⁠

Podcast produced by: ⁠⁠https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/