By Rebecca Watkin

Some of you may know from our posts over the years that, in addition to working on Daily Wonder with Jen and Mareesha, I work as a contractor in the world of Waldorf education. One of my roles in this capacity is in support of the seven BC Waldorf schools as an administrator for their collaborative work. I facilitate monthly meetings where we tackle projects related to running a Waldorf school in BC. Another role is working for a Waldorf school in BC to support their leaders with system change. With this as a big part of my professional life, I took some Daily Wonder flyers and headed off to Toronto last week to attend the 2025 AWSNA Conference.
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Returning home from the conference, I feel a renewed sense of connection to the Waldorf movement, to my colleagues across North America, and to the deep stream of pedagogical wisdom that grounds our shared work. As a leader serving all British Columbia Waldorf schools and a co-founder of Daily Wonder Home Learning, I live and breathe Waldorf education in many forms. Each facet of my work deepens my reverence for this movement that continues to evolve while remaining firmly rooted in its spiritual and humanistic foundations.

At this year’s conference, the energy was both thoughtful and forward-moving. As we gathered under the theme of “Deepening the Art of Teaching and Leading,” I was especially inspired by the interweaving of contemporary research, timeless spiritual principles, and the practical art of teaching and leading. Being among such a wide circle of educators and administrators, from pioneers in urban school innovation to new leaders in home learning, reminded me that Waldorf education is not static. It is, in keynote speaker Stephen Sagarin’s words, a “living organism,” continually growing, adapting, and responding to the needs of our time.

Sagarin's keynote was a powerful call to honour the evolution of Waldorf while resisting the temptation to become dogmatic. He reminded us that Rudolf Steiner’s intention was never to create a system frozen in time, but rather a method grounded in spiritual science and adaptable through observation, creativity, and moral insight. His reflections echoed through my mind as I joined colleagues in conversations about curriculum renewal, school governance considerations, and the deepening of anthroposophical study in personal and professional life.

It was validating to see how Martyn Rawson’s description of Waldorf generative principles are informing school development across North America. His research into Steiner's work invites schools to consider not only curriculum content and the methodology of teaching but also the quality of relationships, the rhythm of learning, and the cultivation of thinking through the development of the imagination. These principles are alive in Waldorf homes and classrooms, in the seasonal rhythm of festivals, and in the way we support each other as colleagues and community. They are also the heartbeat of Daily Wonder, where we bring these impulses into the homes of families who choose to learn outside the classroom while remaining deeply Waldorf in spirit.
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Daniel Hindes, a workshop facilitator at the Conference, brought his historical philosophy perspective to provide another anchor for me throughout the week. His reminder that Waldorf education was born out of a post-war vision for peace, human dignity, and social renewal resonates profoundly today. As we navigate increasing polarization in the world, his framing of Waldorf as an education for freedom and resilience helps ground our work in both history and hope. In my conversations with friends and colleagues, we recapitulated that the concept of freedom in this sense is intended as ‘the freedom to love another’, not the freedom to place oneself at the centre, which is how the word gets used so often these days. 

Ultimately, what stays with me most from the conference is a feeling of deep connection. Whether in hallway conversations, workshop participation, or shared meals, I was reminded again and again that Waldorf is not just a pedagogy, it is a movement. A living, breathing community of educators, administrators, and parents committed to supporting the unfolding of human potential.

I return home with gratitude for the work we do in BC, for the network of support across AWSNA, for the community around Daily Wonder, and for the ever-renewing strength of this movement that continues to ask: How do we serve the children of today in service of a better tomorrow?

Together, we reclaim childhood to transform the world.

Daily Wonder lesson plans provide the daily, monthly and yearly rhythm of your school year.  The educational planning is done, and there is minimal preparation awaiting you, the parent.  We all know how hectic the school year can get with all the things that need to happen in one day. The Wonder Squad highly recommends taking the time now to look into your prep needs.  You will be so grateful down the road for taking the time now to get organized. Lazy summer days offer leisurely ways to check things off the "back to homeschool to-do list".

Here are our suggestions:

• It is a great practice to have your child do a daily chore. It is even more fun if that chore is on a chore wheel.  Have fun creating your own beautiful wheel that speaks to the chores needing to be done in your household.  Check out this site for instructions and ideas for appropriate chores for children by age.

​Do you remember long summer days as a kid, reading for hours in a tent as the breeze blew through the screen? Do you remember swinging in a hammock with that novel you just couldn't put down? How about reading that comic book on the couch to the family dog?

The first step of the Daily Wonder morning lesson incorporates verses, poetry, songs and intentional movement. It is recommended that you begin the day standing with your child and allow each component to flow together, much like a circle time would.
 
The opening verse acknowledges that the morning lesson is officially beginning. Instead of simply calling your kids to the learning space to begin the day, we build the experience of reverence by using verses, poetry, and songs to signal the start of your lessons. Singing each day enhances connection and offers a lovely balance to individual recitation. By including poems connected to the seasons, your child becomes connected to the cycle of nature through their feelings. Poems and songs connected to the unit theme enliven the topic of study and support our artistically integrated method. Encourage your child to memorize the poems. Recitation builds memory, vocabulary, the strength of individuality, and opportunities to practice oral language features such as intonation, pace, and volume. The goal is that by the end of the unit, your child will share the poem by heart. 
 
The experience of a Daily Wonder lesson is creative and reverent. Just as your opening verse creates a special moment to acknowledge that the morning lesson is beginning, your closing verse marks the closing of this part of the homeschool day. Participating in a closing verse, poem, or song is a meaningful and beautiful way to honour all the work and learning that has just taken place.

All Daily Wonder units include suggested opening and closing verses, unit-themed songs, poetry and intentional movement. As always, Daily Wonder encourages you to teach the child in front of you and change anything that doesn't suit your child's frame of reference. Below are some opening and closing verses to get you started or to use in place of what's suggested.

Creating space and time for free play and teaching classic childhood games we played as kids is one way we fulfill Daily Wonder's mission to Reclaim Childhood to Transform the World. ​

Play is an essential part of the healthy development of physical, social and cognitive skills. Classic childhood games help to connect us to traditional values and culture, but they also are super fun to play. No matter your age or physical prowess, there's a classic game for everyone.

Celebrate the halfway point between Spring and Summer with a May Festival.
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We encourage families to recognize the passage of time and the seasonal rhythms through festival celebrations.  Festivals provide an opportunity for your community to unite and share wonder, reverence and gratitude.  May Festival celebrates the awakening of the earth, the lengthening of days, and the rebirth of nature around us.  We celebrate this time of growth with joyous song and dance, playful games and a community picnic.

Traditionally May Festivals are celebrated on May 1st, but we have always found that using the early weeks of May to prepare and then holding the festival later in the month works too.  And if you're homeschooling, you can be as flexible as you like.