Noticeable physiological, psychological and cognitive changes take place in the child this year. The nine/ten year threshold represents a very significant step in self-awareness. Children realize they are separate from their surroundings and meet the world as individuals, often resulting in increased questions, self-doubt and wonder. Waldorf gives its third grade lessons a practical orientation. In math, they work with time, money, and measurement. In their main lesson, they study how people live and work. On campus, they plant flowers, take care of chickens, and stir the compost.
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Dwellings
| | Farm Trip
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Noreen Crowley was born in New York City and raised in the surrounding suburbs of Yonkers and Long Island. She earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies (summa cum laude) from St. John's University in Queens, N.Y. She discovered Waldorf education in 1996 at the Waldorf School of Garden City, where she participated in a Foundation Studies Program.
Shortly after relocating to Florida in 1998, Noreen taught math and science at a charter school. As the school expanded, she envisioned and created a middle school program. However, her heart was still with Waldorf education. Hence, she pursued and received her Waldorf teaching certificate from Antioch New England Graduate School.
After teaching at a developing Waldorf school in Florida, Noreen and her family relocated to Decatur to join a more established school community. Her son enthusiastically attends Academe of the Oaks and her daughter, Tara, is a class teacher in New York. She enjoys the close proximity to the mountains and the opportunity for hiking and camping.
Grade Three Pedagogical Overview
Grade Three is marked by the physiological, psychological, and cognitive changes taking place during the ninth year. The child's walk is firmer and more balanced, and the constitution is substantially stronger. Growth begins to focus more on the limbs and metabolism, and there is an increase in the breadth of the trunk. At the same time, a significant step in self-awareness occurs during this year. The children are developing a strong sense of being separate from their surroundings, perhaps for the first time. A feeling of being alone can contrast with a sense of wonder at seeing the world in a new way. These mixed feelings often lead to confusion and insecurity as questions of purpose and identity begin to emerge. There is a longing for increased independence and autonomy as the child moves into this new phase of childhood. They have a tendency to criticize and question authority as they seek to define themselves as individuals.
The images from Hebrew stories, with their laws and guidance, foster inner security during this unsettled period. Practical activities such as farming and house building help ground the children in the physical world. When the whole group works together on these activities, feelings of separateness can be transformed into feelings of responsibility for the whole. With their new interest in the practical, material world, the children can now apply the skills learned in the first two grades to a wide range of everyday situations like measuring, weighing, and cooking.
