2024-25 Grown-Up Workshop Schedule

Workshop 1: How to Talk to Your Kids about Sexuality

with Megan Sullivan

Sunday, September 15th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT

Back by popular demand! This workshop will be focused on How to Talk to Your Kids about Sexuality. It is designed to prepare parents/guardians to meet the developmental needs of their child and it will support them to consider when and how to talk with their child about all things to do with sexuality. Adults only! Recommended for grown-ups of children of all ages.

Megan Sullivan is dedicated to bringing reverence and respect to the healthy unfolding of sexuality and relationships. Megan began her teaching career in 1994. She has taught in Waldorf schools in Australia and in the USA. Megan teaches Social Emotional Learning at Sacramento Waldorf School. She has extensive experience as a guest teacher and presenter, and lecturer in the field of Sex Education and Social Emotional Learning. The Waldorf approach to the whole child and its depth of understanding of human development grounds her in her work.

Workshop 2: Understanding Steiner’s Indications for Creative Speech and Storytelling: An Interactive Workshop

with Debbie Spitulnik

Tuesday, October 8th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT

Storytelling is the cornerstone of education, and of life. *Creative Speech is the foundation to bringing stories to life. How we form sounds, use our imagination, move and breathe all affect the way we speak and listen. In this interactive workshop participants will have the opportunity to experience how to unfold the imagination and to enliven the tale.

*Creative Speech is a conscious use of imagination, language, breath and movement to enhance your speech and thus improve your capacity and effectiveness in teaching, conversation, storytelling, public speaking, drama, poetry, and writing.

Debra Spitulnik is an adjunct professor of Creative Speech at Antioch University New England, and faculty member for the Center for Anthroposophy. As the founding member of The Art of Speech Collective ™ she leads courses and trainings in Pedagogical Creative Speech and Drama. Debra has led the development of pedagogical speech and believes that Creative Speech brings healing and nourishment to the soul and empowers the voice. She infuses all her classes with three decades of her unique experiences as a class teacher, subject teacher and speech teacher. She teaches speech, drama, storytelling, and curriculum to teachers nationwide. Goetheanum Diploma in the arts of Speech and Drama., PerformInternational; M.Ed., Waldorf Education, Antioch University New England; B.S. Elementary and Special Education, Syracuse University.

Workshop 3: Doll Making

with Karen Smith

Tuesday, October 29th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT

Join Lotus & Ivy’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Karen Smith, to make a Waldorf-inspired hand-sewn sock doll that appears to be standing with its hands in its pockets. You won't need any fancy doll-making supplies for this project—your child's lost and lonely socks can be upcycled into a sweet little playmate! This class is perfect for those who are new to hand stitching.

You will learn basic sewing techniques, including threading a needle and making different stitches and knots. By the end of the class, you will create an adorable toy for your child that you can be proud to present as a gift. A supply list will be sent upon registration.

In 1999, Karen was smitten with Waldorf education when she walked into her four-year-old daughter's pre-school kindergarten class at The Waldorf School of Atlanta. The following year, Karen joined the WSA faculty as a kindergarten assistant, and in 2001 she stepped forward to become a lead teacher in a mixed-age kindergarten. She earned her Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching Certificate at Sunbridge College in New York and spent almost 17 years in the classroom guiding, laughing, and singing with her treasured 3 to 6 year-old students. She believes Lotus & Ivy can meet the ever-changing needs of young children by honoring the unique gifts of each student, and she has been the Kindergarten teacher for Lotus & Ivy since we opened our virtual doors.

By experiencing the rhythm of the seasons, celebrating simple traditions, observing nature’s quieter revelations, and enjoying the family-like feeling of a play-based kindergarten, we offer the ideal platform for young children to build foundational skills that will help them evolve into well-rounded individuals. Karen is delighted to bring her genuine interest in the world around us to her online students in ways that create beauty and preserve their wide-eyed sense of wonder. She also feels it is equally important to work with parents to provide them with the same nurturing, guidance, and soul warmth that she brings to her students.

Workshop 4: Self Explorations for the Waldorf Grown-Up (Part 1)

with Betty Staley

Tuesday, November 12th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT

This two-part series on Inner Work for the Grown-Up delves into Rudolf Steiner's six foundational exercises:

Control of Thoughts
Control of Actions
Control of Feelings
Positivity
Open-Mindedness
Harmony

As Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States, has recently highlighted, grown-up stress is now recognized as an urgent public health issue. Today’s grown-ups face unique challenges compared to past generations, with influences from technology, social media, overwhelming choices, high expectations, and safety concerns adding to daily stress and worry. While all issues may not be resolved, the workshop offers simple yet powerful exercises that Steiner, founder of Waldorf schools, provided for developing concentration, positivity, and equanimity. These practices offer grown-ups and teachers a way to balance thinking, feeling, and willing, bringing a sense of harmony to their lives.

In Session I, Betty Staley will introduce the exercises, focusing on strengthening thought and will, and leading participants through the equanimity exercise as a tool for problem-solving. Breakout sessions will allow participants to discuss their experiences in small groups, followed by an opportunity for group sharing and questions.

Betty Staley is an educator, writer, consultant, and world traveler. Most of all, she is a connector—engaging with students in her high school and teacher education classes, with parents in workshops, with adults in biography classes, with faculties in the Waldorf schools she helped found, with those inspired by her books or videos, and with the people she has met in countries around the world. She has been a Waldorf teacher for over fifty years. As one of the founders of Rudolf Steiner College, she directed the Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program and the Public School Institute and played a significant role in bringing Waldorf education into public schools, beginning with the Urban Waldorf School in Milwaukee in 1991. She has been a member of the Board of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education and the Pedagogical Section Council of North America.

Workshop 5: Defining Educational Values

with Lotus & Ivy Founders, Sarah Barrett and Heather Parrish

Thursday, January 9th at 1pm ET/10 am PT

In this workshop, Sarah & Heather will lead you through a series of exercises to help you define your top 5 values as they relate to your child's education. As you come to recognize what your child needs and what you want for them, the most nourishing and enriching homeschool environment is formed. Join us as we work together through hands-on activity and inner work to get to the heart of what we want for our children. There are no right or wrong answers as each child is unique.

Workshop materials will be provided ahead of time to all Lotus & Ivy families. Please bring scissors, colored pencils, and a pen or pencil to the workshop. You will need a flat surface, like a table or floor space to work in.

Founders of Lotus & Ivy, teachers, former homeschooling parents and on a mission to help every child uncover their unique gifts

Workshop 6: Self Explorations for the Waldorf Grown-Up (Part 2)

with Betty Staley

Tuesday, January 14th at 7pm ET / 4pm PT

Join us for a two-part series on Inner Work for the grown-up. We will discuss Steiner's six exercises:

Control of Thoughts
Control of Actions
Control of Feelings
Positivity
Open Mindedness
Harmony

As the Dr. Vivek Murthy, Surgeon General of the United States, has stated recently that parental stress is an urgent public health issue. The challenges today’s parents face is different from past generations. Technology, social media, too many options to choose from, unreasonable expectations, and concern for children’s safety create an environment of stress and worry. We can’t solve all the problems, but we can start with some simple helpful exercises that Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf schools, offered. These are known as the six basic exercises to work with concentration, positivity, and equanimity. This is part of the inner work that teachers and parents can do to harmonize our thinking, feeling, and willing, and bring balance into our lives.

Session 2: We will review the exercises introduced in the first session. Then we will work with positivity and open-mindedness exercises. I will also introduce the Backwards Review. We will do a breakout session where people can discuss their experience in a small group. Then we will return to share with the whole group and ask further questions.

Workshop 7 (3-part series): Encountering Progress - How Childhood Development Milestones are Met by the Waldorf Curriculum

with Donovan Gay

Thursday, January 23rd at 3pm ET / 12pm PT

Thursday, February 6th at 3pm ET / 12pm PT

Thursday, February 20th at 3pm ET / 12pm PT

In this 3-part series, we discuss the evolving child and the road markers to look out for. We discuss what we are trying to meet in the child at each level of the Waldorf curriculum. The children are on a journey of becoming. We do not yet know what they are becoming, but we are helping them to become by meeting them at each developmental milestone.

In this fast-changing world, these basic developmental steps are still seen in the child, but may look a little different. We will discuss how to notice them and how to nurture them.

Donovan was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was lucky enough to attend a Waldorf School from Class 8 to Class 13. After moving to the UK in 1991, he qualified as a Steiner/Waldorf Teacher at the renowned Emerson College in Sussex. Donovan has a Steiner Class Teaching Certificate, Emerson College, Sussex, United Kingdom with over twenty years of teaching experience in Steiner Schools.

Donovan was a Class Teacher at the former Plas Tan yr Allt Steiner School in North Wales for 5 years, at the Aberdeen Waldorf School, Scotland from 2007 to 2014, at the Cardiff Steiner School, Wales from 2015 to 2018. He also taught at the Michael Mount Waldorf School in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2019 Donovan moved to Spain, from where he founded Waldorf Ways, a Steiner/Waldorf education resource for homeschoolers and Waldorf Wise a training program for prospective Waldorf educators.

In his own words: “I have always, primarily taught combined classes in smaller Waldorf schools and have a wide experience in differentiating to meet the diversity of individual pupils needs. I have taught from Class 1 to 8 as a Class Teacher, and up to Class 10 teaching Art and also Religion. I have taught specialist subjects across the curriculum, including perspective drawing and veil painting in the older classes. I have a passion for learning and love teaching World History, Geography and Art. I have worked extensively in all areas of a Waldorf School, not only as a Class Teacher but in School Management and as Chair of the College of Teachers. I have worked closely with teachers as a Mentor over the years and delivered professional development programs in Teacher Development and in Curriculum Development. Building community amongst teachers based on anthroposophy is one of my greatest ideals, for through this community we can build and develop within the framework of understanding. In my spare time I am a portrait painter, with a recent exhibition in Andalusia, Spain.”

24-25 Grown-Up Education Workshops