Over the years, AHE has offered workshops on a variety of topics to AWSNA affiliated and Waldorf inspired schools. These workshops can be either in-person or online. Schools will be charged for the presenter honorarium; additional costs for in-person workshops include transportation and housing for the presenter. Some of our master teachers are listed in the application form below, but the school may request other presenters.

Currently, in all educational settings, the number of children who have individual needs is growing, and classes call on broader expertise from teachers. This trend is acknowledged in both mainstream and alternative education; informal surveys have revealed that in Waldorf classrooms, the number can be as high as 30 percent of a class. Typically the range of needs includes children with dyslexia; developmental and sensory hindrances; comprehension and memory challenges; disruptive behavior; and medical situations that affect learning, such as asthma.

Waldorf schools have the unique opportunity to provide learning environments that can meet many of these needs, owing to sound principles of both a developmental approach and an inclusive view of the human being. However, many teachers, even with experience, find that they need additional assistance with training or resources. Though some exploration of learning style differences is provided in many Waldorf teacher trainings, these institutes usually do not provide comprehensive coverage of individual learning needs and relevant teaching approaches. We at AHE believe that mentoring and professional development opportunities in this area are especially important.

The vision of AHE is to provide this continuing education and expertise through specific topics related to successful teaching: teacher sustainability, learning differences, child observation, classroom developmental activities, and balanced educational environments. We have developed a core group who are prepared to visit schools, or present online, and provide professional development days. Possible workshop themes include:

• Establish Care Groups and Educational Support Programs;
• Refine Child Study processes;
• Assist in strengthening work in the high school;
• Guide teachers in understanding the child of today and remediation;
• Improve methods for teaching to various learning styles in early childhood, elementary and high school;
• Present workshops on classroom movement, including early childhood
• Address issues such as: trauma, removing hindrances and alternative healing methods;
• Strengthen teaching through nourishing the teacher
• Assist schools with intake procedures;
• Introduce schools to group work with Extra Lesson.