School Renewal

by Torin M. Finser

As a result of today's crisis in education, people are beginning to realize that schools involve far more than providing children with knowledge and skills. Schools are communities and, like all communities, may be healthy or unhealthy. School Renewal addresses the problems and challenges of a school community. Through the use of fairy tales, myths, and the personal experience of Waldorf education, Torin Finser describes how both teachers and parents can come to grips with common problems such as burnout, interpersonal conflicts, and the traps of routine. Most important, the author stresses that an educational community must come to terms with the many unseen dimensions of each individual. He shows how these little-understood aspects of the mind can be cultivated and nourished to keep the school and education alive. School Renewal does not offer mere formulas, dogmas, or slapdash solutions. Instead, it encourages a new way of thinking about education and personal growth―for children and for the adults who care about them. This book is also available in Renovación Un viaje espiritual hacia el cambio

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Torin M Finser received his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Union Graduate School, his M.A. in education from Adelphi University, and his B.A. from Bowdoin College. He taught at the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School, where he also served as faculty chairman. Torin has done extensive consulting with schools in organizational dynamics and leadership development and has been a keynote speaker at conferences all over the world.

He is the author eleven books, beginning with School as a Journey, which has now been translated into Mandarin, Farsi, Thai, Arabic, Korean and Spanish. Other books include: School Renewal, Organizational Integrity, A Second Classroom, Parent Teacher Relations in a Waldorf School, Leadership Development and Education for Non-Violence. His Guided Self Study is used by many as an introduction to Anthroposophy.

Torin has served as General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America and Chair of the Education Department at Antioch University New England. A founder of the Center for Anthroposophy, he has recently pioneered their new Building Bridges Program for practicing teachers in independent and charter schools.

Reviews

[Sarah Pevehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when my oldest child was just beginning Kindergarten at a Waldorf School in SoCal in 2015.

It was extremely eye opening to me and I truly believe that all parents of Waldorf Students should read this book. I went on to learn so much about the hidden side of how much work and time these teachers truly put into their classroom, their students, their parents, and back into their own school w extra duties and volunteerism.

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Finser in preparation for Gateways Conference in April.

[jessica wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

admittedly, the title had me skeptical and overall, the book itself is okay. i was way more impressed with the introduction and think every educator could benefit from reading it.