Eric Muller has had a varied and fascinating life leading up to his long-term work as a Waldorf teacher. This readable book traces his journey and the experiences that lead him to teaching, and that kept him going as he worked out what it really meant to be a teacher. Muller starts by recounting his childhood in South Africa, his youthful searching in Switzerland and Germany, and finally the revelation of Emerson College in England where he found what he had been looking for. He leads the reader enjoyably from episode to episode, going on to describe his family's move to Eugene, Oregon, and the blossoming and crisis of the Eugene Waldorf School, to his work as a high school music, drama and English teacher at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School in New York state. Throughout he explores what it is that is special about the Waldorf approach and curriculum that allows teachers and students to flourish. This book is for anyone with an interest in the difference that Waldorf education can make.
Eric G. Muller has accompanied his long career as a Waldorf teacher with his vocation as a writer. His published books include Rites of Rock (Adonis 2005), Meet me at the Met (2010), Drops on the Water (2014) and The Invisible Boat (2013), a children's book, and four books of poetry. He currently teaches English and drama at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School and is a director of the Alkion Teacher Training Program in Ghent, NY. He is a recipient of the Kapteyn Prize for high school teachers who exemplify excellence in 'whole child teaching'.
"From childhood innocence, through the highs and lows of adolescence, to the sentient, vagabond adventures of early manhood, Eric G. Muller's destiny path weaves its way toward his true calling as an educator. He casts an objective, yet tender eye over poignant events in his life and, in seeking their meaning, garners fruits that are transformed into deeds of education. "When the narrative turns to Muller's teaching career, beginning in the early grades, into adolescence, and eventually with adults, the wisdom, breadth, and scope of Waldorf education is portrayed through the lens of real life experiences. And he does not spare us the accompanying exhilaration, drama, disappointments, and humor. A most engaging story for anyone, but a must read for anyone considering a progressive teaching profession."--Patrick Stolfo, artist and faculty member, Hawthorne Valley Alkion Center
