Let’s face facts. On the whole, today, education focuses on the collection of knowledge and those who do well at school are said to be clever and receive awards and can continue on to university and are more readily employed in society. Not a bad system. But it only recognises one aspect of the human being. The head. In a Waldorf School our main question as teachers is ‘what kind of person is this child going to become?’ and not ‘how much is this child going to know?’.
As a teacher I am very aware of how easy it is to lose sight of the golden keys to teaching and understanding children. Of course I want them to know their sums and spelling and I want them all to be ‘top students’ – but it’s not about that, is it?
It’s actually about building character, it’s about taming temperament, its about children realizing their own individuality. And its about having enough time to grow with the children so that you can know them well enough to achieve just that. A good reason to take a class for seven years!
Rudolf Steiner stressed on many occasions that we should become aware of the temperaments of the children in front of us, in order to develop their character in a balanced fashion. So what is temperament exactly?
One could say it describes the ‘type’ of child, or ‘disposition’ if you like. And it is directly linked to the physical constituency of the child. There are four distinct temperaments which relate directly to the balance within the child’s body, between the formation of solid substance, the rhythmical movement of fluids, the process of breathing and the right body temperature. When one of these four is overdeveloped or out of balance, then a specific temperament will predominate. And we can observe it in children through their physical features, behaviour, their movements, posture, mood and tendencies.
Here they are, then, with limited explanations:
The Choleric Child:
A fiery, quick-tempered child, hard to reason with in the heat of the moment. Often seen to be bossing other children or challenging adults, steaming like an overheated car. An arresting gaze and sharp features are common. Good leadership potential.
The Phlegmatic Child:
Slow, lazy and dull children who could very often ‘just not be bothered’ about what’s going on. Generally known as couch potatoes, living for their food, they tend to have round and soft features. They are able to be very compromising.
The Sanguine Child:
Happy-go lucky children who move quickly from one interest to another, having a rather unfocused and fickle outlook. They take very little too seriously and struggle to concentrate. Sunny disposition, with flamboyant gestures and elongated limbs. Positive and friendly influence.
The Melancholic Child:
Pre-occupied with themselves, and their continued failings, they will not easily mix with others and tend to have an inferiority complex. The ‘woe is me’ child who will want a bandage on a tiny scratch! These children are often stooped and move cautiously and slowly, tending to be thin and having very fixed ideas in their head. Good attention to detail and deep thinkers.
Only by understanding these temperaments can we surely avoid so many incorrect decisions as a teacher and be in a position to help balance the character of the child. We won’t feel helpless or lose patience or become disheartened or feel threatened by the children if we can see through their behaviour by understanding it, by understanding them. And if they feel understood by us, well we can teach them anything!
Matthew Stodel