Rhythms in Education and the Art of Life - Lefebvre, Whitehead and Steiner on the Art of Bringing Rhythmical Transformations into Teaching and Learning – Part I

Abstract

These two articles deal with rhythms in education, a topic that has thus far been taken up in educational research or thinking only to a limited degree. Gert Biesta has pointed to how temporal notions such as change, learning and development are often connected to a simplified, linear conception of time and to a one-sided rationalised view of education (Biesta, 2013). By focusing on the rich variety of rhythms in teaching and learning, these articles have let other dimensions of time come to the fore. The first article gives a brief overview of research on rhythms in education, and introduces Alfred North Whitehead and Henri Lefebvre‘s thoughts on rhythms. The second article presents Rudolf Steiner‘s ideas on this topic, and concludes with a discussion of all three approaches with regard to ideas relevant for today‘s classrooms. None of the contributions are treated as prescriptions or systems to follow, but instead as ‘lenses’ for getting closer to the life and art of temporal processes in education. From Lefebvre, a sensitised and therapeutic approach will be presented, taking into account the potential liberating forces in social as well as natural rhythms. Whitehead‘s ideas invite his readers to envision a developmental panorama of education in terms of the breathing rhythms of freedom and discipline, aiming at fostering wise, responsible and competent citizens. Steiner has brought a wealth of concrete suggestions to teachers and, at the same time, has given far-reaching spiritual perspectives to what takes place when learning and teaching unfold rhythmically.