Waldorf teachers stayed with their students from grade one through grade eight. In 1928, the opening of the Rudolph Steiner School in New York City marked the concept of Waldorf education in the United States (Bogart, 2002).
Presently, in Germany, teachers stay with their students from grade one through grade four. As mentioned above, the Department of Education considered looping in 1913 in the United States. Over time and as the Waldorf schools began to grow in popularity in the US educators of the world began to consider the vital importance of student-teacher relationships that develop over time. Presently, the National Multiage Educators, a Peterborough, N.H. based organization that includes looping teachers, has close to 1,500 members in the United States. The group's conference last year drew 3000 participants (Jacobson, 1997).
The "potential" benefits of looping are substantial. The word potential is in quotes " because with looping, as with any other educational reform, the benefits must be realized by what the teacher does with students in the classroom rather than from the structure itself. Looping makes it easier for certain positive outcomes to happen, but looping does not make them happen" (Grant, Richardson & Forsten, 2000). Although research on the benefits of looping is scant, looping advocates and teachers have expressed many common benefits (Bogart, 2003). Teachers state that most of the benefits of looping process come about in the second year of instruction. The most commonly mentioned benefits are (1) stronger bonds are formed between parents and teachers, teachers and students, and students and students, (2) a great support system is built for children that lack stable influences in their lives, (3) there are marked decreases in anxiety for both the teacher and student in the beginning of the school year, (4) almost a whole month of instructional time is gained in the second year, because assessment and the get to know you period are basically eliminated, and lastly, (5) teacher knowledge of student ability is heightened and curriculum can be tailored to meet the individual needs of the students (Chaika, 1999).
