What Waldorf Education Provides...some thoughts

Dear Visitors,

I wanted to share some thoughts generated by myself and others on the Waldorf Study Group I run. I hope these ideas are inspiring and thought provoking.

Enjoy reading!


Dear Listmates,

I wanted to share how much I enjoy reading about what Waldorf education means to
you and what you have come to value and cherish about it!

Carol wrote:

"The Waldorf approach adds a fresh perspective as I come to parenthood after
many years in ECE and EC Special Ed. I experience Waldorf as a higher way, as in spiritual
evolutionary terms, of viewing my child and presenting activities. I am right there in
feeling the necessity of going deeper with the why and how. It always makes me pause and
appreciate life more when I can get that wider lens in focus."

I love how you put your thoughts into words, and I feel the same way regarding
the spiritual evolution idea. Waldorf is the only pedagogical system that has this
incredible range of focus from the microcosm to the macrocosm, and vice versa. It is truly
wholistic both for us personally and us collectively, and in the Creator's scheme. It is
about meaning and purpose at every level.

Caroline wrote:

"My most recent interest was sparked by attending a speech at the Washington
Waldorf school a few years ago by Joseph Chilton Pierce on brain research and early
childhood that really blew me away."

I was there also, and it was one of the most amazing lectures I have ever
attended! I posted a link to another article of his here on the discussion group; read it if
you have the chance. To begin to see the concepts of mind, heart, social connections,
spiritual connections visible in scientific studies is extremely exciting!

I think you will get more out of the next book to help with the anthroposophical
concepts and ideas.

Zaina wrote:

"I think I like most how it meets the child where they are and
presents and introduces learning the best possible way for them. The
techniques make sense and are backed up by careful study and
observation of children and their developing stages. That's my take
on it anyway."

Waldorf is truly attuned to the child and to their needs and development. I
think you will like the next book also, even though it isn't specifically about homeschooling.
Steiner's ideas are supposed to be fluid and applicable, as he states himself. After
getting more grounding, we can all begin to see applications and have a broader, clearer
consciousness as we do our work.

Sumiyeh wrote:

"Basically it gives sanity to an otherwise insane and often cruel world. "

Waldorf protects the child by allowing them to experience many things, but at
the right time and the right amount. Too heavy a dose of "reality" too young certainly
damages the spirit of a child, the desire for beauty and fairness. Please pray/send good
thoughts (however you like to do this) to those children who have no choice in this
respect. Hopefully our loving thoughts will reach them. (According to Joseph Chilton
Pearce, those heart waves are connected and extend out into the world infinitely).

In that vein, in addition to this idea presented by Mr. Pearce, I have read so
many articles, books, that emphasize that our own positive energy, effort, or work increases
the positive level of coherence in our environment. Additionally, when a group of people in
an area do this collectively, it increases the coherence in that area. Here is the
spiritual evolution piece.

~waldorfhmschlr