I've been ragging pretty hard on our delightfully quirky little Waldorf school, nestled in the slums of the 28th Street and Southern farming land. See there, I just did it again with words like slums and quirky. But the truth is that I love Desert Marigold. I don't love everything about it, but I love enough of it to send my child there. Obviously I wouldn't have Tasha there if there wasn't something of merit.
At first thought, with the moving of the parking lot and office to the edge of the school, I was dragging my heels and whining about the trek that would now need to be made to get to the first grade classroom. If we're late and I have to park and go to the office and then walk them to class it's going to take For.E.Ver. And the amount of time that it took them to put in this special parking lot made from recycled, earth friendly rubbery pipey tubing stuff, was just a little longer than they anticipated. But, truth be told, it is all delightful. A few weeks ago, as I parked on the far end of the lot under the shade of a tree, I noticed the non-dusty, yet non-blacktop surface that we parked and walked on to get to the footpath that leads to class. We meandered over rain-soaked bark, in a curved sort of path that went right past the garden and under a couple of arches that lead to the main campus. The kids said "Hi Farmer Tony!" as he crossed our path with his apprentice, both sporting big straw shade hats and muddy shoes. I believe my blood pressure dropped, the pain in my neck disappeared and I decompressed just a little bit. The peace continued as the children played on the early childhood playground which is just off the pond where ducks swim and next to the home of the goats and pigs which the children are welcome to feed if they get to school early enough. Then comes the bang and clang of the giant bell as school starts, which is followed shortly by the first grade teacher's gentle, rhythmic shaking of a ring of jingle bells. Again, more decompression as I started to walk off in another direction to the shake, shake, shake of the quiet beat of the bells. I stopped on the brickwork path to chat with a friend as PT pulled leaves off wild growing flower bushes and ate dirt covered rocks he found just off the path. It was all very earthy, welcoming, and calming. I left the school in less of a rush with less anxiety and more hope for whatever reason.
For these first few very influential years in my daughter's short little life, I want her to feel this peace and love of school. I want her to delight in her surroundings and not be overwhelmed with structures and rules and big buildings with lines and funny smells. I want her to feel free to be one with her environment and learn that she can connect to people and places on a very intimate level. I don't want her to be a number that is pushed through a system that may or may not be in her best interest. I don't need her to be reading and doing flash cards nightly to keep up with some academic standard that some bureaucrat somewhere deemed necessary for first graders. I like the old school philosophy of letting kids be kids. They are developing their fine and gross motor skills as they continue to learn rhymes and chants that help them discover math facts and pre-reading skills. They learn to follow directions with meaning and with respect to their fellow classmates. They care for one another and their campus.
A place where kids are kids. A place where, on the first day of school, after a really good rainstorm, the playground was soaked. And by soaked, I mean there was an actual island with a tree swing on it, surrounded by a small moat. It wasn't taped off with yellow caution tape for fear that children would fall in and get hurt, or even worse-wet! Nope. There were children of all ages swinging back and forth, standing on that rope swing, getting from the mainland to the island. And off to the side was a boy, laughing, drenched from mid-chest to 2 soaking wet feet. On the first day of school. And it was no.big.deal. Kids are kids and they will remember that first day of school for the rest of their life.
The real truth is, I wish I lived in a world where DMS philosophy of life was real. A world where we treasured every moment of our child's little life. A place that allowed us to stop and smell the roses or the duck pond or the smell of homemade bread baking, without worrying about making it to that next appointment, meeting, or class. I'm re-reading the book Beyond the Rainbow Bridge by Barbara J. Patterson and Pamela Bradley. I decompress a little each time I pick it up. I breath easier and wish for a calming attitude to enter my heart and mind and stay there. Although I love the quickness with which we can get things done in this world of ours, there is something to be said for the finer, yet slower things in life. I think that is why, over generations of time, kids love to visit their grandparents. Grandparents move slower and take the time to look, listen and answer. They have the time. Why don't I?
I need to develop some healthy rhythms and stop resisting the dreaded routines that I fear will tie me down. And you may be shaking your head, but when I say "fear", I really mean it. I fear being stuck in a rut and not being able to serve or help a friend in need out of some obsessed need to make sure the bathroom gets cleaned or the floor gets mopped. I resist at all costs. And this, again, is where DMS steps it up a notch. It is the beauty of the rhythm of the day. The color-coded day with anticipation of special classes and early release. The jingle-jangle of the bells starting the trek to the first grade classroom. Lunch with my friends with a handmade place mat. Moments each day to decompress, laugh, and play with the people I love the most. This can happen. This can happen in my home if I let it. There is a way, I know it! When I find the secret, I'll let you know. If you know the secret, please pass it on...
Showing posts with label Waldorf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waldorf. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Who Wouldn't Love Lunchtime With These Babies?!
All wrapped up and ready to go eat. The place mat has 2 pockets inside to hold utensils and napkins. The ties are attached and keep things together when not in use.
Tasha's choice of fabrics. She really has good taste.
This is the set for the mom who asked quite innocently at the parent meeting/open house, "what if sewing that just isn't going to happen at my house?" I smiled at her and said I'd help her out, she wrote down my email address from the class list, and within 24 hours the project was completed.
And finally, for the mom I knew had been out of town the Saturday we made these babies. I asked if her daughter was set and she said she was just going to use one from the previous kids. I mentioned that I was making one for someone else and she piped up with, "I'd gladly trade you dinner for sewing!" To which I promptly replied, "I'd gladly take dinner for sewing!" Win, win for everyone involved.Monday, August 16, 2010
Ugh. What If I'm Really Just Not a Morning Person?
"Early to rise and early to bed..."
BLAH! Makes me want to puke. Or at least stay up late eating ding dongs and chips and salsa and watching scary movies so I'm sure to have nightmares, thus rendering me useless come dawn. I thought some of this attitude would change when I became a mother and had responsibilities. So far, four responsibilities later, no change. It's nearly 11pm at night and I'm just now getting around to opening a school letter that apparently came last week some time. Why would I open it in the daylight hours? All the chattering, hungry, filthy responsibilities are running around at my feet and in my face. I can't get anything done or concentrate with all that jibber-jabber going on.
In my welcome letter the teacher writes, and I quote:
"Your child's educational experience begins upon waking...Try to make your child's waking, readying, and travel to school as pleasant, consistent, and rhythmical as possible, for a child who is awakened gently, has a consistent and timely morning ritual of washing, dressing, etc, and who receives a warm, nourishing protein-filled breakfast, is a child who is ready to begin a day of learning."
See now, if I had read that last sentence in the morning it would have made no sense to me at all. It makes perfect sense to me right now but that doesn't mean I can do it. Well, I could do it if I could start the morning off at 11pm at night. OK, I realize I'm coming off as joking about all this, but I really am sincere. I've tried to be a morning person but it's just not in me. I've met morning people, and it just doesn't rub off. I've even had a stint of a couple of months where I woke up at 5am every day and I tell ya, still not a morning person. I'm perfectly capable of doing stuff and thinking and whatnot, but please don't ask me to interact with people in a "pleasant, consistent and rhythmical" manner. When I was teenager I actually told (maybe screamed) my mom, "can I PLEASE just have a shower before you bombard me with questions?!"
The letter goes on, assuming that you have had a peaceful morning ritual in your home and not the draggingherbuttoutofbedandeatingoatmealinthecarwhileputtingonhershoes experience that is more typical of last year, and says:
"Sometimes travel makes it difficult to sustain the peacefulness of a morning ritual. Please make every effort to let your child's travel to school be as hassle free as possible. Young children especially, need not be exposed to audio book tapes, electronic hand-held games, news, music or inappropriate conversation while traveling to school. parents are encouraged to discuss their expectations with any carpool drivers in order to reach a common understanding."
Double ugh. Tell me now: how am I supposed to drive to school with out some head thumpin' music to drown out the children's inappropriate conversations? Huh? Huh? Answer me this question please! I'm trying very hard to figure out if I'm turning onto Priest or 48th street, I can't redirect conversation amongst elementary school children. If they want to talk poop and pee or Pokemon then that is their business. I can't maintain a coherent thought in my own head, much less come up with appropriate 6 and 7 year old conversation over the whines of 9 month old. Music I tell ya, music is my saving grace. Sorry carpool buddy, this is the way we roll.
So, I'll try with all my might to entertain these values. But, at the end of the morning, I'm going to be happy if Tasha made it to school dressed, 2 unmatched socks, unkempt hair, and a few spoonfuls of oatmeal that she ate while singing, "I am a rock star, I got my rock boots, and I don't need you tonight." It's alright. School will go on and learning will commence.
BLAH! Makes me want to puke. Or at least stay up late eating ding dongs and chips and salsa and watching scary movies so I'm sure to have nightmares, thus rendering me useless come dawn. I thought some of this attitude would change when I became a mother and had responsibilities. So far, four responsibilities later, no change. It's nearly 11pm at night and I'm just now getting around to opening a school letter that apparently came last week some time. Why would I open it in the daylight hours? All the chattering, hungry, filthy responsibilities are running around at my feet and in my face. I can't get anything done or concentrate with all that jibber-jabber going on.
In my welcome letter the teacher writes, and I quote:
"Your child's educational experience begins upon waking...Try to make your child's waking, readying, and travel to school as pleasant, consistent, and rhythmical as possible, for a child who is awakened gently, has a consistent and timely morning ritual of washing, dressing, etc, and who receives a warm, nourishing protein-filled breakfast, is a child who is ready to begin a day of learning."
See now, if I had read that last sentence in the morning it would have made no sense to me at all. It makes perfect sense to me right now but that doesn't mean I can do it. Well, I could do it if I could start the morning off at 11pm at night. OK, I realize I'm coming off as joking about all this, but I really am sincere. I've tried to be a morning person but it's just not in me. I've met morning people, and it just doesn't rub off. I've even had a stint of a couple of months where I woke up at 5am every day and I tell ya, still not a morning person. I'm perfectly capable of doing stuff and thinking and whatnot, but please don't ask me to interact with people in a "pleasant, consistent and rhythmical" manner. When I was teenager I actually told (maybe screamed) my mom, "can I PLEASE just have a shower before you bombard me with questions?!"
The letter goes on, assuming that you have had a peaceful morning ritual in your home and not the draggingherbuttoutofbedandeatingoatmealinthecarwhileputtingonhershoes experience that is more typical of last year, and says:
"Sometimes travel makes it difficult to sustain the peacefulness of a morning ritual. Please make every effort to let your child's travel to school be as hassle free as possible. Young children especially, need not be exposed to audio book tapes, electronic hand-held games, news, music or inappropriate conversation while traveling to school. parents are encouraged to discuss their expectations with any carpool drivers in order to reach a common understanding."
Double ugh. Tell me now: how am I supposed to drive to school with out some head thumpin' music to drown out the children's inappropriate conversations? Huh? Huh? Answer me this question please! I'm trying very hard to figure out if I'm turning onto Priest or 48th street, I can't redirect conversation amongst elementary school children. If they want to talk poop and pee or Pokemon then that is their business. I can't maintain a coherent thought in my own head, much less come up with appropriate 6 and 7 year old conversation over the whines of 9 month old. Music I tell ya, music is my saving grace. Sorry carpool buddy, this is the way we roll.
So, I'll try with all my might to entertain these values. But, at the end of the morning, I'm going to be happy if Tasha made it to school dressed, 2 unmatched socks, unkempt hair, and a few spoonfuls of oatmeal that she ate while singing, "I am a rock star, I got my rock boots, and I don't need you tonight." It's alright. School will go on and learning will commence.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Rainbow Tasha...Rainbow Tasha
Go where you want to go
Do what you need to do
Love will follow you.
Tasha graduated from Kindergarten today.
It was a beautiful day.
Tasha graduated from Kindergarten today.
It was a beautiful day.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Media Free Week Starts TOMORROW
Yep. National media free week begins Monday April 19th and lasts through the following Sunday April 25th. I announced this to my family this afternoon over lunch. Here were their individual responses...
Tasha: FINALLY!!! I've been waiting and waiting to spend some time with my family. (I think her school has done some prompting on this)
Kyra: Cool. (I don't think she really thinks it's going to be cool)
Bill: Kyra, quick, go turn on the TV, radio, and log onto something on the computer. If we're going to be without then we better load up right now. (Always supportive)
I thought they took the news fairly well and I'm glad I didn't give them any warning. They probably would have spent all day yesterday plopped in front of the TV looking like zombies. Personally, I figure I have a few blog posts to get in before I give it up tomorrow. (more like 20 if I go by what someone at church recommended) Anyway, as I sat down to type and the girls left the room Bill fessed up...
Bill: (questioning) This media free business is null and void after 8pm, right?
Me: Nope.
Bill: (stating) OK, this media free business is null and void after 8pm.
About 5 minutes later...
Bill: Ya know this is the playoffs right? The Suns are in the playoffs.
Hmm. I guess you'll hear in a week how it went. But for now I have several more posts a brewin'...
Tasha: FINALLY!!! I've been waiting and waiting to spend some time with my family. (I think her school has done some prompting on this)
Kyra: Cool. (I don't think she really thinks it's going to be cool)
Bill: Kyra, quick, go turn on the TV, radio, and log onto something on the computer. If we're going to be without then we better load up right now. (Always supportive)
I thought they took the news fairly well and I'm glad I didn't give them any warning. They probably would have spent all day yesterday plopped in front of the TV looking like zombies. Personally, I figure I have a few blog posts to get in before I give it up tomorrow. (more like 20 if I go by what someone at church recommended) Anyway, as I sat down to type and the girls left the room Bill fessed up...
Bill: (questioning) This media free business is null and void after 8pm, right?
Me: Nope.
Bill: (stating) OK, this media free business is null and void after 8pm.
About 5 minutes later...
Bill: Ya know this is the playoffs right? The Suns are in the playoffs.
Hmm. I guess you'll hear in a week how it went. But for now I have several more posts a brewin'...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
So, Is It Gambling If...
...your school has a raffle ticket sale for a Toyota Prius and then decides that you can just take the cash if you want?
I'm just wondering how far we push or pull on the gambling issue? If you tell me that you can put 20 bucks in a slot machine in the hopes of winning $15,000 I recognize that this is a gamble. It would probably only happen in Vegas or Atlantic City or at one of our many fine casinos here on the reservations. But what happens when that slot machine shows it's face on our school campus and disguises itself as a fund raiser and a raffle sale? Hmm. If I buy a $20 ticket from the parent council in hopes to win a Prius, is that a gamble? What if I don't want the Prius and just buy the ticket to support the school? Is that no longer a gamble because I don't expect or want to win? Now, what if that Prius isn't the only prize? What if I have a choice between the Prius and the $15,000 that it is going to cost the council to buy the car? Now it's a cash transaction and it sounds a bit more enticing and a bit more like gambling, doesn't it? I might not expect to win, but who wouldn't want to win that cash, right? And, if I do feel like this new cash incentive is gambling, but the other was not, am I guilty by association by purchasing the first ticket?
Ah, the questions I could pose. I feel like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde trying to discount a man's paternity suit on a baby conceived by sperm he sold to a sperm bank: "Why this one sperm? ... any masturbatory emissions, where the sperm is clearly not seeking an egg, could be termed reckless abandonment." Alright, it's not really the same thing, but it feels like I'm grasping at straws in reverse here, trying to justify a raffle that is really an expensive slot machine. Ya know?
I know, it's the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, right?
Anyway, this is my way of saying that... if you want to support DMS and buy a $20 raffle ticket you can now have $15,000 in cash if you don't want the car. Good luck to all, and call my bishop if you think I'm encouraging gambling :) A-ha!
I'm just wondering how far we push or pull on the gambling issue? If you tell me that you can put 20 bucks in a slot machine in the hopes of winning $15,000 I recognize that this is a gamble. It would probably only happen in Vegas or Atlantic City or at one of our many fine casinos here on the reservations. But what happens when that slot machine shows it's face on our school campus and disguises itself as a fund raiser and a raffle sale? Hmm. If I buy a $20 ticket from the parent council in hopes to win a Prius, is that a gamble? What if I don't want the Prius and just buy the ticket to support the school? Is that no longer a gamble because I don't expect or want to win? Now, what if that Prius isn't the only prize? What if I have a choice between the Prius and the $15,000 that it is going to cost the council to buy the car? Now it's a cash transaction and it sounds a bit more enticing and a bit more like gambling, doesn't it? I might not expect to win, but who wouldn't want to win that cash, right? And, if I do feel like this new cash incentive is gambling, but the other was not, am I guilty by association by purchasing the first ticket?
Ah, the questions I could pose. I feel like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde trying to discount a man's paternity suit on a baby conceived by sperm he sold to a sperm bank: "Why this one sperm? ... any masturbatory emissions, where the sperm is clearly not seeking an egg, could be termed reckless abandonment." Alright, it's not really the same thing, but it feels like I'm grasping at straws in reverse here, trying to justify a raffle that is really an expensive slot machine. Ya know?
I know, it's the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, right?
Anyway, this is my way of saying that... if you want to support DMS and buy a $20 raffle ticket you can now have $15,000 in cash if you don't want the car. Good luck to all, and call my bishop if you think I'm encouraging gambling :) A-ha!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Win a Toyota Prius
Our school, Desert Marigold, is holding a raffle to win a Toyota Prius. To this date, I have not solicited sales from any of my family or friends because I did not know when the deadline for this raffle would be, if ever. Now I know, so here you go...they are giving away this baby at the end of the school year so we'll know who wins it. Now's your chance. If you would like to give our family credit for the sale, that would be great. Just note Kyra's name on your paypal purchase. If you want me to pick up a ticket for you, I can do that too. Here's the spiel:
Tickets are only $20 to win a brand new Toyota Prius (color of your choice, tax & license included!). Tickets are available through the DMS website www.arizonawaldorf.org via PayPal or in the school office and are non-refundable. All of the proceeds raised from the raffle will go to help build our new Enchanted Garden School Store and Café, a Parent Council supported venture. Parent Council uses the majority of its funds to support our faculty in further training and development. There is no per person limit- the more you buy... the better your chances of winning!
Prius Tickets sold to date: 1175
Sales will be capped at 2,000
Tickets are only $20 to win a brand new Toyota Prius (color of your choice, tax & license included!). Tickets are available through the DMS website www.arizonawaldorf.org via PayPal or in the school office and are non-refundable. All of the proceeds raised from the raffle will go to help build our new Enchanted Garden School Store and Café, a Parent Council supported venture. Parent Council uses the majority of its funds to support our faculty in further training and development. There is no per person limit- the more you buy... the better your chances of winning!
Prius Tickets sold to date: 1175
Sales will be capped at 2,000
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Approximately...
3 pounds of corn meal
8 pounds of flour
4 pounds of butter
3 dozen eggs
1/2 a gallon of milk
2 pounds of M&M's
2 pounds of chocolate chips
2 pounds of raisins
and 10 hours later...
125 squares of corn breadand...
200+ cookies!
Long Live the Queen of Baking!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Elvis is in the building
I have been in many a lively online discussion about Waldorf schools as of late. I would like to say that I am full of infinite wisdom on the subject, but I'm just not. My daughter Kyra just started attending Desert Marigold, a Waldorf "inspired" school, this year (DMS is "inspired" because they don't make us pay tuition and therefore don't have the complete Waldorf stamp. Yipee for no ginormous tuition!). I've been hesitant to throw myself into the school community, just because I need a break from being super involved and I want her to get her own sense of who she is. This was a big deal for her this year. She had been at one school, with one class for 5 years and I could not have asked for a better beginning. But I digress, back to my Waldorfness.
I think I have come up with some randomly brilliant answers to some questions and concerns that have been raised about Waldorf schools and Waldorf philosophy. It must be my alter ego playing out or something like lack of sleep makes me smarter, especially since one of my replies was done at 1 in the morning. I feel a bit like Elvis: fabulous right now, but it won't last. Hopefully my momentarily brilliant legacy will follow me beyond the grave. Here goes...
A question was raised at the DMS open house: "What does the school do about gifted kids or kids who are struggling? (They didn't quite know how to answer her.) She then clarified and said 'well, what do you do with a kid in kindergarten or 1st grade who can already read?'" This is an excellent question and one that most parents want answered. It is also a question that Waldorfy people won't comment on because they don't label kids as gifted or challenged. Here's my answer: As far as the reader in Kindergarten... that's a mute point. They won't be doing any reading in Kindergarten so there is no way that they would need to be challenged in that area. The challenge will be in storytelling and memory recall. When they start learning letters in 1st grade it is done through art. So again, the challenge will be in art, not the knowledge of the letters which a child may already know. Numbers are done through chants, rhythms and rhymes. The challenges for "gifted" students might very well be in the artistic medium that the factual knowledge is being presented in.
OK, that wasn't as brilliant as I thought it was but I'm going to keep it in because it touches a little on the reading. I could (and probably should) do an entire post on the reading. Maybe later. Last night Rachel sent me this link:
Gnomes and Critics of Waldorf Schools
I must have been in a bizarro funk last night because I didn't get upset at the stupidity of the article, nor did I feel like I had to blast the author. I actually got a "yowsa" and a "that's the most amazing response ever" from 2 pretty amazing women that I respect. So now I'm glowing, bragging, and posting it for the world. (Seriously though, my head has become less and less inflated as I have typed words like "bizarro", "ginormous", and "Waldorfy". Clearly I've lost my Elvisness.)
Here are my thoughts from the article (Italics are quotes from the article, the rest is me):
“How many parents even know that Waldorf teachers study Steiner’s occultism in order to teach at a Waldorf?” Well, I think any parent that has seriously looked into Waldorf education understands that it is based on Steiner's teachings. I wouldn't call his teachings "occultism", but yes, any teacher at a Waldorf school would be very well versed in his views on child development and education. Waldorf schools follow what Steiner created as the best teaching model for children.
“I’ve encountered a claim once that Steiner’s writings are troubling...I examined it, and found the concern to be without merit.” Are some of the things that Steiner suggest outdated? Yes, I think they are and I think that the way people thought back then is drastically different than we think now in our politically correct society. He wrote and lectured in 1904. I am impressed with how much he knew at the time and how very accurate he is when looking at child development, but of course his language is going to be off because his teachings are over a hundred years old! I would say that his philosophies on teaching in the classroom could and should hold up, even in this modern day. The things that are lacking in Waldorf schools are things that can and should be supplemented at home (i.e. computer technology).
Another aspect of the Waldorf approach is its rejection of traditional medicine in favour of the Anthroposophical herbal remedies that are often sold in the schools. I think a lot of people these days are shying away from traditional medicine, but that isn't really my point. The more you involve a teacher in your child's ailments, the more input and influence they will have on how you treat your child. Some parents are going to turn to the Waldorf teacher for their Anthroposophical wisdom, but others are going to treat their child on their own. It is just like any other school, how much influence the teachers and staff have on your child is exactly how much you give them.
While Waldorf supporters see delayed reading as a positive step in a child’s development; others are not as impressed. As a reading teacher, I could go on and on on this subject, but I won't. I can say that Sweden doesn't start teaching reading until age 8 and their country is full of bright people, with a very low illiteracy rate. I can say that many students are not ready to learn to read until age 8, while others are completely competent by 3 or 4. What do you want a school to do, teach to the younger crowd and leave the rest to fend for themselves, or wait until everyone is ready? I will say that the way in which Waldorf teaches the early letters and numbers encourages the "bright" student (or the one that may already know these things) to use senses that might not be as fine tuned as their rote memory is. (i.e. while learning the letter "m", students will create a picture of a mountain with the 2 bumps of the letter. They use paint as a medium and skills that are often less fine-tuned in a child that reads and writes at a young age.) I see delayed reading and writing, with the inclusion of artistic, musical, and rhythmic expression to be an advantage to any student.
As far as the school is concerned, I don't know anything about alchemy, secret societies (they must be really secret!), or reincarnation. Eurythmy is beautiful. If their hand gestures are speaking to another spirit world, I imagine they are saying something nice, because it is very peaceful and calm during their performances and no lightning has ever struck that I know of. OK, I'm getting a little sarcastic here now so I better quit. I will say that I have had a few concerns about some of the celebrations that they hold, but nothing drastic. I would just say that sometimes it feels like they have replaced God the Father with Mother Nature and that is more sad to me than upsetting. No worries from my end.
Good luck to your friend in her school search. I would encourage her to visit the schools she looks into and go more by how she feels than anything else. I knew, and my fifth grade daughter knew, when we drove onto Desert Marigold campus that this was the right place for her. Ten years earlier I had been convinced that a Montessori school was right for her, until I toured the school and met her teacher. (I found a different school for her for K-4) I really believe that you can know what is right for your child, and it might even be different for each of your children.
I think I have come up with some randomly brilliant answers to some questions and concerns that have been raised about Waldorf schools and Waldorf philosophy. It must be my alter ego playing out or something like lack of sleep makes me smarter, especially since one of my replies was done at 1 in the morning. I feel a bit like Elvis: fabulous right now, but it won't last. Hopefully my momentarily brilliant legacy will follow me beyond the grave. Here goes...
A question was raised at the DMS open house: "What does the school do about gifted kids or kids who are struggling? (They didn't quite know how to answer her.) She then clarified and said 'well, what do you do with a kid in kindergarten or 1st grade who can already read?'" This is an excellent question and one that most parents want answered. It is also a question that Waldorfy people won't comment on because they don't label kids as gifted or challenged. Here's my answer: As far as the reader in Kindergarten... that's a mute point. They won't be doing any reading in Kindergarten so there is no way that they would need to be challenged in that area. The challenge will be in storytelling and memory recall. When they start learning letters in 1st grade it is done through art. So again, the challenge will be in art, not the knowledge of the letters which a child may already know. Numbers are done through chants, rhythms and rhymes. The challenges for "gifted" students might very well be in the artistic medium that the factual knowledge is being presented in.
OK, that wasn't as brilliant as I thought it was but I'm going to keep it in because it touches a little on the reading. I could (and probably should) do an entire post on the reading. Maybe later. Last night Rachel sent me this link:
Gnomes and Critics of Waldorf Schools
I must have been in a bizarro funk last night because I didn't get upset at the stupidity of the article, nor did I feel like I had to blast the author. I actually got a "yowsa" and a "that's the most amazing response ever" from 2 pretty amazing women that I respect. So now I'm glowing, bragging, and posting it for the world. (Seriously though, my head has become less and less inflated as I have typed words like "bizarro", "ginormous", and "Waldorfy". Clearly I've lost my Elvisness.)
Here are my thoughts from the article (Italics are quotes from the article, the rest is me):
“How many parents even know that Waldorf teachers study Steiner’s occultism in order to teach at a Waldorf?” Well, I think any parent that has seriously looked into Waldorf education understands that it is based on Steiner's teachings. I wouldn't call his teachings "occultism", but yes, any teacher at a Waldorf school would be very well versed in his views on child development and education. Waldorf schools follow what Steiner created as the best teaching model for children.
“I’ve encountered a claim once that Steiner’s writings are troubling...I examined it, and found the concern to be without merit.” Are some of the things that Steiner suggest outdated? Yes, I think they are and I think that the way people thought back then is drastically different than we think now in our politically correct society. He wrote and lectured in 1904. I am impressed with how much he knew at the time and how very accurate he is when looking at child development, but of course his language is going to be off because his teachings are over a hundred years old! I would say that his philosophies on teaching in the classroom could and should hold up, even in this modern day. The things that are lacking in Waldorf schools are things that can and should be supplemented at home (i.e. computer technology).
Another aspect of the Waldorf approach is its rejection of traditional medicine in favour of the Anthroposophical herbal remedies that are often sold in the schools. I think a lot of people these days are shying away from traditional medicine, but that isn't really my point. The more you involve a teacher in your child's ailments, the more input and influence they will have on how you treat your child. Some parents are going to turn to the Waldorf teacher for their Anthroposophical wisdom, but others are going to treat their child on their own. It is just like any other school, how much influence the teachers and staff have on your child is exactly how much you give them.
While Waldorf supporters see delayed reading as a positive step in a child’s development; others are not as impressed. As a reading teacher, I could go on and on on this subject, but I won't. I can say that Sweden doesn't start teaching reading until age 8 and their country is full of bright people, with a very low illiteracy rate. I can say that many students are not ready to learn to read until age 8, while others are completely competent by 3 or 4. What do you want a school to do, teach to the younger crowd and leave the rest to fend for themselves, or wait until everyone is ready? I will say that the way in which Waldorf teaches the early letters and numbers encourages the "bright" student (or the one that may already know these things) to use senses that might not be as fine tuned as their rote memory is. (i.e. while learning the letter "m", students will create a picture of a mountain with the 2 bumps of the letter. They use paint as a medium and skills that are often less fine-tuned in a child that reads and writes at a young age.) I see delayed reading and writing, with the inclusion of artistic, musical, and rhythmic expression to be an advantage to any student.
As far as the school is concerned, I don't know anything about alchemy, secret societies (they must be really secret!), or reincarnation. Eurythmy is beautiful. If their hand gestures are speaking to another spirit world, I imagine they are saying something nice, because it is very peaceful and calm during their performances and no lightning has ever struck that I know of. OK, I'm getting a little sarcastic here now so I better quit. I will say that I have had a few concerns about some of the celebrations that they hold, but nothing drastic. I would just say that sometimes it feels like they have replaced God the Father with Mother Nature and that is more sad to me than upsetting. No worries from my end.
Good luck to your friend in her school search. I would encourage her to visit the schools she looks into and go more by how she feels than anything else. I knew, and my fifth grade daughter knew, when we drove onto Desert Marigold campus that this was the right place for her. Ten years earlier I had been convinced that a Montessori school was right for her, until I toured the school and met her teacher. (I found a different school for her for K-4) I really believe that you can know what is right for your child, and it might even be different for each of your children.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
WOOHOO! We're in!
Desert Marigold school called today to tell us that there is room for Kyra to attend there next year. For those of you who don't know, Desert Marigold is a Waldorf inspired school that just brings peace and joy to your stressed out body when you step onto the campus. This is the place for Kyra. She has been a little anxious (to say the least) about where she will attend next year, so I had to get on the ball to relieve her anxiety. One day when she was home sick I drove her onto the campus to see it. I actually saw her body relax as she looked around. I just have no idea what it is like to feel that way. Boy, if she had been aware of what was going on when I had to enroll her in Kindergarten she would have been freaking out! Anyway, we're in and set until 8th grade...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Opening our Eyes
In the garden of Eden, Eve was tempted by Satan to eat of the forbidden fruit so "her eyes might be opened". Although it was the right choice, it was seen as a sin and the rest of the story is history. If she didn't do it, neither would Adam, we wouldn't be here and we would not know the good from the evil. But then let's face it, in this world there is a lot of good, a lot of evil, and a lot of in between. Don't worry, this isn't about all the evil in the world. It isn't even about the good. This is about finding good, better, best, and incorporating the ideas together. Because, let's face it, we can't always have the best so we have to work it in to the good that we have and know.
April is a brilliant woman who rediscovered Waldorf Education for the both of us. Right at a pivotal point in our children's lives, she directed me back to the ideal way for children to learn that was taught in one brief glimpse in college. As I recall, Waldorf is what we all strive for, want and need but rarely find. But April found it...right here in Phoenix! WooHoo! I wasn't in love until I read the book, but I found the best and want it for my child. Now, I just have to see if Desert Marigold will deliver what the philosophy promises. (I have been advised that it might not, but I'm not casting judgment as of yet.)
So I deviated from my point...letting the best meet the good. I tutor reading and found a great way to help kids with auditory processing problems. I use the LindaMood Bell Phoeneme Sequencing (LiPS) program. It works, without failure, even with kids who don't really want to learn. You've heard of phonics? I call this super phonics plus some. I have this kid that forgets everything and LiPS has given him some tools to help him retrieve the information he knows. Often times I have to intervene, but he's learning to do it on his own now and when I see it I'm amazed! The other day he forgot what a C sounds like. He could get the sssssss part, but not the kkkkkkkk sound. What the heck? Who forgets that?! This kid does. So I remembered the story from the Waldorf book about the cat, I drew a cat with a big swishy tail, and made sure the outline of the tail was a darkened letter C. Wa-la! The best meets the good, or best to best. Whatever, the kid got it and I didn't have to tell him outright. Maybe he'll remember the cat, maybe not, but now he has just one more thing to help him out. Brilliant.
So, my eyes are opened and I'm looking at everything through a different frame of mind. I know my work is good, and works for all my students. They can read now, and couldn't before. That's good, but is there better?!
April is a brilliant woman who rediscovered Waldorf Education for the both of us. Right at a pivotal point in our children's lives, she directed me back to the ideal way for children to learn that was taught in one brief glimpse in college. As I recall, Waldorf is what we all strive for, want and need but rarely find. But April found it...right here in Phoenix! WooHoo! I wasn't in love until I read the book, but I found the best and want it for my child. Now, I just have to see if Desert Marigold will deliver what the philosophy promises. (I have been advised that it might not, but I'm not casting judgment as of yet.)
So I deviated from my point...letting the best meet the good. I tutor reading and found a great way to help kids with auditory processing problems. I use the LindaMood Bell Phoeneme Sequencing (LiPS) program. It works, without failure, even with kids who don't really want to learn. You've heard of phonics? I call this super phonics plus some. I have this kid that forgets everything and LiPS has given him some tools to help him retrieve the information he knows. Often times I have to intervene, but he's learning to do it on his own now and when I see it I'm amazed! The other day he forgot what a C sounds like. He could get the sssssss part, but not the kkkkkkkk sound. What the heck? Who forgets that?! This kid does. So I remembered the story from the Waldorf book about the cat, I drew a cat with a big swishy tail, and made sure the outline of the tail was a darkened letter C. Wa-la! The best meets the good, or best to best. Whatever, the kid got it and I didn't have to tell him outright. Maybe he'll remember the cat, maybe not, but now he has just one more thing to help him out. Brilliant.
So, my eyes are opened and I'm looking at everything through a different frame of mind. I know my work is good, and works for all my students. They can read now, and couldn't before. That's good, but is there better?!
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