Our Waldorf Homeschool Journey

Hi Everyone

The past week has flown by with so many things happening it boggles the mind. I’ve been preparing for the kids lessons for this coming week. I should ideally plan the entire year out but I struggle with this aspect of my life, so I have to only do what I can. And then try and improve on it. The curriculum itself is not a difficult thing. StJohn will be concentrating on letters and form drawing. Juliette will be busy with geography, a touch of local history and language arts, being spelling grammar etc.

What I have been finding time consuing, stimulating, exhausting and necessary is the teaching of me. I do not want to launch into any of the subject matter without having a sound knowledge of Rudolf Steiners work. Now I’ve been listing to the audio lectures of Rudolf Steiners on the study of man, and also which I can highly recommend…practical advice for teachers. I was saying to John last night, it should be called practical advice for parents as it gives you so much in the way of advice in dealing with your kids in a non-violent gentle yet firm manner.

Again I cannot stress enough the fact that Waldorf education is a spiritual journey for the kids and the teachers/parents. The education naturally flows from this. To watch our kids develop an awe for nature and then maintain it. Not lose it in our modern consumer driven world. Wow it’s encouraging!

I’d like to share the web address of the Steiner lectures and hope that someone will listen and also be as uplifted and encouraged as I have been. Steiner felt that education was for everyone, not just those that could afford it. Hence this site is a free site, if you could see your way to making a donation I’m sure that would be much appreciated.

Other than all the education of me and the kids, there has been a remarkable shift in our families spiritual journey. There is a wholeness which permeates everything. John has changed the focus of his various businesses.

He’s dropped some negative people from our world and included a few new positive people. People who are as focused as we are. But focused on the right things. Not focused on grabbing every single penny possible. And what has come from this….the negative money grabbers were petrified that some how we would be more successful then them. To the point of full blown paranoia. Understandable.The new positive people have been incredible. The feel in our home office is different. there is an excitement in the air. A joy and from this it appears money is quietly flowing. Flowing in, not out.LOL! Enough for everyone to live comfortably, not excessively, but we all have what we need at present. I can afford to buy an extra packet of crayons and a new beeswax candle. It doesn’t sound like much, but our needs are few.

It’s an incredible journey. Not to mention that the 4 of us are learning to play the recorder. Ooh it sounds great when we all hit the same note, but that sure is rare at this point. I would have sworn the dog started howling and blocking her ears last night at sunset as we all blew and blew and blew some more. Our poor, poor neighbours!! Juliette is so good at it, StJohn is picking up on it incredibly quickly. John has it waxed after a few lessons, and me….well, I’m the one making the dog howl!I struggle to connect the brain to the ear to the finger, and I’m just trying to focus on, as Rudolf Steiner puts it, the inhaling and exhaling which is all that matters. I need more practice and I need to relax about it. Jules has been giving me lessons, which I love. My daughter is teaching me a skill I have no clue about!! I love it!!

Anyway I’ll pick up on the 4 temperaments next week, we will do the Phlegmatic Child by Monday.

Blessings to you all. I have to go and do the washing now, and cut up salad for lunch. It’s sure to be late again. The kids will just have to pull up a carrot out of the garden until lunch is ready. It makes their day to harvest anything so no problem there.I’ve got to stay focused on my planner!

Sue.xx

Filed under: Waldorf Homeschooling, HOMESTEADING, Homeschool on October 11th, 2008