Required Reading
From: golden3000997
Date: Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:58 am
Subject: Required Reading
In a message dated 2/14/2004 11:01:03 PM Eastern
Standard Time, awaldenpond writes:
Hey - you might even consider
asking a nice, well intentioned, understanding ex-Waldorf parent
(hint <g>) to suggest what prospective Waldorf parents
need to know. Then post your work at Waldorf web sites. Working
together to make mutual understanding a reality in the world
of Waldorf and it's critics. What delicious karma.
Hi Walden,
By the way, is your "awaldenpond"
handle a reference to Gary Trudeau's "Doonesbury" (the
early years)? If so, GO ZONKER!! Boy, I miss that comic!!
In regard to what you wrote above (and thank
you for the compliments on my writing), I would like you to give
me a list of exactly what you think should be offered to a prospective
parent walking into a Waldorf School for the first time. The
articles that I have posted have been written with exactly that
in mind and I would like to know what other subjects you would
also like to see. I have a couple that I haven't finished PDF-ing
yet, but should be added soon. This is what I have so far:
1. Waldorf - Education for the Real World
(I made a powerpoint presentation out of this, by the way and
it came out really good!)
2. The Waldorf Kindergarten - not PDF'd yet - stay tuned
3. Fairy Tales in the Waldorf School - also working on formatting
for PDF - sometimes it moves the paragraphs around.
4. The Rhythms of Life (Threefold Man comes in here)
5. Waldorf Watercolor Painting
6. Religion in the Waldorf School (pre-natal existence emphasized)
7. The Waldorf Approach to Reading (21 pages with illustrations!)
(Sylvia Ashton-Warner - now SHE's MY "guru"!)
The article on Waldorf Funding is "in
house" and just a proposal, but I think it might be expanded
on for parents to consider, too. Needs lots of work, still.
Also, I "stole" a lot of pix from
websites, 'cause I liked them! I need to go back and figure out
which sites they are from and write the schools and ask for permission
to use them or else get some others. But a lot of the pictures
are Me! and my children and I can use them all I want. : )
The Curriculum content of each grade really
deserves a full article for each one. And yes, a good, clear,
accurate and balanced biography of Rudolf Steiner and the history
of the Anthroposophical Movement, the inception and development
of the Waldorf Movement and the inception and development of
the Christian Community (to show that it exists and why it is
not the "church of Anthroposophy" or "church of
Waldorf".)
Already looking like a book, no? And we do
put some terrific books right into the hands of prospective parents.
But we can't make them read them! I would like it to be REQUIRED
reading before an enrollment application was even accepted! Maybe
we should have an entrance exam for parents - and I don't mean
that facetiously at all. I think it would be a really good idea.
So, let's get a comprehensive list together.
Assume that WE like Waldorf AND Anthroposophy and we want to
present them honestly and positively. What other subjects?
Some more ideas:
Music in Waldorf Education
Eurythmy - Words and Music Made Visible
The Waldorf Approach to Mathematics
The Elemental World - Fairies, Gnomes and Spiritual Ecology
Computers, Machines and the Transition to High School
The Waldorf Approach to Science
Gymnastics, Sports and Physical Development in the Growing Child
Drama in Waldorf Education
Freedom and Form in Education
Multi-cultural Experience in Waldorf Education
Form Drawing - What, When, Why and How?
Handwork - Boys Who Knit, Girls Who Carve Stone
Some of these I could probably tackle, some,
like Mathematics and Music would be best left to others. I could
do them simply, but someone with more talent and experience could
do them better.
The next "required reading" to get
into MY Class is Erma Bombeck's "Motherhood, the Second
Oldest Profession" and Bill Cosby's "Childhood."
I will only accept parents into my class who are willing to laugh
at themselves, their children and me! And there WILL be a test!!
Happy Sunday!
Christine
...................................................................................................................................
From: Frank Thomas Smith
Date: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:27 am
Subject: RE: [anthroposophy_tomorrow] Required Reading
In regard to what you wrote above (and
thank you for the compliments on my writing), I would like you
to give me a list of exactly what you think should be offered
to a prospective parent walking into a Waldorf School for the
first time. The articles that I have posted have been written
with exactly that in mind and I would like to know what other
subjects you would also like to see. I have a couple that I haven't
finished PDF-ing yet, but should be added soon. This is what
I have so far:
Christine,
Where are these articles?
Frank
1. Waldorf - Education for the Real World
(I made a powerpoint presentation out of this, by the way and
it came out really good!)
2. The Waldorf Kindergarten - not PDF'd yet - stay tuned
3. Fairy Tales in the Waldorf School - also working on formatting
for PDF - sometimes it moves the paragraphs around.
4. The Rhythms of Life (Threefold Man comes in here)
5. Waldorf Watercolor Painting
6. Religion in the Waldorf School (pre-natal existence emphasized)
7. The Waldorf Approach to Reading (21 pages with illustrations!)
(Sylvia Ashton-Warner - now SHE's MY "guru"!)
...................................................................................................................................
From: golden3000997
Date: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:51 am
Subject: Re: [anthroposophy_tomorrow] Required Reading
Daaaaarrrlling,
Right here on the AT Website ( I tooo-oooold
you! ) : D
Anthroposophy/ Files/ Christine/ VOILA!
: ) Moi!
...................................................................................................................................
From: golden3000997
Date: Mon Feb 16, 2004 4:43 am
Subject: Re: Required Reading
In a message dated 2/16/2004 3:00:24 AM Eastern
Standard Time, awaldenpond writes:
Would you be willing to comment
on why you think the words we have previously mentioned (karma,
clairvoyant, reincarnation, etc.) are conspicuously absent in
Waldorf promotional material? Thanks.
Hello Walden!
Too bad about the Zonker thing - If you have
an interest in '70's humor, go to alibri and order some of Gary
Trudeau's early books. Zonker used to go scuba diving in his
"Walden Pond" which was a puddle. : )
I really don't know why karma and reincarnation
wasn't mentioned. Clairvoyance is part of a larger theme, but
I can really imagine myself writing a clear and basic intro to
both. I'm certainly not "clairvoyant" or anything,
but I think I can put the basic steps of Steiner's path into
the context of other spiritual paths in a basic way. Also, karma
and reincarnation have become much more widely accepted premises
since,say, the 60's. I'll see if I can put something together
in the near future.
Maybe this group just has a "karma"
to "out" us in a way - to actually bring Anthroposophy
to a wider "audience" than ever before! Personally,
I still think that the reticence has been more caused by a desire
to "leave free" than to "lie". But we may
have gone too much in the other direction. Also, we do NOT feel
that any parent or child has to "believe" in Karma,
Reincarnation, Clairvoyance, etc. to be an effective part of
the school. But I would say that they (meaning primarily the
parents) certainly need to be able to accept that most or many
of the teachers and other parents "believe" in the
existence of these things and the value of these concepts.
I have known people in my life who grew up
going to Catholic Schools. I have known one from a Quaker family,
a Jewish family and an agnostic/ mostly atheistic family. In
each case, the decision was made based on its being the best
available education in their area at the time. It was made clear
to the children that what their teachers (nuns) believed and
taught about religion was the belief system of the church and
school, but that they didn't have to believe it, nor did the
parents believe it. This can, of course, create some conflict
for the child, but since they were instructed by the parent to
treat the school, the nuns and the religion classes with respect
and to bring their questions home to discuss, none of these people
had a major problem with it. And none of them became Catholics.
Yes, parents do need to know that their child
will be exposed to these and many other religious concepts -
not only in the class curriculum, but on the playground and in
overhearing adult conversations (can't be avoided). That is why
I stated at the very start of my "Religion in Waldorf Schools"
article that Waldorf Education is definitely not for fervently
atheistic or fundamentalistically religious parents and their
children. Anyone who does not want their children "exposed"
to a smorgasbord of religious ideas should "run for the
hills" away from a Waldorf School. But I think we are "fundamentally
unfundamental" :) and give a broader, more varied and more
comprehensive overview than any other school system I know of.
We do address religious "paths" in an intellectual
way with high schoolers, but keep it more in the imaginative
and mythological realm in the middle years.
OK - so more articles to write:
Karma and Reincarnation - Did I Really Ask for This?
Imagination, Inspiration and Intuition ("clairvoyance"
is referred to as Imagination with a capital "I" -
will bring the word clairvoyance into this directly)
Lucifer and Ahriman - Evil and Its Meaning in the World
Pretty ambitious, right? What do you think
of my "Religion in the Waldorf Schools?" You haven't
said. Would that have been a good first step for you if you had
received it when you first went to a Waldorf School?
Let me know.
: ) Christine
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