Sunday, February 2, 2014

Waldorf Education

I chanced upon the Waldorf Education in the book that I am reading and I want to share it with you.

http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/02_W_Education/index.asp
http://www.prairiehillwaldorf.org/

Essentially it is like home away from home schooling.
The teacher moves with the children through all levels of the primary and elementary learning experience.
For all those years he children have the same teacher, rather than moving from one person to another.
You can just imagine the bond that was formed there.
The teacher comes to know the child as if it were his or her own.
The child moves to a level of trust and love with the teacher which opens doors.
At the end of those years, the teacher reverts back to the first grade, starting over again with another group of children.
This model recognizes and announces that the human relationship, the bonding, and the love which is shared is just as important as any facts the teacher may impart to the child.

It is very inspirational, unfortunately, the tuition fees may not be affordable to many.

I would also like to share with you some excerpts from this book that I am reading:

Create the grandest version  of the greatest vision you had about yourselves as a human race.
Then take the values and concepts which undergirds such a vision and teach them in your schools.
Why not courses such as:
Understanding Power
Peaceful Conflict Resolution
Elements of Loving Relationship
Personhood and Self Creation
Body, Mind and Spirit: How they functon
Engaging Creativity
Celebrating Self, Valuing others
Fairness
Joyous Sexual Expression
Tolerance
Diversities and Similarities
Ethical Economics
Creative Consciousness and Mind Power
Awareness and Wakefulness
Honesty and Responsibility
Visibility and Transparency
Science and Spirituality
... in other words -- values-based curriculum and not just facts-based curriculum

Very insightful and inspiring things.
Wouldn't it be nice to have these concepts and practices embedded and incorporated into our public schooling, get funding from our state/govt?

thank you for allowing me to share =)