Finding Waldorf

Just FYI, this is not a posting about a skinny guy in a red/white striped shirt or some mystical LOTR journey. For whatever reason, when I see "Waldorf" I instantly think of Frodo, even though *gasp* I have never read or watched any of the LOTR series. I don't know why, but I assumed you needed the heads up.

The term "Waldorf" as it pertains to education stems from a non-traditional approach to learning and teaching developed by Rudolf Steiner in pre-WWII Germany. Generally speaking, it focuses on education of the whole child rather than just one part. For example, while traditional public school puts the most emphasis on the brain and sheer knowledge a given child possesses (think: standardized testing, numbered grading systems, etc), a Waldorf school will focus on teaching the entire child. While factual and logical knowledge is obviously a key element, the artistic and humanistic sides of life are highlighted in a child's journey to adulthood.

While I have known about Waldorf philosophy for some time, I am just now beginning to study it and determine its useful application in my home with my kids. My motivation to bring the Waldorf philosophy into our lives revolves around my oldest son, Kevin. He is so young (a mere 2 1/2 years old) but I have a feeling I know what is coming. He was blessed with my learning abilities and non-linear thinking and his daddy's infamous attention span and never-slows-down personality. Translation = he gets bored easy and fast and doesn't sit quietly for others to catch up.

I know what happens to children like this in public school. And I hate it for that first grade teacher who dares mention medication to either of us. S/he might need a stiff drink after having that conversation. He will need to be challenged in other ways, to be allowed to explore learning in more forms than just paper and pen. While repetition of facts may work well for some children, I can already tell that Kevin will need to experience learning to really enjoy it. And honestly, shouldn't that be the goal anyway? For children to enjoy learning?

Another aspect of the Waldorf education that appeals to us is the focus on nature and seeing yourself as a part of nature...as an equal creature of being rather than a dominator of the environment. Kevin has a facination and true love for the world outdoors, just like his daddy. I want to foster that as much as possible, encourage him to explore nature as often as we can, and pray that he will always have that passion.

Just today, when we got home from a playdate with our little buddies, he wandered over to a tuft of grass (the first few blades are starting to sprout), squatted near it and ran his fingers over the strands of green. Then he patted it down and squealed when the grass sprung back to attention. He buried a few leaves in the small patch of springtime and came running to tell me that he had given the grass some food so it could grow really tall.

He is the inspiration for this journey and I am so thrilled to be taking it with him and sharing it with you!