by Sarah Barrett

In The Foundations of Human Experience, Lecture 10, Rudolf Steiner challenges us to move away from a shallow understanding of education that, according to him, views the child as a small animal that we must help to grow a little further than nature has already done. A shallow understanding of education centers on checking boxes like spell these words, compute these math problems, hold the pencil correctly, or sing a song.

Steiner tells us that education goes much deeper than this, and that each child is instead a center of the great cosmos, where each action has a butterfly effect that extends out to the entire cosmos, “and when I do my work with every one of these growing children, I do something that has meaning for the entire universe.” For we are not training an animal to survive; we are calling forth an innate wisdom and creative being who is impacting the world with his or her presence.

And in the process, we are trying to remove all obstacles from the path so the child is not stunted by trauma, fear, insecurities, false beliefs, or a number of other things that could get in the way.

How many times have we compared our child’s reading level to their peers or worried about whether the multiplication facts are memorized? How many times have we become frustrated that they are still forgetting commas or capital letters, or even felt proud that they exceeded the “standards” in some way? Steiner would refer to these as materialistic checkboxes, not true education. Of course, it is still important that a child knows how to do all these things to be successful in life, but we must not lose sight of what is most important when it comes to learning.

In Lecture 10, Steiner says that teachers stay in the material plane until they gain this awareness – this awareness that the child has purpose in the great cosmos and will affect it every day. And in that moment that the teacher gains this awareness, “sub-earthly bonds” are formed between the teacher and the child. What a magnificent image.

There’s a saying that goes something like, “When you look for the Buddha in others, the Buddha comes forward.” When we, as parents and teachers, have faith in the impact the child has on the cosmos, the child then becomes aware of it themselves. Oh, the beauty! As Waldorf homeschoolers, we must strive to view our children in this way so they can live in confidence with a strong sense of self and worth and purpose.

What, then, does education look like when we take on this new perspective? Steiner summed it up for us at the end of Lecture 14 when he calls us to:

“Enliven Imagination. Stand for Truth. Feel Responsibility.”

These three instructions feel right when it comes to teaching kids –certainly meaningful and worth pondering as we prepare to teach them.

Steiner says the sub-earthly bonds can be felt by the teacher and he encourages the teacher to live into the feelings so that the curriculum is developed as art-form based on the students in front of you. What do they need? What brings them alive in the moment of a lesson?

For me, storytelling is a big way for me to feel these mysterious connections with my children and my students. Being fully present with them in the moment of a story imparts so much unspoken wisdom. There’s no other way to put it into words other than you can just feel it. I’ve heard the connection described as an imaginary beam of lift that is moving in the shape of an infinity symbol between your heart and the child’s heart. The Waldorf curriculum gives us story after rich story to use throughout the grades. Stories from your own life are conduits for connection too.

The role of parent and teacher comes with a lot of responsibility when education is viewed in the way Steiner challenges us to view it. This is why our inner work or spiritual practice is so important. The universe is counting on us!

*This is Part 1 of a three-part blog on the middle school years, grades 6, 7 and 8. 

It is a unique and fulfilling attribute of Waldorf education, thus adopted by Lotus & Ivy, in that we match the curriculum to the developmental age of the child, thus contributing to optimal physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. Rudolf Steiner left us with insightful knowledge about each year of childhood.

The twelve-year-old is leaving the golden years of childhood and fully entering adolescence.  This pivotal moment is reflected in the Ancient Rome block of sixth grade when Julius Caesar is making the difficult decision of whether to cross the Rubicon River.  “Should I go, or should I stay?  What will happen?” It can be quite scary, but ultimately Caesar decides to cross, and he is joined with his army singing joyously as they cross, leaving behind a life to which they can never return.

Many physical changes are happening in the twelve-year-old. You may see them sprout up in height.  Their brain is changing, and they crave sensory stimulation: loud music, spicy foods, physical challenges. You may see them pushing each other or wrestling as part of their need for sensory stimulation. Orderly habits they had in past years may go away and they may become absent-minded. Their sleep patterns change. This is when the “night owl” emerges.  The 12-year-old needs their sleep but may have trouble falling asleep early.  School really should begin later for them so they can get their sleep, which is another reason homeschooling is beneficial for this age, as well as why Lotus & Ivy offers classes at multiple times.  Some could even develop a caffeine habit at this age.

The twelve-year change has been compared to a river rafting trip.  There are beautiful, long moments of calm, then turbulence comes and there may be a period where we’re barely hanging in there. The good news is this is a normal and necessary part of moving from childhood to adulthood.

The twelve-year-old has passionate likes and dislikes. We bring black and white drawing into the art of 6th grade to help nourish where they are. This is the year they begin the search for their own identity.  You may notice them begin to experiment with their signature, or their handwriting may change from earlier years.  Perhaps it becomes very tiny when it was larger before. Part of searching for their own identity is shown in clothing and hair style choices. These changes can be alarming to parents, but psychologists advise parents not to “take the bait.”  A “whatever” attitude from the parent is the best approach.  Some Waldorf schools have adopted dress codes that simply say, “You must wear clothing, and it must not promote hate speech or racism.”  This simple response has eliminated many power struggles. If experimentation with new styles or new hobbies, albeit they must be safe, is uncomfortable for you, rest assured this stage will end in a few years. It is best to just ride the wave.

The twelve-year old experiences a strong awakening for peer relationships and an interest in the world. They no longer want to just feel, but they want to think.  The curriculum in the early years was centered on encouraging strong feelings in the student because they learned best when they experienced strong feelings around what they were hearing or doing.  The 12-year-old is still in the feeling stage, but their thinking is emerging too.

Lawfulness is a core sixth grade theme in the Waldorf curriculum. We study ancient Rome and how the plebeians and patricians work out a balance in government. We study Astronomy and Physics and the laws of nature that appear in both the heavens and the earth. In Business Math, students discover their first formulas introducing them to the laws of mathematics and business.   

Students in sixth grade no longer see the parent or teacher as the same leader or authority figure they once saw us as. We are still captains of the ship, but we must steer the ship without them feeling like we are the captain.  The curriculum for this year greatly supports us in this.

Interestingly, images of the 6th grader are reflected in the curriculum when we see thousands of Roman soldiers who are not distinguishable from one another, or the many monks in the monasteries of the Middle Ages working on illuminated manuscripts.  They do not stand out from one another, but 7th grade is coming, when that little flame of individuality ignites. 

Part 2 of this blog series, “7th Grade and the 13-Year-Old” is coming March 2022.  Steiner referred to the 13th year as the most important! 

By Sarah Barrett

Welcome to the BRAND NEW Lotus & Ivy blog! We are looking forward to being a premier resource for Waldorf homeschooling families in the years ahead. Upcoming blog topics include Teaching Waldorf Math, the ABCs of Waldorf Homeschooling, Microgreens Gardening, Mother’s Day Gift Ideas, and so much more. We will have a few guest bloggers too! ;)

Our first blog is special because it addresses a question we hear a lot in Waldorf homeschooling groups and programs. It’s a question people are hesitant to ask out loud at first, but I’m willing to bet we’ve all wondered, “Am I Waldorf Enough?” before.

Waldorf education is so beautiful, robust, and complete that it can often feel intimidating to newcomers.  

I have met with dozens of families over the years who didn’t start out on their homeschooling journey with Waldorf curriculum, but, for a number of reasons, found themselves drawn to Waldorf education after homeschooling for a while. One thing I have noticed that is common to many families in this boat is the concern that they aren’t Waldorf enough. Are you Waldorf enough? I want to address this question today by starting out with a story about a girl named Clara.

Please click the link to hear Sarah’s 13-minute talk: “Are You Waldorf Enough?” (You will be able to download an mp3 file and play it whenever you like.)