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.)

by Sarah Barrett

We all find ourselves at a point (every year at least once, I think!) when we feel like things are not going as well as we would like with our homeschooling.  Somewhere along the way, we seem to have taken a wrong turn.  Maybe the kids seem bored or uninterested.  Maybe they are acting out or in tears. Maybe you are burned out and just don’t feel like preparing for the week’s lessons yet again.  Or maybe something just hasn’t felt “warm and fuzzy” in a long time.  It seems those special moments of connection with your children and with the curriculum hasn’t happened in a while, and everyone seems to be moving in a direction further and further away from connection.

The good news is that being aware that your homeschool is not where you would like for it to be allows you the opportunity to shift back into those moments of “flow”.  Being in flow means having a conscious feeling of inner harmony for whatever you are doing.  When you are in flow, you feel at peace.  When you are in flow, you feel like you are exactly where you need to be, and from this place comes more creativity, more productivity, and more contentment. 

Bringing your homeschool back to flow, starts with the homeschooling parent, of course.  But once you make the shift, the kids follow your lead.  It’s during these times of “flow” when the kids feel at peace with the lessons, and when they know, and you know, that the learning is meaningful and engaging.

So how do we make that shift back into flow from a place that is so far from it? 

Five Things You Can Do TODAY to Bring Your Waldorf Homeschool Days Back Into “Flow”

1.      Find a quiet place where you can spend 20-30 minutes uninterrupted.  Take a few breaths, close your eyes, and ask yourself, “What is not working well?”  Focus your mind on this question. You may come up with a list of several things that are not working well, and that is great!  Take a break from all of that this week.  Taking time off will bring solutions. 

My family is a Waldorf homeschooling family, and we came to a place when my oldest daughter just needed a break from main lesson book pages.  I had always been careful not to make the main lesson pages monotonous, but still, by the end of 5th grade, she needed a break.  So we didn’t make a main lesson book for Ancient Greece.  Instead, we just discussed the history and the lives of notable Greeks, and I told the Greek myths to her.  Taking this break from the main lesson book resulted in what felt like a renewal. 

During that block, she had so much creative energy and excitement toward the lessons.  She and my son made a movie about The Twelve Tasks of Heracles.  We had movie night a few times with whoever came to visit during that time.  The “movie theater” was complete with snacks, tickets, program brochures, and even a souvenir shop of Heracles-related items like homemade trading cards and beeswax monsters for purchase after the movie.  They drew a room-size map of Heracles travels.  They made a shadow puppet show for the Trojan War, and a life size diorama of Odysseus’ adventures. It turned out to be a really fun block!

2.      Once you determine what is not working, and set the intention to take a break from all of those things for a the week, take a few minutes to think of something YOU would really love to do with your kids, or something you would really like to teach them.  Do that this week.  Maybe it’s a new read-aloud.  Maybe it’s a trip to the beach or a local hike.  Kayaking, baking, gardening, movies, crafting, biking, birdwatching.  Whatever it is you would really love to do, DO IT.  And this can be several things, not just one

3.      Finally, make a list of 10 things you are doing exceptionally well or that went exceptionally well this week. Do not stop until you reach 10.  The list can be reflective of homeschool life or parenting and homelife.  When you homeschool, life is a conglomeration of all its parts.  Each piece affects the other, so everything counts here, even if not specific to homeschooling. 

Here are some ideas to get you started.

·        I hug my kids and tell them I love them every day.

·        I express enthusiasm about our learning.

·        They know I love to teach them.

·        My son enjoyed his art classes this week.

·        My daughter enjoyed her playdate on Sunday.

·        We went mural hunting downtown and everyone enjoyed it.

·        My daughter and I had a connected conversation on Saturday.

·        Family movie night

·        We biked to the river three times this week.

·        I averaged 8 hours of sleep this week.

·        I introduced a brand new math concept, and I thought of a great story to go with it.

This list should make you feel good, and these are things to keep doing. Maybe this list inspires new ideas.

4.      By taking time this week to step back from your recent routine, it opens space to let go of what is not working and invite in new options that feel in flow.  I think once we take a moment to be aware, it’s often obvious what isn’t working and what needs to be let go.  It’s more of a challenge to discern what to invite in. 

One thing that always helps me determine what to invite in is asking myself “What does (child’s name) need right now?”  Asking this question during my walk or during a quiet time alone once a week, or once a month, has been so helpful.  Our intuition as mothers is so powerful.  

Sometimes “stuff” sneaks into our homeschool routine from places of comparison with other families or fear that we are not doing enough.  Anything that comes from these places never turn into true opportunities for growth and learning for the kids.  Be aware of why you are inviting new activities in, and make sure it comes from a place of authentic support for your child and is alignment with their needs. 

Set aside time this week to think about what to invite in, but don’t feel hurried to add new activities right away. Maybe you just need to let go of things for awhile.

5. Keep in mind the old saying that “less is more”.  When it comes to homeschooling, covering several subjects each day means you only have enough time to touch the surface of several topics, and they are often disjointed and hurried.  When you deep-dive into one or two subjects, the learning becomes more meaningful and effective, and the learning tends to “stick” more. 

I like to think in threes each day.  This means there are three academic areas where we put our focus today.  The first two are always main lesson and math.  The third is dependent on the day of the week and my children’s interests now that they are older.  Maybe once or twice a week it is music, foreign language, handwork, sports, STEM club, or art.  Keep in mind, for example, that you can do handwork for a couple months and then switch to something else during that time slot.  Then, over the course of the year, you have covered more than you expected, and it never felt like overwhelm or overscheduling.

As kids get older, you may consider adding more than one afternoon activity some days, but make sure it doesn’t feel like too much.

Being in “flow” while you are homeschooling is one of the best feelings in the world. This time with our children is so precious. Wishing you moments of quiet contemplation as you discern what is best for your children on your homeschooling journey.

If you would like to join an authentic Waldorf community online for support and virtual classes, check out what Lotus & Ivy has to offer.  Enrollment is open at the end of each main lesson block. 

For a virtual Zoom Q&A session with one of our directors, please contact us.   For more blog posts like these, be sure to join our mailing list.

by Heather Parrish

So when I say I garden on a small scale, I mean it. I have one spot along the fence line on the right side of my property that’s about 8 inches wide by 10 feet long. In this space, my youngest and I have planted parsley, basil, thyme, mint, rosemary, carrots, eggplant, sunflowers, and pineapple crowns from 5-6 pineapples. We also have tomato plants and serrano peppers growing in old flower pots. We share a love of planting seeds and watching and waiting for them to sprout. There’s something magical about the day a seed sprouts. It’s new and just beginning.

I picked up a couple of packets of microgreens seeds a few weeks back. I’ve never grown microgreens before, but our family is trying to eat more healthy foods and I thought this would not only give us some extra fiber and nutrients but would also be fun to try. After perusing the internet for the correct way to grow microgreens, I decided to try it the “Heather Way.” I’m all about reduce, reuse, recycle so I had some reuseable plastic containers from my mail order food service that I washed out and took the label off. This container was the perfect size for one package of seeds, about 3 inches by 4 inches.

The wise ole internet said there needed to be something for the seeds to sit on that would absorb water but not too much or too little and suggested a coconut mat, but I was straight out of coconut mats, so I opted for a paper towel. Of course, the unbleached recycled ones are optimal for this project, but any paper towel or paper napkin will do.

So here’s what you need: a small container that will fit in your windowsill (preferably one that gets some sun), a paper towel or paper napkin, a package of microgreens seeds ( I used red and green mustard microgreens seeds.), a sprayer filled with filtered water, and an additional container for soaking.

And here’s what you do:

1. Fold the paper towel or paper napkin to fit nicely into the bottom of your container. Spray the paper towel with water so that it is wet but not soaked.

2. Soak the seeds in filtered water for at least 30 minutes, but not longer than 1 hour.

3. Spread the seeds out evenly on the paper towel or paper napkin and place container in the windowsill.

4. Water the seeds each day several times. Try not to let the seeds dry out. Once the plants sprout, spray the sprouts each day.

5. Wait.

The microgreens had a very mild taste, were extremely tender, and provided extra crunch and color to the plate. Growing microgreens this way is easy and fun!