April 2, 2008

THE BEGINING

"Waldorf education addresses the child as no other education does. Learning, whether in chemistry, mathematics, history or geography, is imbued with life and so with joy, which is the only true basis for later study. The textures and colors of nature, the accomplishments and struggles of humankind fill the Waldorf students' imaginations and the pages of their beautiful books. Education grows into a union with life that serves them for decades.
By the time they reach us at the college and university level, these students are grounded broadly and deeply and have a remarkable enthusiasm for learning. Such students possess the eye of the discoverer, and the compassionate heart of the reformer which, when joined to a task, can change the planet."
~Arthur Zajonc, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Amherst College



Welcome! I am a mommy, Massage Therapist, artist, seeker...living in a mountainous hanging valley nestled 2000ft above another valley in south central Alaska. This blog will be about my family and our experiences- with an emphasis on Waldorf education and how I'm implementing it into our lifestyle. With each passing year I realize how many details I forget over time and the fear of loosing those precious "gems" has prompted me to get this stuff documented. So here I go.

Earlier this year with a desire to add a little more purposeful structure to the daily life of LO and Mommy, I began researching basic preschoolish/home school activities. I delved further into Waldorf Education, a pedagogical philosophy that has resonated with me for years. The Waldorf approach emphasizes the role of the imagination and the arts in learning, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component. It’s overarching goal is to provide young people the basis with which to develop into moral and integrated individuals and to aid every child in the unfolding of his or her unique destiny. It has been fascinating and infinitely rewarding to see this philosophy at work in not only LO’s life but in the heart of our home. We are much more attuned to the natural rhythms of everyday life, each other and the miraculous cycles throughout the year that lay the foundations of learning and encourage living more of a back to basics life. Early childhood is such a wondrous and magical time. I’m blessed to be a witness and accomplice in LO’s exploration of the world.

I believe our world would better a better place if Waldorf was our primary educational paradigm. I'm hoping to learn from others as well as to spread some enlightenment.