School of life!

 

 

I've been researching how I want to do lessons this year, and what I would do differently.  I've been reading about the Waldorf approach which I have found very interesting.  Years ago, so many I truly don't remember, I was lead on a path.  A path where children aren't looked at so much as "children", but people.  With the thought of...not training them to BE children, but adults.  Allowing them, yes to be children, but training them for something bigger. 
When teaching them, teach with an understand  that they aren't to be filled like containers, but that they have a path, a calling...so putting in them what they were gifted to do, what they have passion about, and a desire to learn.  Yes covering even what they don't like so much, but knowing that the majority of what they are learning and experiencing is going to last, because they can identify with it. 
Another thing has been the flow of the home and children.  With this many people it can get pretty chaotic and the littles seem to suffer the most.  The bigs can put demands out there that get attention, because they have stronger wills and voices, they understand how they are feeling and what they are needing, but the littles just fall apart or act out.  So I was needing to find something that gave the littles consistency, which would give them security.
Also figuring out what are family as a whole is gifted at and called to. 
We are all (or mostly) artistic, love to work with our hands, love music, reading, and so on.
So this is where I picked up at the Waldorf approach...
It is all about bringing out what is inside your child.  Giving them a love for life and nature and the world around them.  It's about finding the rhythm in your home.  All this through art, music, nature, reading, dancing, song, poems, celebrations, making days special, life special, learning special.  I have found a method in which I love.  A method I can relate to, feel called to.  A way I can enjoy teaching, without feeling overwhelmed and that I'm wasting mine and their time.
Now I do have to say, like all things you take the good/leave the bad.  As much as I like Waldorf, there are quite a few things I do not like, but that's okay.  The good is good and I can even use the things I disagree with, as lessons.
So I thought I would share with you a few photos of what we are doing.

exercise

our daily schedule (which if you look at the main lesson block, it looks different for the different age groups) (I have another calendar with everyone's lessons broken down for each group)

curriculum I ordered to use as a guide

nature walk and drawing their treasures
colorful mushroom

"nature" rocks for playing and counting

Hope you're having a wonderful beginning to the school year or what I like to call the school of life!

Blessings,
Joyful Mother