waldorf steiner

[heninthemidden]

hi,

anyone had good experience of waldorf steiner education system?

Re "it's quite difficult to discuss "Steiner" schools, and "Steiner" inspired curriculums with some one who clearly isn't very well versed in "Steiner's" writing."

I imagine this would be difficult if you wanted to discuss anthro, but others don't seem to be having a problem.

I attended parts of the foundation year, though not the grades curriculum training as I intended to teach upper school. (see Sat 04-Apr-09 18:02:46)

I consider as myth the anthro pictures of planetary evolution, and one that indeed draws on other mythical traditions. To debate whether or not this picture is factual is, in my mind, tantamount to debating whether or not Zeus in fact turned into a white bull to kidnap Europa. Absolutely pointless, and furthermore, missing the point.

"Noah over Manu"? Are you, northern, stating a preference for Judeo/Christian mythology over Hindu mythology?

I very much appreciate that the SWE curriculum uses myth, and a variety of myth, as the imaginative context for grades one through five, moving onto roman, medieval and enlightenment in the following three years. The whole cycle gradually moves away from myth toward rationality, just as humanity did.

I am very interested, caty, in the deeper artistic discussion regarding line drawing, if you are inclined to pursue.

Where is it that you believe the etheric and astral bodies arrive from, northernrefugee39? I heard that the Easter Bunny brings them from the jelly bean planet but what's the scoop really?

Easter bunnies do remind me of some things I really appreciated about the Waldorf Kindergarten. I loved the bread baskets that the children made and bread baking in general, the live and growing wheat grass, the pom pom chicks and bunnies, the felted animals, the boo-boo bunnies made of terry washcloths, and the healing basket.

thecaty Ok, lots of injuries Haha, what nonsense! (is that better) Hardly more specific but I don't really see why I would need to be, just to describe, YOU ARE TALKING NONSENSE, AND HIDING THE TRUTH!!!!!

And you are dyslexic!? My brother is, and my mum and I am slightly, but I would never NOT correct an obvious spelling mistake! Feel free to do the same to me, I like to learn.

quote Isenhart 'Where is it that you believe the etheric and astral bodies arrive from, northernrefugee39? I heard that the Easter Bunny brings them from the jelly bean planet but what's the scoop really?'

Interesting thing for her to say. Is Isenhart perhaps mocking Steiner, or is she trying to say that it would be crazy if it were a jelly BEAN planet. A planet like jelly of course being more plausible. Oh, hang on, and we seem to be talking about someone who believe in the easter bunny, but I suppose that is to be expected of someone who believe etheric bodies 'arrive' or perhaps would be more appropriate.

Manatee-perhaps you would like to ring up my friend and let her know what nonsense you think it is that there are many injuries associated with football. Last year during the annual German versus Spanish classes soccer tournament her son's ankle was broken. Specifically, manatee, her son's ankle was broken because another child kicked his ankle rather than the ball.

Thew question is, since you're interested manatee, is where do the etheric and astral bodies arrive from?

Oh dear, well injuries will happen. A bit like when ds nearly cut his finger off using an extremely sharp knife in kg. But I actually am not against the use of knives in kg, just like I am not against football being played!!!

Bt that is beside the point, as we know that injuries are NOT the reason football is not played in Steiner schools!!!

quote Isenhart Thew question is, since you're interested manatee, is where do the etheric and astral bodies arrive from?

They don't arrive at all! I oppose all cartesian dualistic logic entirely, and see the world and those that inhabit it far better explined by the likes of Merleau Ponty, a relevant text of which I have listed previously.

I shall give you a few more if you are interested:

Phenomenology of Perception, Merleau Ponty,
and The Perception of the Environment, Tim Ingold, that should give you plenty to get on with for the time being should you wish to discover an alternative to mind-body dualistic perspectives.

Back from a lovely beach picnic. The sun shone, the blossom and the gorse smelt gorgeous.
It was so beautiful.
Why do we have to invent spirit worlds and angelic beings, invent these quasi religions and belief systems when nature is so amazing already?

thecaty- this is mumsnet- we are allowed to be slightly more... ascerbic than other places.
It's not personal.

Nor is asking you politely whether you are a Mum, or whether you teach for instance. Only if you have something to hide would you mind a perfectly reasonable question being asked.

Isenhart - don't be silly - it's not I who believe in these astral and etheric bodies now is it? It's anthroposophists, and people who contribute to discussion groups like

anthroposophy now

discussing the realities of conflicts between demons and angels

These discussions on forums like anthroposophy tomorrow and anthroposophy now are riveting in a strange and bizarre way. It really helped me to understand that anthros really believe in the coming of ahriman- (satan, the devil), and astral and etheric bodies....

Zazizoma - I too was attracted by the idea of learning about myth and legends at the schools; but not taught as history, as you mentioned in your earlier post.

The Manu story is used at Steiner school because he was regarded as the origional ancestor of the aryan root race. I only used that as an example as opposed to the more usual Noah tale, to clarify why Steiner indicated it.

Why s many things at the schools are the same the world over.

A "Steiner" school without anthroposophy, or "Steiner's" beliefs involved is an oxymoron.
Think about it.

So you must have read a bit of Steiner if you did a bit of the course?

Oh yes, only savages move their hips

Northern Your picnic sounds lovely

Northern, I so wish you wouldn't misrepresent my posts. When did I say that SWE taught myth as history? Please, be bigger than this, or read more carefully.

Yes, we read (or attempted to read) Steiner texts during my teacher training.

I absolutely believe you can run an SWE school without the anthro, as I've stated over and over and over . . .

Hi Northern, glad to hear of your lovely day at the beach

Unlike our trip to the beach last year when my son found a child from the local Steiner school obsessively squeezing the heads of shrimps until their eyes popped out.

Maybe if the boy had been allowed to play football instead of weaving 'pom pom chicks and boo-boo bunnies', he may have directed his frustration elsewhere.

Barking That is just like a child I know (in fact the one that was the centre of the reason we left), maybe it is the same one!!! You can almost see the frustration eminating from him, as he kicks at another child, wishing it were a football!!!

Manatee, unfortunately I knew quite a lot of children like that at the school and cruelty to animals was sadly very common. One girl let out her pet rabbit on the main road to watch it being killed.

OOOHHH Barking....your post is number....666
(Did you see that latest 666 horror about some loopy anthro thinking Obama was the precursor to the coming of the antichrist btw- yes , let people have their loony beliefs, but they can be held by very scary loonies)

Thanks for yours and MANATTE'S posts- it was a lovely day... (I'm very glad we didn't share it with prawn popping boy too.)

Zazizoma- on Monday you posted this as an "explanation" to MANATTEE about Steiner's use of "aryan"

"The idea is that after the sinking of Atlantis the tribes migrated to various other parts of the world, and the 'seat' of civilisation moved with a particular tribe to the region of India. After the era of India (Aryan), there came Ancient Persia, then Egyptian, then Greco/Roman, and now we're in the northern European era. It's intended to be an historical perspective tracing the rise to dominance and subsequent fall of various leading cultures."

I don't think it's me who needs to be "bigger than this" as you put it. I have tried to be civil. Most people don't see Atlantis as part of history.
Just as they accept Darwinism over creationism. Unlike the anthroposophical world view, which underpins the ethos of Steiner education, as stated by the Steiner Waldof Schools Fellowship.

Or perhaps were you using the word to describe chronological order rather than evidental facts; if you were, I apologise, but there's no need to jump down my throat.

Oh gosh, the cruelty to animals within the Steiner community where ours were was terrible to- guineapigs killed, apparently kittens drowned, chicks kicked.....

666 - Tis I sign I tells yee!!
Yes I had noticed...face? bovvered?

Hi Wilderduck - I wondered where you were, I loved your rant link! I think Tim Mitchen may have had the misfortune to meet one of the brides of Steiner, though fortunately they do provide great material.

Looking at your new link, I see the words 'Pluralism of scientific methods', which is...worrying.

MANATEE-please when you ring up my friend to let her know about what nonsense soccer injuries are do let her know that soccer/football is not played in Steiner schools and therefore that her son's injury never happened. I'm sure she'll be quite relieved.

That is correct as far as I know MANATEE-the etheric and astral bodies do not arrive at all. Thanks for the references-I am def interested in an alternative to mind-body dualistic perspectives.

Northernrefugee39:
Many of those activities are allowed in Steiner schools as the children get older, because their etheric and astral bodies are arriving I believe.

Where do you believe they arrive from I asked.

Isenhart - don't be silly - it's not I who believe in these astral and etheric bodies now is it? It's anthroposophists, and people who contribute to discussion groups like

anthroposophy now

discussing the realities of conflicts between demons and angels

These discussions on forums like anthroposophy tomorrow and anthroposophy now are riveting in a strange and bizarre way. It really helped me to understand that anthros really believe in the coming of ahriman- (satan, the devil), and astral and etheric bodies....

So where it is that anthroposophists really believe that etheric and astral bodies arrive from?