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waldorf steiner

1000 replies

heninthemidden · 01/03/2009 18:01

hi,

anyone had good experience of waldorf steiner education system?

OP posts:
Barking · 12/04/2009 08:32

Oh dear thecaty, you don't really want to bring out the story about the Nazis closing Steiner schools do you?

Barking · 12/04/2009 08:36

Oh peace off Isenhart and take your sad/smiley faces with you.

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 08:41

'Twas my attempt at a 21 bun salute!

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 08:43

We at Anthro HQ muchly prefer the story of the schools closing the Nazis!

Barking · 12/04/2009 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

blueshoes · 12/04/2009 10:57

Some truly nasty and dismissive posts from thecaty and isenhart to manatee's horrific experience. As someone with only a passing interest in Steiner, that is enough for me to make up my mind.

Keep it coming, pro-Steiner lot, you are just burying yourself deeper. You are so steeped in it you have forgotten that right-minded people can actually think.

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/04/2009 11:04

Their is a difference between a typo and a spelling mistake! To spell 'want' as wnat = typo. (2 letters in a different order, or duplicated, or replaced with one that is close on a keyboard, or a letter missing, would signify a typo). If I had spelt it as 'whant' that would be an obvious spelling mistake (an extra letter added, that is used in the English language after a W in some situations but not this one).

Now that we have that clear, let me clear up my 'one sided argument! Social services fully support me, the teacher that is also the child protection officer was most supportive when she heard about this (the teacher who knew all this having lied to her, and then left the school!). However there is a general cover up going on rather than an admital of failure.

I shall not go into detail as that will compromise my position with regards to a complaint. Maybe further down the line I can repeat what happened and you can try telling me (as some of the cover-it-up-lot did) 'It could have come from a child on the estate where he (the child) lives. Only the police and Social servces have stated this could not come from another child, especially as the child hardly sees other children. It is an adult telling the child what to do, and doing these things, social servuices described it as 'disturbingly hardcore'.

Now, I have gone far enough into discussing this individual case, I refuse to be provoked into answering anymore questions about it, as it makes me suspiscious as to why you would be so interested in this individual case thecaty. Oh and vaguely ^amused at your use of question and exclamation marks after 'legal action', you think I would not? Or you think the school would be successful??? They have no money to even contest it! OR* does a fund become suddenly available in such circumstances from the Steiner powers that be... we could not risk the truth getting out!!!???

Barking · 12/04/2009 11:05

Thanks Blueshoes, the more I think about it, the more I believe that some of the posters here are genuinely unwell.

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/04/2009 11:06

Thanks Blueshoes it is nice to have someone that is not personally entrenched in the debate to give their (very sensible) opinion.

northernrefugee39 · 12/04/2009 11:06

Lordy Lordy!
I have a big extended family meal to prepare....yikes...

MANATEE- I am speechless. But not surprised. It's often said that ranks close and Steiner communities stick together in silence in the face of a scandal.

I only hope the children invlvolved come out of it ok.

It's the children involved which makes my blood boil.
Collateral damage of a pseudo scientific, quasi religious load of occult supernatural hokum.

Thank goodness for barking and Wilder's comedy value

Just quickly...Zazizoma- I think your proposed school, where no one is an anthroposophist, and no one has read any Steiner, (so presumably won't have done the Steiner teaching training?, or have the Steiner "model of child development") wouldn't be a "Steiner" school.

Steiner schools are Steiner schools because they are rooted in Rudolf Steiner's world view. They are based on his work and teaching.
Steiner schools employ staff who generally have done some form of Steiner teacher training.

Many Steiner schools are charities, and they have to state their objectives and activities - here's one

"The object of the charity is the education of children in accordance with the theory and practice of Rudolf Steiner."

Rudolf Steiner's theory and practice is... anthroposophical.

So- in your hyperthetical case, I would really need to know the objectives and reasons for what you teach, if my kids went there.

I was commenting on wilder's knowledge about
potential biological mechanisms for disease, and their statistical relationships when I said she knew her stuff btw.
If you copy and paste out of context, we all get in muddle.

I think Steiner was a minor thinker of his time- he is rarely mentioned among other philosophers of his day except by acolytes. Many of his ideas are cobbled together from theosophy, Goethe and other beliefs like Zorastrianism and so on, and those of the era, such as spiritual race ideas.

The teaching of myths, drawing, painting and craft I think are wonderful; but Steiner's prescriptive rules are deadening and misguided imo. His belief that children are like sacks of flour ripe for absorbing anything adults put their way is also misguided.
Children are a source of incredible origionality and creativity, and his uniform sweeping statements are simply ludicrous.

thecaty- are you a self parody?
Maybe in another years time, the parent who remembers me (from where I wonder?) will be like disenchanedgnomie at the start of this thread- (who I hope is sorting things out?) who read the threads from last year and wished she'd taken more notice.
I'm glad your children are happy, but please don't belittle those whose dc's and families have had a rough ride. You do yourself no favours.

Isenhart- development of etheric and astral bodies?

Barking · 12/04/2009 11:23

Do anthroposophists recognise mental illness? Or do they prefer to rebrand it as 'personal growth' and 'spiritual transformation'?

Wilder touched on NVC (non-violent communication) earlier, which was being rolled out in both the schools that I knew of, along with plenty of parents dabbling in the Landmark Forum and Family Constellation work.

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 14:13

MANATEE-What is it ca;;ed when you miss a letter typing. Is it a typo or a misspelling? How would the reader know? I take your answer as a no.

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 14:14

Northern-start a thread!

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 14:30

Barking-I am v. familiar with the Waldorf Critics and the content of their listed articles. How is it, exactly, that you find reading their list of articles enlightening? Because, you didn't appreciate my bunnies earlier I will now attempt again, in the vertical this time since, interestingly enough, that middle bunny appeared differently to the way I actually typed him up. Of course, by my doing so, one of your posts nay disappear so I apologize in advance if that happens but in the name of science, really, I feel that I must proceed thusly:

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 14:53

'Tis true-Barking I do so love a good story but I don't recall ever attempting to rewrite history. But since you imply that I have I shall do so now in order to alleviate you from your, IMO, sorry state of bearing false witness against your neighbor on this rather fine morning of Easter, 2009.

When my son was just a wee lad we took a trip on a plane across this vast country to visit his grandparents. 'Twas so long ago-just a distant memory really-that they let the little ones into the cockpit and presented them with "their wings." On this occasion, my son asked the pilot something that had been puzzling him for quite some time, ever since he'd seen the television documentary on airframe manufacturing actually. He said, "Sir if astral bodies arrive from astral planes and etheric bodies arrive from etheric planes then how is it that airplane bodies don't arrive from airplanes?"

(You can perhaps imagine how proud I was, as a mum, listening to him and beaming with pride at how well he had learned his first few lessons in the Steiner School.)

Well, the pilot of course replied, "Son, here at United Airlines we pride ourselves on our ability to always pull out on time."

wilderduck · 12/04/2009 15:20

Pull out in time then, Isenhart. Pull out in time.
Happy Easter Really.

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 15:31

Ah yes, the Bard may have asked, "What's in a name," but I submit to you, wilderduck, that the greater question is this: "What's in a vowel?" Please excuse me, I must go now and stuff myself with ham.

wilderduck · 12/04/2009 15:51

No Isenhart, I meant it. Pull out in time.
As Moth says: 'They have been at a great feast of languages,
and stolen the scraps'

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/04/2009 18:32

What is Isenhart trying to hide this time with her repeat posts and vertical smileys, and stories of her brainwashed child!? (more anti Steiner evidence, not that it is needed!)

And...I would call it a typo, I am terrible for typos, having wierd double jointed hands and a dislocated thumb!

Happy Easter to all, hope you are all having a lovely day.

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/04/2009 18:32

What is Isenhart trying to hide this time with her repeat posts and vertical smileys, and stories of her brainwashed child!? (more anti Steiner evidence, not that it is needed!)

And...I would call it a typo, I am terrible for typos, having wierd double jointed hands and a dislocated thumb!

Happy Easter to all, hope you are all having a lovely day.

isenhart7 · 12/04/2009 18:46

wilderduck-you do have a point for if I were to say what I think, that they don't write they type, then I would be a thief too!

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/04/2009 22:14

Isenhart. I am begining to understand. You are not pro Steiner at all, you are against the Steiner system, and your posts are a kind of joke, showing people who may be considering Steiner ed for their dc's, what it can do to you??? Clever idea it is quite funny too.

Just remember that although it can be funny to pretend to be someone driven mad by Steiner, that some people's experiences there are actually seriously unamusing. Although I suppose as long as you acknowledge that it is good to have joker a round.

Night all.

MANATEEequineOHARA · 12/04/2009 22:15

I mean 'around', not 'a round', time for bed!

blueshoes · 12/04/2009 22:29

Manatee, isenhart has most definitely been driven mad by Steiner. I don't understand a thing she/he (?) has been wittering on about, nor do I care to. Nighty night

thecaty · 13/04/2009 11:55

Northern you wrote
It's the children involved which makes my blood boil.
Collateral damage of a pseudo scientific, quasi religious load of occult supernatural hokum.

For me Northern, its the children too that I am worried about but its the childrens parents that worry me deeply.
From the post of your kind, what kind of security in their upbringing have those children got to face every day. Synical parents blinded by an obsession? panic ridden parents? Parents which make one wrong choise more wrong choises? Resentful parents?
Parents that sometimes come close to lying on the net, at home? this is what makes my blood curl. Stop pretemding the world is black and white. And stop moaning and twisting.
I seems very obvious that the truth lies somewhere in between both sides don't you think. The Steiner world is by no means perfect and it never claimed to be.
I hope your meal went well

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