waldorf steiner

[heninthemidden]

hi,

anyone had good experience of waldorf steiner education system?

Consciousness is indeed associated with neurological development.

Hmmnn- I wonder if anthroposophical definitions of consciousness, which is presumably what the teacher meant when talking about it in relation to eurythmy, are in line with the usual ones?

isenhart - What do you mean by "Neurological development, i.e. myelination, runs down and out from head or top to bottom, shoulders to fingertips, hips to toes, internal to external"

Myelination does not equal neurological development so "neurological development, i.e. myelination" is an incorrect use of both terms. Myelin is simply the insulation of a neuron, much like the plastic coating of an electric cable.

Also, myelination does not follow a direction like "head to toe". That is nutty pseudo-science

Rather, motor neurons are myelinated first (wherever they are in the body). And then sensory neurons are myelinated (wherever they are in the body).

Consciousness has nothing to do with myelin.

Check out demyelinization diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. These people are gradually losing their myelin sheaths, but this has zero effect on their consciousness.

Who on earth teaches you this stuff?

Consciousness is indeed an aspect of neurological development, but it plays a small part - eurythmy will promote connections between neurons in the way that any refined and practiced movement does and it may well lead to an increased awareness of your body BUT the neurological development that may occur with eurythmy has absolutely nothing to do with a metaphysical ie. spiritual consciousness that anthroposophists believe exist.

On a lighter note the funniest thing I have seen on eurythmy is on the Norwegian Critics site, you have to click on the youtube link 'What is Eurythmy?'
You don't have to understand a word of Norwegian to enjoy... What is Eurythmy?

MS can indeed affect self perception.

"Most MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance. The majority of people with MS also exhibit paraesthesias, transitory abnormal sensory feeling such as numbness or "pins and needles". Some may experience pain or loss of feeling."

www.health24.com/medical/Head2Toe/777-778-779,11862.asp

Captain - I didn't say consciousness has nothing to do with neurological development.

I said it has nothing to do with myelin.

CoteDAzure, I was referring to Isenhart's muddled thinking.
You are very clear

nontoxic - my children are at german state primary schools. They have structured lessons, bells, homework, textbooks for each subject....just like secondary school.
I've visited several montessori schools. They have no set lesson times, no set break times, learning materials available for children to complete tasks at their own pace and no homework. They vary a lot in style, between an old fashioned, pre-national curriculum English primary school, and the outright wacky.

your idea of montessori education seems to be a bit skewed. What's wrong with children concentrating on a task? Did you expect to find them all running round screeching, with all the toys on teh floor? my children can do that at home!!
dd is at a montessori nursery. She does have plenty of group playtime as well as individual work. Also, the children learn a lot by watching other children completing harder tasks, before they try them themselves. It's not regimented though - the children watch, and do the tasks BECAUSE they are interesting.

and in case you wonder why my older children arent at montessori school, its because the schools are so popular, I couldnt get places.

MS doesn't affect consciousness. And no amount of Googling on your part is changing that, sorry.

Go talk to a person with MS. You will know better.

Getting pins and needles is not altered consciousness. It just means there is a problem with your nerves - physical issue.

Cheers Captain, couldn't work out why the eurythmy in my daughter's kindergarten. Good to know there might be some point to it even if it has nothing to do with incarnating to the tips of your fingers. But hilarious link! The look on the face of the eurythmy teacher in the video is EXACTLY the same as the Norwegian kindergarten teacher who taught at our school. Could they perhaps be related?

V. clear.

Can any of you anthros explain why the endless kindergarten cleaning? In long skirts too, like Little House on the Prairie. With a special fetishistic way of doing it. And paying the school fees for your chance to do it too! Fortunately women love cleaning and can't wait to do more on top of all the other cleaning they're doing at home.

Plus one thing I've always wanted to ask the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship: did Steiner believe that nits are sacred?

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

So right jeepers
Steiner women of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your sheepskin burqas! (available on ebay)

Here is a fine example of a what happens when you inhale too much lanolin...

rainbow conspiracy

And if you squint at it in such a way you might just convince yourself you're clairvoyant. Because dear anthroposophists, that's all Steiner did.

Or prove it.

Lanolin inhalating sprinkler lady is so last year.

Suppose it would be adolescent to comment - Rudolf Steiner is so last century, or even last epoch. But never mind.

Seriously now: JJsandcat said:

'I wish for my child to become integrated into our society, to become an integral part and support said system with the things he's learnt'. Right on the nail sandcat.

I have 3 dcs and experience of a couple of Steiner schools, lasting about 5 years. I took my dd out after finally understanding that the standard of education at her school was woefully poor, not charmingly eccentric. Only afterwards did she tell me she'd been taught - there's no other useful word for it - creationism. That might be fine with the folks in the Bible belt of the US but in this year of Darwin I can be pretty sure it's not a good foundation for understanding this particular society.

I'm not joking when I talk about evidence.

The kindergarten system can be great for many children but it exists throughout Scandinavia without Steiner's bizarre ramblings gained, it's worth repeating, clairvoyantly. I managed to ignore that fact for years until I saw the impact these queasy ideas had on other families less robust than mine. And that matters to me, in fact when I read some of these stories I'm ashamed that I was ever involved. Added to that the shame of having been so reckless with my dds' future chances. But at the time it all appealed to me and if I'm honest that was really the point. Now I have experience of several different schools, all good in their own ways and I'm savvy enough to smell a rat, however many flowery garlands it's wearing. I was so naive.

Last night I watched Dispatches on Pakistan and remembered zazizoma saying she'd be happy to send her dc to a madrassa if they offered a good education. I don't think you meant that, really, did you? I can't help thinking the last thing this world needs is more religion, especially aimed at children. Not that I mind our familiar and much-loved C of E schools. They don't advocate the ritual mutilation of little girls. Not that I'm an expert on this subject: for that you need Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I recommend her.

I always understood that women had to wear skirts to form a more rounded, spiritual shape, fiting in with Steiner's "round corners" in so many things from architecture to drawing paper and type faces.

This is from "Creating a Steiner playgroup"

"It can help to wear a flowing skirt rather than trousers or shorts as we are forced to walk more slowly and thus become more aware of our gestures as we enter the space."

• a kind of hobbling restriction then, forcing teachers to walk more slowly

I think also it might have something to do with the etheric body or something....

Salutations Northern

What an clever observation.
Not a good idea to be too narcissistic about those gestures either, I guess.
Whenever I hear about etheric bodies I think: should have gone to Specsavers! But that's the power of advertising.

Hi Wilder
I keep expecting this thread to be deleted. That whole situation stopped me coming on for a while- it's absurd not to be allowed to talk about a now state funded education....the Hereford school now being an academy means lots of others are apparently trying for state funding.

(but I do post sometimes with a different name, not always about gnome school )

I watched that Dispatches too- it was quite chilling.

Have you read The Caged virgin?

I agree that the kindys can work... but I also have read some articles by people about the hidden agenda of kindys - the "Spirit of the times, the Archangel Michael, who
overcomes the dragon so that the Michaelic impulse can have a working place on the earth."
"Today, even the youngest child is threatened by the dragon, by evil from the outside."
Scary- this lecturer went on to say that even if the children don't go on to be conscious anthroposophists, but retain something in their unconconscious. It's all about that.

But anyway- the standard of education, as you say, can be very poor. But then stimulating the intellect damages their etheric bodies- they love that etheric bit....- I tend to think "etheric body- with astral forces- cosmic- because you're worth it"

Adaptation to one's environment whether it be through chromatic adaptation or the selection of an education for our children is so right now.