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Waldorf schools? Do these kids do well in life after Waldorf? : ScienceBasedParenting
Main Post: Waldorf schools? Do these kids do well in life after Waldorf? : ScienceBasedParenting
What are your opinion about the waldorf education system?
Main Post: What are your opinion about the waldorf education system?
Top Comment: Growing up, I went through Waldorf for three years. I also went through Montessori, French immersion, regular public school, and gifted school. As an educator, I have worked with the international baccalaureate, IGCSE, Canadian BC curriculum, AP, an American curriculum, and some Regio Emilia. So, I've seen and experienced a broad range. Among them all, I would describe Waldorf as one of the most esoteric and eccentric approaches to education, but also a great experience as a child. I was very happy in Waldorf education and had many happy experiences there. The curriculum included a lot of arts, mythology, outdoors experiences, handcrafts, festivals, and music. I also learned a lot in terms of sciences and mathematics and was supported to study several grades above my level by my teachers. When I think back on it, my few years in a Waldorf school provided me with an awful lot of positive school and life memories. For my own child, I would want to really get to know the teacher, the principal, and the school community before deciding if it was the right fit, but I certainly wouldn't be turned off by a well-run Waldorf school. Especially at the primary age, Waldorf schools can have a lot to offer.
Those who went to Waldorf school, what are your thoughts?
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I've seen Waldorf schools mentioned in passing in media in recent years, but I didn't really know what it was until I started looking into alternative methods of homeschooling last year (FYI we unschool now with some inspiration taken from Waldorf and Montessori). I've never met anyone who went to a Waldorf school, never heard anything about them from current or former students of them, and I don't believe there are any in my region. It's mostly a new concept to me, with which I became more familiar because I was buying natural material toys which often advertised themselves as Waldorf, so I looked into what it meant and began reading about the concept and some of Steiner's writing.
However, I'm really curious what former students of Waldorf schools think of them. What do you remember? What were your takeaways? What was good, and what would you change? If you are aware of other systems or your peers that went through them, how do you think your experiences compare?
I'm particularly interested in concepts such as incorporating nature, handwork, festivity, and such. I dealt with overexcitability in my childhood and believe that my children are dealing with it as well, and that these concepts strongly help as opposed to doing traditional classwork or homeschool curriculum workbooks (which I absolutely hated).
Thanks for any input!
Top Comment: I cannot tell you what it would be like to be a student. But I can tell you about being a parent. My oldest is now 33 and went K-8. It brought so much into our lives because we let it. The festivals, the art, the music, the amazing projects, the language .... I know my son would not be the person he is without what this curriculum and community added to his life and ours. I can also say I still see many of his classmates at least a few times a year. some of them still live nearby and they get together. Sometimes at my son and DILs house sometimes at weddings and sometimes elsewhere. These people resonate on a level I rarely see anywhere else. From the get go every one of them has been a joy to watch grow up. When they graduated from high school about 1/2 of them came to our homes (we have a huge home in the woods) and had a sleep over. They had a bon fire and crashed in our den. Every single one of them responded to us grown ups in direct and straightoward ways. No back talk, just honest words about their plans and their current lives. Now, about 1/3 or so are married like my son - they go to each others weddings and whenever they see each other it is like family. I miss those days so much. As to careers. Yes if you transition to high school there may be a bit of challenge switching - remember though these kids have spent their time learning to learn and being sure of themselves. One classmate is a Waldorf teacher and her class is now grade 6. One does amazing fiber arts and has her own studio. Another has travelled the world as a Fulbright (I think) scholar. Another is a psychologist. My son is a commercial pilot. One manages an art studio. One is an engineer. They are amazing.
Waldorf schools? Do these kids do well in life after Waldorf?
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Wondering how Waldorf/ Steiner style education effects development
I've got 2 kids, 2 and 4 years old. I just heard about a Waldorf school near my home. After reading about it, I learned it is nature based, the kids spend as much time outside as they safely can. The teachers don't rotate every year, but stay with the group for multiple years. Lessons are taught in nature and in creative ways, and creativity is emphasized. Grading and standardized testing is minimized.
It sounds almost like a dream to me. The lack of grading is a bit unfamiliar but certainly not a deal breaker. It's so different from standard education tho, that I have to ask. Almost everything that I could find online was from a Waldorf school organization. How do these kids do later in childhood and in life compared to traditional education?
Top Comment: I went to a Waldorf school for thirteen years. For me, it was a great experience and I felt like it catered to my creative spirit. My life after Waldorf has been, I suppose, traditionally ‘successful.’ I did well in undergrad and grad school. I was recruited in grad school because of my research in AI to work for a major tech company. I make a good salary and love my line of work. I’m married, have a baby, bought a home, etc. etc. My Waldorf school definitely had science and math. My high school education was certainly more rigorous than any year of undergrad. I graduated with 24 classmates who have all gone on to lead beautiful lives; they’ve become nurses, engineers, stay-at-home parents, artists, political strategists, diplomats, I could go on. Of course this isn’t mutually exclusive to Waldorf, but there is some stigma that graduates can’t function in society and I haven’t witnessed that to any greater extent than any other curriculum. The biggest gifts for me from my education have been the ability to stay a kid for a long time and a deep love for art, culture, and language. I am actively educating myself about some of the negatives I hear about Waldorf, the roots of anthroposophy and Steiner’s less savory views. Those elements are new to me and I don’t want to have a falsely rosey picture of my education. I would like to send my son to a Waldorf school but it has to be diverse, pro-science, and in a community that is not anti-vax. I won’t send him just because of the name on the sign. Please don’t attack me in the comments - the last time I posted online about being a Waldorf grad I was bullied. OP, you are more than welcome to message me with questions.
Why does Waldorf get such a bad rap?
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I'll start by saying I teach at a Waldorf school and I really like it. Previously I was a public school teacher, which I enjoyed also but not as much. I've only been teaching at a Waldorf school for about a year, but I'm finding recently (perhaps because it has spread in my own network that I have moved from public into Waldorf) that I'm at the receiving end of quite a lot of negativity about the model. The majority of what people say is wildly inaccurate and enormously fear mongering in nature, and it does irk me. I feel like I am often on the defence, and inevitably recognise that I will never convince anyone as they refuse to accept what I am saying, despite me having the inside view and them the outsude. So I wonder why Waldorf gets such a bad rap?
Top Comment: To me, I wouldn't try to change their minds. Instead I would invite them to attend a year 12 project presentation if the school where you work does the year 12 independent research project. In the 4 years where I watched a full class do their presentations, at least one student had the audience rolling on the floor laughing, at least one student had the audience in tears and at least one student could have walked off the stage, grabbed a taxi to the nearest adult level Tedx event, and blown away the audience I'm assuming as a former public school teacher, that your friends are also educators. There is a lot about the Waldorf system that sounds weird. Often because it is weird. But the students do not know about the weird stuff. to me, consistantly, the most impressive thing is the product of the school, the students. I was the maintenance manager for a small school for a number of years. I used to hire the students from the school because they could think, problem solve and communicate better than most adults. And they knew how to work. All the esoteric stuff doesn't mean anything. The fact is that Waldorf schools prepare young people for the world that we have now.. Most public schools are preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
Thoughts on Waldorf schools?
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I’m curious for others opinion on Waldorf schools? I taught at one last year (for a very brief time) and am just now processing much of my experience, which... in hindsight feels more like self-induced trauma based on my ignorance. There was much of the foundations of Waldorf & teaching ethics within that I found to be quite disturbing. Has anyone here had good experiences? It seems like less “traditional” schools / Waldorf inspired are in turn less spooky?
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If you read the writings of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the Waldorf schools, you will realize that some of his personal beliefs definitely influenced his educational philosophy. This may be part of the reason your experience was disturbing.
Does anyone have experience with Waldorf homeschool curriculum?
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I've heard of Waldorf in passing here and there, but I don't know in detail what a Waldorf curriculum looks like, especially a homeschool one (there are no Waldorf schools in my area so homeschool would be my only option).
At a glance, it looks awesome. The nature-centric, arts focused, hands-on structure looks very much aligned with my philosophies on how I want to teach my children. I'm mostly curious how accessible it is for a layman such as myself. I'm only just beginning to dabble in the works of Rudolf Steiner. I like the vibe when others summarize it, but trying to read his books myself is proving a tad tedious.
Top Comment: We've done Waldorfessentials Kindy, Lavender's Blue First (and part of her Second and Kindy before we made the jump to CM the second half of that year), Little Acorn Learning's festival guides, pretty much everything from HearthMagic on Etsy, Arithmetic Village, Whole Family Rhythms, Seasons of Joy, and some EarthSchooling math, music, and handwork blocks (I have the teacher support package from way back when). We've also done Living Music's pennywhistle program (included in WE lifetime package, I had bought it when my two were teeny), and we were one of the tester families for her pentatonic piano course. If you have any questions about any of those curriculum, I'd be happy to answer.🙂 If you're looking for a specific Waldorfy book, make sure to check out the Waldorf online library and OpenLibrary before purchasing, to see if they might have an ebook or borrowable version to peek through so you don't have to jump into buying unless you really like them. They can add up extremely quickly, and it's so helpful how many resources are available to download or preview now. With Waldorf, I'd recommend taking what you love and works for your kids, and letting the rest go. Steiner was...a really, really weird dude. But, some of his ideas, through the inspiration they've given parents and teachers, have led to some really, really beautiful and nurturing resources and practices. There are so many artful, musical, and engaging ways that things are taught in Waldorf. I'd look at it as something to pull in and use in ways that fit your family's hearts, rather than something to live by or try to mold yourself or your children to. As with anything, it could be inspiring, or restrictive. I'd aim for inclusion of the joyful elements (and leaving room for the magic of other philosophies, too 😉).
What exactly is a Waldorf school?
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I just found this out and have many questions.
Does the school have grading?
How much freedom is actually provided in these schools?
Why isn't this more popular exactly?
Top Comment: FYI, public Waldorf schools are on the rise. There is a decent difference between public and private Waldorf schools.
What is your experience with the Waldorf school?
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I’m considering sending my daughter there once she’s old enough but I have some concerns.
- The Waldorf only goes to grade 8, what school do students typically go to after? Do they have trouble adjusting to a different school’s pedagogy?
- I like what they’re trying to do with education, but it also seems a little...cult like?
I’m just curious to know if you have kids there or if you’ve gone there yourself and if it was a positive or negative experience.
Thank you!
Top Comment: I was a waldorf kid. Please do not send your daughter there. I don't know where to start. The Waldorf education system is not designed to work in the United States. As a kid, it was great to be able to run around and play all day. Which is all great until you are 10 years old and can't read, write, do basic math, etc. THANK GOD my parents pulled me out and put me into a Montessori school for the rest of gradeschool(which was still terrible). Still, by then it was way too late. If I didn't go to a college prep high school I would have never gotten into college. As for the other kids who attended Waldorf with me, the ones who also got pulled out by their parents successfully made it through highschool. Those who didn't either dropped out, became drug addicts, completely fell off the map. If your kiddo has any sort of learning disorder or trouble fitting in, they will be completely ignored by instructors as well as other kids. I have no idea how schools like Shining Rivers are still open considering the sliminess of the people that manage to get hired. These are people who are not certified educators or oddballs who have no idea how to support the educational needs of a kid. I could go on and on but I hope u get the idea.