Unschooling and other alternatives

Three cheers for Mo as a trend-setter.

A Concentration Table is not a Concentration Camp.

We all visited the school today and I have to say that I LOVE it.

The atmosphere is very..... textural, I really can't think of a better way to explain it. Cozy. Worn in. Calm. (Of course, it was just the teachers there today so....)

Mo couldn't be pried from the kindergarten classroom so I visited with the teacher there the most. Then Mr. B and Mo hung out in kindergarten while I toured the rest of the school (this provided Mr. B with a great eavesdropping opportunity).

I quizzed each of the teachers pretty heavy on what drew them to teaching in this kind of school, what they saw as the benefits and drawbacks of this kind of education, what was the typical day like and so on. I had a great conversation with the man who teaches the mixed grades 6/7 about what he's seen with kids that transfer over in the middle of elementary school. He said the hardest part for them was just learning to calm down a little bit because they aren't used to the relaxed rhythm of the school.

When we left Mo went into panic mode because he had neglected to tell the kindergarten teacher that he would be back tomorrow. I explained that besides that fact that tomorrow was Sunday he wasn't yet enrolled in that school.

Mr. B, my less emotional half, was not as impressed as I was but he won't talk about it yet. He says we both need to digest what we think before making a decision. He did say that he thought it was a bit "hippie-dippie" but he was impressed with the teacher's educations and what they had to say about teaching.


Mo has been invited to spend a day at their kindergarten and I think I'll take them up on it.

If it were up to me he'd start there tomorrow.

That sure sounds promising.

A day with other kids could provide a lot more info, glad that's an option.

Spending a day there sounds like a great idea. It sounds like they've addressed your major concerns, but sometimes the talk is different from the actions. A day visit would surely expose any discrepancy between the two. I hope you find what you're looking for for Mo.

Mo was finally calm enough (see the steroids thread) to go to school today so I had a chance to read up on Waldorf schools and some of what I read gives me pause.

Some people think that they're a cult. Seriously.

Some reports show kids who transfer out in the early grades (3-5) are seriously behind their contemporaries in public school and have a hard time adapting to a less casual approach to education. (The problems seem to be resolved by 8th grade when the Waldorf kids pass up standard education kids).

I understand that they take a more relaxed approach to reading but it concerns me to think about what would happen if, for whatever reason, he started and then had to switch back.

I loved the school and I like the approach but I don't know beans about education and the different philosophies behind them. All I know is that to me it looks like a good fit for Mo.

Does anyone know any kids that go to Waldorf schools? Any first hand experience here?

BTW - Mo had his first actual guitar lesson today and he has a new hero -- his teacher. Mo's in luuuuurrrrrrve.

Only those I referred to way above....


Friends of mine sent their four to the Mt Barker one....and these kids are fabulous; accomplished, confident, compassionate adventurous thinkers.


That being said, these kids were also born to mature, intelligent, poised bla bla bla parents. Not that you guys aren't!!!! But my friends' kids haven't had the stuff that Mo has happen to them.


The school community is, from what I have seen, a bit too peace love and brown rice for MY tastes....but I get a bit icky about alternative schools, probably with no rational basis whatsoever.

Yah - the "granola problem" is a toughie. I live in a hippie town and am a little bit of an urban-hippie-punk-chick but I can deal better with the granola vibe that with the industrial warehouse cartoon vibe of Mo's current school.

I was surprised to read so much about the cult aspect of Waldorf schools because I really quizzed each teacher about how religion is handled (the school is currently housed in a church) but came away confident that not any one religion (or philosophy) was being cultivated although a variety of religious thought is incorporated in the teaching (which is something I like -- call me crazy).

It is interesting that the schools predate the hippie movement by 50 years and the first school was started by a cigarette company. (Oh the irony.)

I'm an industrial warehouse wannabeee.....

I didn't mean industrial warehouse in the hip-urban-chic fashion but in the cream over green hospital wall fashion.

How true do they keep to Steiner's vision? How do you feel about Steiner?

Are the 'teachers' primarily Waldorf-trained or are they teachers who've also got Waldorf training?

The teachers have to have state certifications (I'm still trying to find out what that is). From my discussions with them they have studied at regular universities and gone on to Waldorf school teacher's classes. Most of them taught at public or other private schools before coming to teach here.

I'm still not sure what I think of this Steiner guy. I'm still reading. Some of it I like, other parts of it are a bit strange. This whole idea of anthroposophy if new to me and...... I'm trying to read up on it.

From what I've been told these concepts don't really come into play at the schools but other people say they do.

I don't know.

I didn't know anything about Waldorf schools, so I googled. I found this website with some descriptions of philosopy behind them. http://skepdic.com/steiner.html

I have to say, I would be concerned if they are not teaching kids to read until 2nd or 3rd grade.

My friend's niece is in a Waldorf school in Germany. She got there rather
late (in 4th grade) because of her difficulties in public school. She looks
at things differently and has had problems fitting in, she's not mentally
behind, yet was put into special ed classes due to her difficulties with a
regular curriculum.

She's been at the Waldorf for 2 years now, and my friend said, she's
a completely changed person, eager to learn, thrives in music and other
subjects, and is on her way to become a well rounded educated person.
In public school she would have fallen in between the cracks.

Now, I don't know how Waldorf schools operate in the United States and
how true they are to Steiner's method. http://skepdic.com/steiner.html

In an ideal world, all children thrive in a public school, unfortunately
not all children are alike, and some need a different environment to excel. My child would not have gotten as far as she did in public school,
she needed more attention and more discipline which was provided
in a very small school I chose for her.

You nailed it CJane - falling through the cracks. I'm already seeing some of those cracks and I worry.

I'm torn on the reading thing for a few reasons. Mo read a lot more words before he started kindergarten and the phonics bit than he does now. He used to love to read and be read to but now he sees it as a chore. The only books he ever checks out from the library are science books -- he no longer likes story books but he does love it when we make up stories.

I guess I really don't understand the big push to read early. I understand the importance of knowing how to read but if you also learn to hate to read have you really made any progress?

I don't believe in pushing children to read early, but 8 or 9 is late. I don't like the way reading is taught in most public schools, but I believe in reading readiness. I believe that children are predisposed to read earlier than that. Do you have any Montessori schools in your area?

I'm sympathetic to your instincts on Mo's education, boomer. I think I would be doing what you are doing were I in your place.

On science books, my son really enjoys The Magic Treehouse series. It's at more of the 1st grade level, but the topics are often about science or history and all are told as stories -- a boy and girl travel to different lands and times in their magic treehouse. They also have "study guides" that go along with some of the books. My son has one on tornadoes -- he's always been fascinated by the weather. Maybe something like that would get Mo interested in stories again.

There is one in the area -- they currently have a few openings for boys entering the 4th and 5th grades.

Mo loves weather books! I will most certainly check those out, FreeDuck. Thanks!

I still can't quite tell, is Mo reading now? If he is, the question of when reading is taught is kind of moot, since he already is.

He's reading and writing on a very basic level -- better than some kids in the class and worse than others. They kicked him out of his beloved reading group because he reads too good.

One thing -- if they (Waldorf) consider the early years the "imitation years" then I won't have to worry about reading becuase it is rare that I'm not reading something at any given moment.