Waldorf Inspiration for Middle Schoolers????

[AuntPol]

Waldorf does not appeal to me as a teacher. I think there are some beautiful aspects but I knew when I looked at it ages ago that I would not last long -being I can not knit, sew, draw, and not the least bit crafty, etc.

 

However, I have a daughter who is a rising 7th grader who is into crafts, gnomes, angels, fairies, myths, cultures, and all that jazz. I think she would have been a perfect fit in a waldorf school if she had been born with a different mother.

 

I don't think I want to switch over to Oak Meadow for her only, though their Grade 8 Literature choices are about the same as mine and the Grade 8 Physical Science lines up with what we are doing in Science and the Grade 7 history almost lines up with our history. I just can't get a feel for it from the limited samples.

 

Just what aspects can I add that would appeal to a Waldorfian type? Ones that can be done independently. I think a nature table would be fun for her or in our case, a nature mantle.

[SeekingSimplicity]

We haven't made it 7th grade yet, and I'm still learning as I go so I don't know how much help I can be.... maybe check out here? http://waldorfjourney.typepad.com/a_journey_through_waldorf/astronomy_grade_7_waldorf_homeschooling/

and this chart http://www.beaconmama.com/WaldorfTable.pdf

 

I think OM is less Waldorf as it progresses thru the grades, if I understand correctly. And I think Waldorf changes some by that age so that kids don't really need the gnomes and fairies any more unless they want them. But nature tables are fun. And at her age she may like making fairies and gnomes or whatever to put on it. Get some felt and pipe cleaners and wood beads, or wood peg people shapes and go at it. There's a lot of good resources out there for that kind of thing.

Hand crafts are a big part of Waldorf, so if she doesn't know how to knit, crochet, felt, sew or whatever then it would be a good experience to learn.

My kids illustrate all their lessons. We have block crayons and prisma colors, and water colors. Block crayons have their own technique for coloring, it's kinda neat.

Find poetry about fairies and gnomes and illustrate them. Dd1 just finished a botany unit in which she drew cross-sections of plants and things like that. She also had poems on plants and fairies and gnomes to give her writing practice, and to illustrate.

[In The Great White North]

Two of mine went to a Waldorf school through 8th. The gnomes, angels and fairies died off somewhere between 3rd and 4th. They switched from beeswax to clay, from knitting little critters to sewing real clothes.

 

The easiest way to add a Waldorf aspect is to do your lesson (lecture, book, video, experiment, whatever) then have her write a summary of the story and illustrate it. Be sure to put borders around each page. At a Waldorf school, there are no textbooks (til Algebra I), the teacher narrates for history and demonstrates for the sciences. In the early grades, it is copy work but by 7th the students had to write each day from what they remembered.

 

If you PM me, I can send you some pics of dd's last main lesson books. We got out of Waldorf order at that point so everyone could do American at the same time, but you'll get the idea.

[lovemykids]

I hate to admit it here, so openly and everything, but Oak Meadow was a flop for our family. LOL. I’m not sure how many of you even remember, or care, but I was pretty enthusiastic about OM last year. I have tried it twice now, so I think we are giving up on it finally. Although I have to admit, it still looks wonderful to me. Perhaps we can use some of OM’s electives in HS or something. (As a side note; most of our plans for this past year turned into something else, and much of what we planned went by the wayside.)

And as far as Waldorf goes, again, I love it. But I just don’t have time to implement it the way that I would like to. I am thankful that my children are naturally creative. We do have a nature table (dds arranged it). If you want a shrine, why not let your dd create it herself? She may surprise you!