Educational Philosophy Questionnaire

[Reefgazer]

The bolded was what I was thinking when I answered. 

This is my score.

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20
Score for Waldorf Education: 19
Score for Traditional Education: -14
Score for Unit Studies Education: 9
Score for Montessori Education: 23
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 8
Score for Unschooling: 11
Score for Classical Education: 25

I laughed so hard because it really nailed me, and maybe that's why I have found it hard to have an overall philosophy. I know I'm not a fan of traditional education, but I see some positives to unit studies and unschooling, just not quite enough for them to really work for my family. Don't really know a lot about TJ Education. But I like a lot of elements from Classical, CM, Montessori, and Waldorf (yes, aspects of both Waldorf and Montessori appeal heavily to me), so the quiz really did hit me well in my ideals, even if in reality, we aren't all of those things most days. :)

 

[Embassy]

:iagree:

 

I couldn;t get my scores- some kind of error.  Maybe it was because I answered "neither agree nor disagree" for the overwhelming majority of the questions.

 

But my kids are much older- 10th & 8th grade. I would have answered very differently when I had a preschooler, 1st grader, and a 5th grader all together.

 

Sorry about that, the high traffic has yielded some hiccups.  

[Arcadia]

My scores even though I know nothing about CM, Thomas Jefferson

 

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 0

Score for Waldorf Education: 8

Score for Traditional Education: 3

Score for Unit Studies Education: 0

Score for Montessori Education: 19

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 8

Score for Unschooling: 21

Score for Classical Education: 8

 

ETA:

I'm not an unschooler, just prefer child directed learning to get what I deem minimum done.

[Closeacademy]

Very interesting.  I was a bit surprised by the results at first and then really looking at our homeschool it makes sense:

 

Charlotte Mason--0 (this was my original philosophy but it didn't work for my kids)

Waldorf--17  (the philosophy I draw from the most)

Traditional Education-- -17  (scary, I didn't think I rejected it that bad)

Unit Studies-- 9  (we did that a little)

Montessori--12  (dabbled in this a bit)

Thomas Jefferson--12  (never read the book so a surprise)

Unschooling--11  (I've done this quite a bit with the younger one)

Classical--0  (again, I was surprised)

 

I think it's pretty on target with us.

[Carrie12345]

The targeted Waldorf questions were:

 

Children should spend plenty of time in nature and use natural materials in education.

Early childhood should emphasize creative play and formal learning should be avoided before age 7.

Social responsibility and empathy are important in my children's education.

Self-expression through art, music, role-playing, and movement is an important part of education.

Avoiding screens for children who are elementary age or younger is important.

 

If anyone feels these are incorrect, please share.  I'm not familiar with Waldorf so I compiled this list from reading about the approach.

 

I did have some trouble with that first question.  Time in nature is hugely important in our family, but I have plenty of love for plastics and electronics (and dolls with faces) in our house.

[Farrar]

The targeted Waldorf questions were:

 

Children should spend plenty of time in nature and use natural materials in education.

Early childhood should emphasize creative play and formal learning should be avoided before age 7.

Social responsibility and empathy are important in my children's education.

Self-expression through art, music, role-playing, and movement is an important part of education.

Avoiding screens for children who are elementary age or younger is important.

 

If anyone feels these are incorrect, please share. I'm not familiar with Waldorf so I compiled this list from reading about the approach.

I got that those were the ones. I just think they're sort of vague - lots of families like to be in nature or avoid screens for a bunch of reasons. Maybe if the screen question said something about no screens - like no screens for children would be ideal.

 

I think you did a pretty amazing job though. I mean, most quizzes are really sketchy. This one worked pretty good.

[Jerico]

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 0

Score for Waldorf Education: 12

Score for Traditional Education: 0

Score for Unit Studies Education: 6

Score for Montessori Education: 14

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 12

Score for Unschooling: 11

Score for Classical Education: 12

 

I feel confused on my score but it makes sense considering I don't even know what I want/what Works for us. I'm split almost evenly between 5 methods. And many of those seem complete opposites from each other. Though maybe some of it is how I teach math/writing/reading vs. history/science/art. Etc.

 

I retook the quiz. I don't know if it was the changes made or if I answered more truthfully (e.g. Answering according to what I implement, not what I want to implement in a perfect world) but I had some major changes.

 

Score for Waldorf Education: -3

Score for Traditional Education: -15

Score for Unit Studies Education: 9

Score for Montessori Education: 19

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 9

Score for Unschooling: 13

Score for Classical Education: 3

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 13

[Guest]

I'd have never guessed Montessori for myself. Apparently I'm misunderstanding much of the philosophy! The Classical recommendation is unsurprising, given the board I'm on ;)

 

Classical Education: 21

Montessori Education :14

Unit Studies: 6

Thomas Jefferson: 5

Waldorf, CM, Unschooling: 0

Traditional Education: -15

[Guest Universal Minds]

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20 

Score for Waldorf Education: 10 
Score for Traditional Education: -21 
Score for Unit Studies Education: 12 
Score for Montessori Education: 18 
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 3 

 

Score for Unschooling: 10 
Score for Classical Education: 10

 

That seems fairly accurate. I was a little surprised the traditional education was that extreme, but I can see why from the questions. I also don't have a clue what Thomas Jefferson Education is.

[Guest]

Here's mine...

 

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20

Score for Waldorf Education: 3

Score for Traditional Education: -14

Score for Unit Studies Education: 11

Score for Montessori Education: 9

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 8

 

Score for Unschooling: 14

Score for Classical Education: 9

 

I'm not highly classical... I think this represents me reasonably. I'm not surprised I got CM as the highest and that I got unit studies and unschooling sort of high. The only thing I would disagree with is that I feel I should have a negative number for Waldorf because I loathe Waldorf as an educational philosophy.

*high five* Waldorf is something that really, really bugs me.

 

And on another note, is there a good page that actually distilled down basic homeschooling philosophies and schools of thought? I only know about the ones I've sought out and studied, but I cannot say I've seen any good quick-n-dirty guides.

[Tsuga]

I'm attempting to tweak a new quiz that I recently put together about homeschool philosophies.  Based on some early questionnaires, I'm not sure if the classical philosophy is represented accurately.  If you are very classical in your approach, please let me know if this questionnaire reveals your highest score to be classical education.  You can find the quiz here:  http://eclectic-homeschool.com/what-kind-of-homeschooler-are-you/

 

I don't homeschool, but I took your quiz for fun because we afterschool. It's a good survey!

 

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 0 

Score for Waldorf Education: 16 

Score for Traditional Education: -3 

Score for Unit Studies Education: 2 

Score for Montessori Education: 17 

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 2 

Score for Unschooling: 13 

Score for Classical Education: 16

 

Yes. I am a crunchy classical education person. So, that sounds very right to me. Funnily enough, my kids go to public school where they get many of the skills I think many people here want for their children, though at a slower pace since it's in a group setting. One thing you don't ask is whether the parent thinks it's important to have input from a wide variety of other caring adults and subject experts in real life. That, and my kids' temperaments, is what really brought me to the point where public school was the best thing for my family.

 

I would advise against giving a neutral option, as many people are just noncommittal in general. Rather, you should have six options, with the two middle ones, "agree slightly" or "somewhat agree" and "disagree slightly" or "somewhat disagree". It's homeschooling, not, say, a dinner, so most people do have some opinion about most of these questions, unlike, say, their opinion on jeans vs. khakis which might really, truly be neutral.

 

That way even noncommittal people (who usually reveal their real preferences, which do exist, in their practice) have to give an answer. The reason that is useful is that it forces people to reflect on the subject.

 

(Incidentally, I think the Waldorf philosophy is bull. I just think the outdoors are important, not for any mystical woo-woo way, but because that's where we evolved. And I think humans need a lot of it. So I'm taking Waldorf as shorthand for "crunchy" / "natural living", even though there is no way I'd put my kid in a Waldorf classroom if I could avoid it.)

[Guest]

Yes Binip, I agree! For the sake of getting more accurate results it is better to make people choose a side, however mildly. They might balk at it, but the data set tends to be more accurate that way.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20 

Score for Waldorf Education: 7 
Score for Traditional Education: -18 
Score for Unit Studies Education: 0 
Score for Montessori Education: 14 
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -9 

Score for Unschooling: 5 
Score for Classical Education: 19

 

Interesting!  I had no idea that my ideas matched up so closely with Charlotte Mason!  I'm not surprised at all with my other scores.  I wish I had had this information 20 years ago, when I started this homeschooling journey.  I might have saved myself a lot of time and frustration.  :)

[Sugarfoot]

Interesting! My scores are:

 

Classical: 23

Charlotte Mason: 20

Waldorf: 16

Unit Studies: 14

Montessori: 11

Unit Studies: 10

Thomas Jefferson: -3

Traditional: -15

 

This is pretty accurate for me. I've been homeschooling for quite awhile now, and I think of myself as a Classical homeschooler with a Waldorf spin. Sounds strange, but it works for us.  :001_smile:

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I ran into problems with some of the questions because my practices change as my kids get older.  On those questions, I answered Neither Agree Nor Disagree, but what I meant was "It Depends."  It depends on what stage/age/grade they're in, and it also depends on the subject matter.  

[Carrie12345]

 

 

 

 

(Incidentally, I think the Waldorf philosophy is bull. I just think the outdoors are important, not for any mystical woo-woo way, but because that's where we evolved. And I think humans need a lot of it. So I'm taking Waldorf as shorthand for "crunchy" / "natural living", even though there is no way I'd put my kid in a Waldorf classroom if I could avoid it.)

 

I've never really put that much thought into official Waldorf philosophy.  There's a Waldorf co-op I've been looking into, so I suppose I should investigate a little more.  Much of what they're proposing is attractive to my granola side, but we're also a very tech-dependent family.

[LMD]

Your Results:

 

 

 

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20

Score for Waldorf Education: 1

Score for Traditional Education: -12

Score for Unit Studies Education: 3

Score for Montessori Education: 23

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -1

Score for Unschooling: 8

Score for Classical Education: 21

 

Wow, I'm actually surprised at how accurate that is! Classical/Charlotte/Montessori - yep, those 3 are my main influences!

[Kalypso]

Score for Classical Education: 21

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20 
Score for Montessori Education: 18 

Score for Unit Studies Education: 11

Score for Waldorf Education: 8 

Score for Unschooling: 8 

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 5
Score for Traditional Education: -5 

 

I guess I am not surprised by these results. Anytime I have to fill out a form asking what type of homeschooler I am, I usually put classical or eclectic depending on my mood.

 

Great quiz!
 

 

 

[scoutingmom]

Tried it twice now (with about 30 minutes in between attempts) and got a server error both times.

[celticmom]

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 0
Score for Waldorf Education: 0
Score for Traditional Education: -19
Score for Unit Studies Education: 6
Score for Montessori Education: 15
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 2

Score for Unschooling: 8
Score for Classical Education: 15

 

These are my scores. I would say that it is accurate Classical and Traditional Education but I don't know enough about Montessori to comment on that. My philosophy on education has been heavily impacted by what works for my probably 2e child.
 

[FO4UR]

I saw your quiz running viral on fb this morning.  I don't remember my exact scores, but CM was the top # at 20-something and traditional was bottom at -23. That was spot-on.

 

 

I think the Waldorf questions are going to pull CM moms too.  I'm not a Waldorf mom, but we emphasize nature, relaxed early education, and limited screens.  The why behind it is very different in CM than in Waldorf, though they may look similar on the outside.

 

[Embassy]

Someone pointed out to me this morning that the totals for Charlotte Mason were not working correctly.  I found an error in the code and it should tabulate the totals for Charlotte Mason correctly now.  I also updated some of the questions for Waldorf and Traditional education to better reflect the philosophies.  

[Embassy]

Tried it twice now (with about 30 minutes in between attempts) and got a server error both times.

 

Sorry about that.  My web host isn't very happy with me....Over 25,000 quizzes have been completed since yesterday.  The best bet to avoid errors it to try it late at night, early in the morning, or in a couple days.

[Joanne]

Homeschooled my 3 and others for 10 years.

 

Have worked in a traditional private school for 6.

 

Your Results:

Score for Waldorf Education: -1
Score for Traditional Education: 3
Score for Unit Studies Education: 11
Score for Montessori Education: 5
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -1
Score for Unschooling: -3
Score for Classical Education: 19
Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 10

 

I'm only surprised at the traditional ed score; I expected it to be higher. And I suppose I expected the CM one to have lowered, but I am still a strong believer of short, focused lessons.

[Tsuga]

I've never really put that much thought into official Waldorf philosophy. There's a Waldorf co-op I've been looking into, so I suppose I should investigate a little more. Much of what they're proposing is attractive to my granola side, but we're also a very tech-dependent family.

I know people who do it for the freedom from tech (I love tech but within boundaries), but Waldorf's writing creeps me out. I'm sure it depends on the school.

 

OP, my lord that is an AMAZING response rate even assuming a lot of incompletes and duplicates!

 

You could write a paper on this.

[Ausmumof3]

I came out strongly Charlotte Masonish which is accurate.

[happypamama]

I saw your quiz running viral on fb this morning. I don't remember my exact scores, but CM was the top # at 20-something and traditional was bottom at -23. That was spot-on.

 

 

I think the Waldorf questions are going to pull CM moms too. I'm not a Waldorf mom, but we emphasize nature, relaxed early education, and limited screens. The why behind it is very different in CM than in Waldorf, though they may look similar on the outside.

I think that's what's nice about her quiz, that a mom who likes emphasizing nature, relaxed early education, and limited screens may see both Waldorf and CM come up high on her list, and then she'll have a better direction of where she can go. I think that quiz has potential to be really useful for new and potential homeschoolers! (It's why I often suggest the Clarksons' book, Educating the Wholehearted Child, because it gives an overview of a lot of different approaches to homeschooling. I always tell people that they'll find themselves nodding along with a few approaches which will resonate with them, and then they'll have a starting point for deeper research. I think this quiz is a lot like that, very similar to the Belief-O-Matic quiz which is supposed to help you find the right religion for what you believe.)

 

(And I was drawn to Waldorf and CM for many of the same reasons -- handcrafts, nature, appreciation of artistic and beautiful things. . . The Nova Natural catalog feeds my senses so strongly!)

[brehon]

I had my 13 yo take the quiz yesterday (prior to your corrections,Embassy. I saved the pages the scores were on, but can't access them this morning). Assuming he took it seriously and didn't just fill in bubbles (which he is wont to do), his top three were:

 

Unschooling: 19

Classical: 15 (?)

Unit Studies: 9

 

My Unschooling score was in the low ones and Unit Studies was 0.

 

Huh.

[brehon]

I meant to ask yesterday; do you think the results to these questions are more accurate for younger kids or do you think they're pretty accurate for all ages?

[Embassy]

Sorry guys.  My web host shut me down (long story, but switching hosts as we speak).  It is back up for now.  http://eclectic-homeschool.com/what-kind-of-homeschooler-are-you/ 

[Embassy]

I meant to ask yesterday; do you think the results to these questions are more accurate for younger kids or do you think they're pretty accurate for all ages?

 

I think the homeschooling approach tends to change some as children get older. 

[Embassy]

OP, my lord that is an AMAZING response rate even assuming a lot of incompletes and duplicates!

 

You could write a paper on this.

 

My site is saving the data from the completed quizzes so it might be fun to analyze the data to see what it reveals.  

[Tsuga]

My site is saving the data from the completed quizzes so it might be fun to analyze the data to see what it reveals.

It would be interesting to do a cluster or principal components analysis to see if the groupings make sense!

[Bocky]

Score for Waldorf Education: 6 

Score for Traditional Education: 0 
Score for Unit Studies Education: 9 
Score for Montessori Education: 8 
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -3 
Score for Unschooling: 3 

Score for Classical Education: 16 
Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 6 

 

I enjoyed the quiz. I do really like the Classical approach, and that came out clearly in my results. I am thinking of putting together unit studies for literature, history geography and science next year too - unit studies was number 2. Waldorf was my third highest, which was interesting as I think of Waldorf as something for younger kids. Apparently I don't like Thomas Jefferson  :closedeyes:

 

[Onceuponatime]

Waldorf 1

Traditional -11

Unit studies 6

Montessori 11

Thomas Jefferson -14

Unschooling 8

Classical 6

Charlotte Mason 15

 

 

I love "living books!" I've never looked into A Thomas Jefferson Education. Apparently I would hate it. I think the unschooling score reflects a degree of relaxation, but I would never pass for an unschooler.

[HS Mom in NC]

There are different aspects of A Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd.) Because of its stages, content and pedagogy, it can be very similar to unschooling in its interest driven learning aspect in the earlier years, it can be very Charlotte Masony in its living books aspect and it can be very Classical in its Great Books aspect. Don't write off an approach you haven't looked into based on this quiz.  TJEd is the probably hardest approach to quantify in a general quiz and to explain without going in depth.

[brehon]

I think the homeschooling approach tends to change some as children get older.

I tend to agree which is what prompted my question. I know that with my olders my approach has changed/is changing to (try to) accommodate their growing interests.

 

Anyway, even though I think some of the questions could easily apply to any number of parents/kids regardless of homeschooling philosophy, I thought the quiz was very well done.

[Southern Ivy]

Score for Waldorf Education: -5 
Score for Traditional Education: -9 
Score for Unit Studies Education: 16 
Score for Montessori Education: 18 
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 2 
Score for Unschooling: 15 

Score for Classical Education: 17 
Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 15

Umm, I don't even know what a Montessori education would include! lol Not sure why/how I got that result. I would have said CM/Classical with a bit of unschooling/child-led rabbit trails. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Montessori shares a lot of the same educational values as Charlotte Mason.  They were contemporaries.  Charlotte Mason did criticize Montessori's method for giving too much freedom and not enough discipline.  

[Southern Ivy]

Montessori shares a lot of the same educational values as Charlotte Mason.  They were contemporaries.  Charlotte Mason did criticize Montessori's method for giving too much freedom and not enough discipline.  

Thanks. That makes a bit of sense then. 

I'm sure as dd gets older, it'll change too. :)

[Zinnia]

Score for Waldorf Education: 3
Score for Traditional Education: -3
Score for Unit Studies Education: 14
Score for Montessori Education: 15
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 3
Score for Unschooling: 2

 

Score for Classical Education: 14
Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 13

 

I am a new homeschooler (first year), and as the quiz shows, totally not sure what my style is.  They all seem fine, not great, not terrible.  Unfortunately, this is the majority of my life, and making a decision is like stabbing my eyes out.  :)

[MrsWeasley]

Score for Waldorf Education: 10 
Score for Traditional Education: -7 
Score for Unit Studies Education: 10 
Score for Montessori Education: 11 
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: -1 
Score for Unschooling: 8 

Score for Classical Education: 11 
Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 17 

[SamanthaCarter]

My top three were Charlotte Mason, Classical and Waldorf. I'm really surprised by the Waldorf. I didn't expect that outcome. The next ones down were Montessori and Unschooling - also surprised at how high unschooling came out. If I were asked before taking the quiz I would have said CM, Classical and Montessori, with no idea which would be weighted more heavily.  

 

I want to point out too that this is my first year homeschooling, so I'm not sure I've really hashed out my own educational philosophy. 

[*Jessica*]

Score for Waldorf Education: -6

Score for Traditional Education: -21

Score for Unit Studies Education: 5

Score for Montessori Education: 19

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 5

Score for Unschooling: 19

Score for Classical Education: 17

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 17

[Elfknitter.#]

I keep getting a 404 Not Found error.

[Guest]

Score for Waldorf Education: 0 

Score for Traditional Education: -21 

Score for Unit Studies Education: -9 

Score for Montessori Education: 16 

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 5 

Score for Unschooling: 8 

 

Score for Classical Education: 19 

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 20

[Guest gdzprncess]

Your Results:

 

 

Score for Waldorf Education: 2

Score for Traditional Education: -19

Score for Unit Studies Education: 8

Score for Montessori Education: 16

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 13

Score for Unschooling: 8

Score for Classical Education: 3

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 8

 

This is quite intriguing. I chose neutral for several because I could see both sides, or see it one way at one age but it being different at another age.

 

I have no clue what a TJE is but apparently I'll have to look it up. I suspect I'm an attachment homeschooler, with the belief that it's important to balance my needs with DS's needs and teach according to our family values.

 

ETA: I also think part of my issue is I'm crunchy suburban. I use a lot of tech and so does my preschooler. We have limits but I find the Bible app and YouTube educational and streaming media great for downtime. I'm not personally crafty or outdoorsy so while it's probably a great thing for some people, I don't think it's mandatory. I think root words are necessary but not Latin itself. Etc. I agree that excluding the neutral option would have made me lean more towards one side or another.

 

ETA: I apparently do agree with much of the Montessori and TJE philosophy. Both self directed exploration and guided exploration of the world's values make sense to me. Maybe I'm more relaxed than un. Also the idea of Living books and other stuff do sound better than worksheets but still seem like a lot of unnecessary work.

[DawnM]

I took this earlier and will retake it tomorrow to show scores, but just curious if you will all disown me if I didn't score a negative for traditional education AND scored the highest on Unit studies!  I didn't do Unit Studies that often, but I do love them.  We created them for a few years when I taught in PS high school.  It was a lot of fun.  That was before "standards" and mandated books.  The History and English classes in particular were great for Unit study type approaches.

 

Score for Waldorf Education: -6 

Score for Traditional Education: 1
Score for Unit Studies Education: 17 
Score for Montessori Education: 10 
Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 3 
Score for Unschooling: 1

Score for Classical Education: 8 
Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 10

[RioSamba]

Score for Waldorf Education: 15

Score for Traditional Education: -8

Score for Unit Studies Education: 6

Score for Montessori Education: 10

Score for Thomas Jefferson Education: 2

Score for Unschooling: 8

Score for Classical Education: 25

Score for Charlotte Mason Education: 23

 

 

What a great quiz! I took it before the refinements, but I couldn't post. Now, after the refinements, my CM and Classical scores went up by four and three points respectively. My top three definitely represent how I think about homeschooling and how I try to do it.

 

I do *really* like a good quiz. I suddenly have a burning desire to find out which Justified character I am most like. I don't know how to make italics on the iPad, so Justified is just going to sit in that sentence as is. 😉

[luuknam]

Charlotte Mason: 19

Unit Studies: 9
Unschooling / Montessori: 8

Thomas Jefferson: 6
Classical: 5

Waldorf: 0
Traditional: -19
 

 

I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with all the approaches to say if I think that's accurate. I'm also still struggling with myself wrt what my educational/parenting philosophy is. Before my 7.5yo was born, I was leaning toward unschooling... but with him being high-functioning autistic and having had a major speech/communication delay I've definitely rethought that a bit. I just don't know what my final conclusion is. Tiger Mom and unschooler are still battling it out, and apparently Charlotte Mason is the result (I started reading CM a few months ago on my laptop, but I'm still in the first book - too many other things on the internet to read...).

 

ETA: Too many questions were of the "it depends" kind, or the "yes to the first half, no to the second" (or vice versa) kind, e.g. the Latin and logic one. Otherwise, a fun and interesting quiz!