Joined
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4,092 Posts
Edit/Addition: There is now a Table of Contents here at the top to help newcomers (and oldies) locate certain topics of concern that have been discussed here so far. It is still under construction. Please feel free to post and ask anything even if it has already been mentioned before. An introduction to the thread follows the table of contents.
In Peace,
~Beansavi
Topic of the Week: Reading in Waldorf Schools and How One Waldorf Teacher was Trained to Teach Reading: See Posts 756, 757
Table of Contents
We have discussed our concerns with:
Beansavi's Story (punishment); Posts 11,164-166, 682,684
Anti-Sematism in Steiner's Spiritual Views; Posts 401-433
What is Anthroposophy?; Posts 29,
The Pain of the Grapevine:Slander and Gossip; Posts 682,684
Bullying; Posts
Is Waldorf a Religious Education?; Posts
Being Excommunicated from a Waldorf School; posts 23,684
AWSNA and the ASA; posts 20,422
Labelling Children with Temperaments/your Child's "Karma"; Posts 19,31,446
Boys Will Be Boys; Posts 21,
When Your Child Leaves Waldorf and Goes to Public School; Posts 18,
Reading in Waldorf Schools; Posts 18,756, 757
Steiner on Breastfeeding; Posts401-433
Hi Everyone,
I am creating this thread so that there is a safe and healthy place for people to get caring support for negative Waldorf experiences. Guidelines for posting that insure the feelings of safety and respect are listed at the bottom of this post.
(Just for reference, I am a former Waldorf grade teacher, Waldorf Parent in on the founding of the school, member of a local Anthroposophical Study group, and five year member of the Anthroposophical Society Headquarters in Switzerland and Anthroposophical Society in America. I also began the School of Spiritual Science training [first class in the ASA membership], but left when I had seen more than I was comfortable with personally.)
Waldorf Education definitely makes a great first impression. In my experience, it was a natural next step in my attachment parenting lifestyle. However, once I received my Waldorf Grades Teacher-Training, the world of Anthroposophy unfolded before me, and I was offended by, and personally insulted by the people I worked with and all that I saw/heard/studied/experienced. Namely, (in my and my son's experience) the lack of protection of my son and lack of following of protocol with Social Services. My story is in a later post.
Many of us have seen that Waldorf, Anthroposophy, and/or Steiner himself has a "darker side" (forgive me if I don't know how to put this better). This side is very difficult to discuss publicly, though I wish that weren't the case. In my experiences, I have found people either say they have issues with Waldorf, etc., or emphatically deny these issues exist on any large scale.
I have yet to (though I hope to one day) find someone within the Waldorf/Anthroposophical movements who sees both the beautiful aspects and the healing potiential within Waldorf Education, but who also discusses the very real negative experiences many around the world are having, as you will see discussed herein. This type of discussion requires real bravery and unwavering honesty.
Simply stating that we are sorry someone had a hard time but "that's not true at my Waldorf school" is not sufficient enough to get the job done.
Here is a little background important to understand when reading this thread:
All Waldorf schools (in North America) are members of the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America (AWSNA), and the members of this association are Anthroposophists and members of the Anthroposophical Society in America (ASA). (You will see these two acronyms often in this thread.) Whatever attitudes and practices AWSNA and the ASA have, a Waldorf school must ultimately have within it's "root system".
It seems to me that only when we have come to a truly honest discussion can the shadow I see in Waldorf/Anthroposophy be overcome. In doing so we will, I am certain, see Waldorf thrive and the grownups and children who have been left in the wake of its hurt, heal and thrive, too.
It is not my intention, nor is it my desire, to get into semantics here. Whether we refer to our negative experiences as our "observations", "perspectives", or whether someone else refers to negativity in the Waldorf community as simply "rumours", etc., our hurtful experiences are exactly that: they are real experiences, real examples of the problem, and they are not minimized or discredited by the names we
- or anyone - put on them. We are here to support each other and to talk as friends and confidantes.
Many Blessings
and
Most Sincerely,
Beansavi
PS Here are two great sites: [
www.postwaldorftutoring.com
www.easeonline.org
Here's how this thread hopes to serve as a "Safe Haven":
There is a sticky by Lauren requiring those who do not agree with the questioners to not post simply for the purpose of contradicting or undermining the working-through-of-issues we are attempting here. Please do not get those needing support off the topic by putting them in a position of defending themselves.
To quote Lauren directly: "Members posting simply to pick apart the question or put down the questioner will not be tolerated."
Please adhere to these rules, showing respect and maturity.
Suggested Guidelines for Our "Safe Haven"
These guidelines are not meant to be imposed as a "short leash". Instead, I see them as a way our sisterhood (but, then again, not exclusively for females!) can avoid the feelings of needing to defend ourselves, or getting caught up in any "negative vibes" experienced in the earlier Waldorf Concerns threads. It is my hope and intention that this place serve as a Healthy, Safe Haven for those of us who feel hurt in our hearts by what we have experienced.
1)
Understand that right off the bat, what you tell me, I will believe. I believe you. I will also assume your intentions for posting here are good and for the purposes stated in the original post.
2)
Check your feelings before you post: if someone has made a comment, etc. that makes you feel you need to defend your own integrity, or that of your child, either:
a) pm me and vent privately
b) ignore the post/comment altogether and continue with the discussion as it ran along before someone insinuated anything negative about your intentions for speaking out.
3)
Understand that no one here is (or should be) speaking for another person "behind the scenes". Period. All statements are real-live human beings who speak only for the purpose of healing themselves and family members.
4)
To avoid getting edited or shut down, let's not state the actual names of schools or people who have hurt us and/or our children, except in PMs.
Peace,
Beansavi
In Peace,
~Beansavi
Topic of the Week: Reading in Waldorf Schools and How One Waldorf Teacher was Trained to Teach Reading: See Posts 756, 757
Table of Contents
We have discussed our concerns with:
Beansavi's Story (punishment); Posts 11,164-166, 682,684
Anti-Sematism in Steiner's Spiritual Views; Posts 401-433
What is Anthroposophy?; Posts 29,
The Pain of the Grapevine:Slander and Gossip; Posts 682,684
Bullying; Posts
Is Waldorf a Religious Education?; Posts
Being Excommunicated from a Waldorf School; posts 23,684
AWSNA and the ASA; posts 20,422
Labelling Children with Temperaments/your Child's "Karma"; Posts 19,31,446
Boys Will Be Boys; Posts 21,
When Your Child Leaves Waldorf and Goes to Public School; Posts 18,
Reading in Waldorf Schools; Posts 18,756, 757
Steiner on Breastfeeding; Posts401-433
Hi Everyone,
I am creating this thread so that there is a safe and healthy place for people to get caring support for negative Waldorf experiences. Guidelines for posting that insure the feelings of safety and respect are listed at the bottom of this post.
(Just for reference, I am a former Waldorf grade teacher, Waldorf Parent in on the founding of the school, member of a local Anthroposophical Study group, and five year member of the Anthroposophical Society Headquarters in Switzerland and Anthroposophical Society in America. I also began the School of Spiritual Science training [first class in the ASA membership], but left when I had seen more than I was comfortable with personally.)
Waldorf Education definitely makes a great first impression. In my experience, it was a natural next step in my attachment parenting lifestyle. However, once I received my Waldorf Grades Teacher-Training, the world of Anthroposophy unfolded before me, and I was offended by, and personally insulted by the people I worked with and all that I saw/heard/studied/experienced. Namely, (in my and my son's experience) the lack of protection of my son and lack of following of protocol with Social Services. My story is in a later post.
Many of us have seen that Waldorf, Anthroposophy, and/or Steiner himself has a "darker side" (forgive me if I don't know how to put this better). This side is very difficult to discuss publicly, though I wish that weren't the case. In my experiences, I have found people either say they have issues with Waldorf, etc., or emphatically deny these issues exist on any large scale.
I have yet to (though I hope to one day) find someone within the Waldorf/Anthroposophical movements who sees both the beautiful aspects and the healing potiential within Waldorf Education, but who also discusses the very real negative experiences many around the world are having, as you will see discussed herein. This type of discussion requires real bravery and unwavering honesty.
Simply stating that we are sorry someone had a hard time but "that's not true at my Waldorf school" is not sufficient enough to get the job done.
Here is a little background important to understand when reading this thread:
All Waldorf schools (in North America) are members of the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America (AWSNA), and the members of this association are Anthroposophists and members of the Anthroposophical Society in America (ASA). (You will see these two acronyms often in this thread.) Whatever attitudes and practices AWSNA and the ASA have, a Waldorf school must ultimately have within it's "root system".
It seems to me that only when we have come to a truly honest discussion can the shadow I see in Waldorf/Anthroposophy be overcome. In doing so we will, I am certain, see Waldorf thrive and the grownups and children who have been left in the wake of its hurt, heal and thrive, too.
It is not my intention, nor is it my desire, to get into semantics here. Whether we refer to our negative experiences as our "observations", "perspectives", or whether someone else refers to negativity in the Waldorf community as simply "rumours", etc., our hurtful experiences are exactly that: they are real experiences, real examples of the problem, and they are not minimized or discredited by the names we
- or anyone - put on them. We are here to support each other and to talk as friends and confidantes.
Many Blessings
and
Most Sincerely,

Beansavi
PS Here are two great sites: [
www.postwaldorftutoring.com
www.easeonline.org
Here's how this thread hopes to serve as a "Safe Haven":
There is a sticky by Lauren requiring those who do not agree with the questioners to not post simply for the purpose of contradicting or undermining the working-through-of-issues we are attempting here. Please do not get those needing support off the topic by putting them in a position of defending themselves.
To quote Lauren directly: "Members posting simply to pick apart the question or put down the questioner will not be tolerated."
Please adhere to these rules, showing respect and maturity.
Suggested Guidelines for Our "Safe Haven"
These guidelines are not meant to be imposed as a "short leash". Instead, I see them as a way our sisterhood (but, then again, not exclusively for females!) can avoid the feelings of needing to defend ourselves, or getting caught up in any "negative vibes" experienced in the earlier Waldorf Concerns threads. It is my hope and intention that this place serve as a Healthy, Safe Haven for those of us who feel hurt in our hearts by what we have experienced.
1)

2)

a) pm me and vent privately
b) ignore the post/comment altogether and continue with the discussion as it ran along before someone insinuated anything negative about your intentions for speaking out.
3)

4)

Peace,
Beansavi