How I discovered Waldorf (and how you can, too)

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The following is a guest post by Donna Ashton of The Waldorf Connection.

When my twin girls were three and a half my husband and I decided we would homeschool them.

I had no idea what curriculum I would use and had never heard of Waldorf Education.

I attended a homeschool fair in my state and purchased a book called 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. The book contained a short quiz, designed to help determine what educational style would be best for me and my family.

As a Type-A over-achiever, I was shocked when my results ended up in a tie between unschooling and Charlotte Mason.

I discovered I wanted something that didn’t look or feel like traditional school. Something that would give my girls real life knowledge and a love for learning.

Neither of the recommended curricula seemed to be the ‘right’ solution for us.

Meanwhile, through reading a few books on mindful parenting and moving forward on my own spiritual journey, I heard the word “Waldorf” mentioned a few times. When I began doing some research, I knew this was exactly what I had been looking for!

And much to my surprise it was a lot of what I had already been doing with my girls.

Things like spending time in nature, playing outdoors and celebrating the seasons, using natural toys, limited (or no) media, eating organic, whole food and living in a simplistic environment.

I saw the potential for offering an amazing education that meets my children where they are developmentally, paired with the arts, music, movement and so much more.

That was it, I was hooked.

My love for Waldorf only grew from there as I continued to gain knowledge in the philosophy behind the method, learn new skills, and open a creative part of myself that I now share with my kids.

I started this journey thinking it was going to be about my girls and what I could offer to them.

Somewhere along the way it became about me as well. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Waldorf Homeschool U

My passion for Waldorf led me to create Waldorf Homeschool U: A six week e-course that prepares you for understanding Waldorf concepts, shows you how to set-up your homeschool space and daily rhythm, and guides you to plan and present the material that your child needs to thrive.

Wherever you may be on this path, Waldorf Homeschool “U” will meet you there with practical nuts-n-bolts solutions, guidance and a supportive community.

An overview of the course:

• 6 week immersion
• six modules
• weekly summary workbook containing all of the week’s info – easy to download!
• templates, exercises, resource lists, & more
• weekly giveaways of  supportive mp3 workshop audio’s/pdf’s
• email support as you need it
• threaded comments for interactive support
• video lesson with me each week
• self-paced (you do not need to be in class at any specific time)
• virtual classroom remains open for 30 days post workshop
• a practical, step-by-step map to homeschooling with Waldorf

The e-course begins Tuesday, April 29th. Find out more information and register here.

Can you remember how you first discovered the educational philosophy your family adheres to?