Our Educational Journey

Homeschooling is a unique experience. Besides not being the norm, home schoolers are all different, with different beliefs, approaches, styles, and curricula. Labels can be helpful and harmful. To be brief, I still describe myself as Waldorf inspired, but even that feels a little constricting. I recently described myself to a friend like this: I am nature based and child interest guided, with Waldorf principles guiding me, sprinkling magic on what we are doing. Clear as mud, yes?

We have been a home learning family for the past 3 years. Our eldest began kindergarten at a music charter school when she was not-yet 5. I had acquaintances who homeschooled, but at that point, I admit, you couldn't have paid me to homeschool. While her kindergarten teacher was amazing, the school was not a good fit for us. That became particularly clear during her 1st grade year. After much discussion and over-thinking, we moved her to a brand new Waldorf inspired charter school in which we had become very invested founding parents. We decided to have her re-experience 1st grade, which was a hard decision for us (but clearly desired by her and absolutely right, looking back). The school had so much potential, but horrid growing pains. It was taking a tremendous amount of my time in meetings as a school organizer and in the classroom supporting our increasingly anxious and overwhelmed 7 year old. 

We pulled Lala Bug out of her second charter school at winter break of her 2nd grade year. We were already a Waldorf inspired family, but I was not a professional teacher and had not studied Waldorf education in depth. Five months prior to dis-enrolling Lala Bug from school, I found the Thinking Feeling Willing program from Waldorf Essentials. I felt very connected to Melisa Nielsen's real life approach to Waldorf and wanted to learn all I could for myself. It was a logical transition, then, to use her curriculum as we moved into homeschooling. As time went on, I learned more and more about Waldorf temperaments, child development, my own perspective of spirtuality, resources, approaches to handwork, holistic learning and living, and more through the TFW program. It has been really life supporting for me. Along with learning more about a more connected approach to parenting, the last 3 years have provided me with a great deal of personal growth and healing.

When Lala Bug was in 3rd grade, Little Brown Mouse began kindergarten. We had pulled Lala Bug from school for individual reasons, so we did consider having Little Brown Mouse go to public school. In the end, though, I wanted him home with me.

We have been incredibly fortunate to be part of a charter school that supports homeschoolers. Many homeschoolers join charters for the financial support, but don't love the charter. Our experience is so positive. Our charter has weekly classes or activities for the kids, filling some basic social needs. It is small and the education coordinators are incredible. The community is supportive.

For curriculum, the Waldorf Essentials curriculum has been a nice resource, but it hasn't worked well for us as a stand-alone curriculum. I have felt that I needed more resources, more ideas, and a general fleshing out of materials. I have used parts of Oak Meadow, Christopherus, and have really appreciated free resources from Waldorf Inspirations, the Files of the Waldorf Home Educators Yahoo Group, the guides from Wee Folk Art, and ebooks from the Waldorf Library. Of all of those resources, Melisa Niesen's "voice" has resonated most positively and strongly for me. She offers excellent support.

For awhile now, though, I have felt as though I can't seem to get our rhythm quite right, and anyone who loves Waldorf knows, it is all about rhythm. Feeling discouraged, I have appreciated the positive voice of veteran Waldorf homeschooler Jean Miller of Waldorf Inspired Learning. Her planning guide helped me this year to keep it simple. And most recently, another Waldorf online mama friend encouraged me to watch some of the Periscopes of veteran non-Waldorf homeschool mom Julie Bogart of Brave Writer. I got hooked and her mamma-of-grown-children experiences have been the next stage of life changing for me. She is incredibly encouraging, inspirational, secular, and positive.

I had been feeling so stuck in what I should be doing at these stages/grades for my kids, discouraged at what wasn't working that we are "supposed" to be covering, and I had forgotten that, at its core, Waldorf home learning should be magical.

So I have let go and brought the magic back into our homeschool!

Thanks for joining me here!

~Nicola, February 2016