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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Seekers of Wisdom/Keepers of the Faith

Seekers of Wisdom/ Keepers of the Faith

Does there have to be a conflict? Has there always been one between the two? Is this what the difference between unschooling, or child-led education and a method such as Waldorf comes down to? There is an element of respect in a Steiner (or Waldorf) education for the stage of development a particular child finds himself in. Steiner himself wrote much of not feeding information to a child but bringing out what is within him or her. Is this the same though, as allowing him to freely search out what moves him and inspires him to explore a topic, thus discovering the world?

I strive for a balance between the two. The children read books they choose at the library, they play games they invent themselves. I read aloud books of my choosing and form a "curriculum" of subjects I think might be of benefit in their understanding of the world; math, history, botany, French grammar, proper writing skills, geography. This passing on of wisdom of ages past and present is my gift of experience and knowledge, the freedom to explore their world is a gift each one deserves from the universe.

How do others interpret this age-old conflict in the realm of education?

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