Hello from the Austin Waldorf School! Janie and I are enjoying our training (with Lifeways North America). We have danced, played kinder harps, and learned a lot about Waldorf/Steiner philosophy as it relates to the developing human from birth to age 21. We both found crocheting difficult, but we’ll pick it up again tomorrow.
When you stand among mentors and hear that you’re on the right track, that your observations and gut instincts align with something bigger than you, it’s almost too much to bear. Many in our training session couldn’t make it through a simple exercise last night, which was simply to state why we were there. Motherhood and working with children (feeding them, nurturing them, trying to provide staff and a school worthy of them) it’s truly so personal to Janie and I, and to all of our fellow trainees.
Lest everything be too serious, and though we’ve both cried like babies, don’t think we haven’t laughed our buns off, too. I split my pants today and had to make a wild run to Target for new pants before I could do our movement class this afternoon. Janie had to unravel her crocheted dishcloth at least 10 times. Our kinder harps are so out of tune that they’d make babies cry, and though I’m happy to sing, I’m not sure that there is a growlers’ section, as my dad would say.
But, we’re here. Fumbling, succeeding, and taking it all in.
Andrea asked me to post a little something we learn each day. Today we learned we are “salutogenesists”, or people in the business of promoting health and well-being. In other words, we promote “health-ease” vs “dis-ease”. Healthy children, of course, grow into healthy adults, and this comes from having a happy childhood filled first with play, then academics. Time in nature, order, and healthy food allow the child to lay down a foundation of health so that when it is time to pursue academic interests, his/her mind is ready.
On the home front, it looks like the kids had a lot of fun with the frog sensory tubs!
Thanks to our staff, and Andrea in particular, for allowing us to get away from the school for training!
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Have a happy day!
