Category: The Inner Work of Education
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The Danger of Materialistic-Reductionism in Education (and What to Do About It)
It goes without saying that the physical is part of reality. We wouldn’t get very far denying that. However, is the physical all there is? Many people these days would answer “yes” or “probably” to this materialistic reductionism. It is the trend of modern cultural life, particularly in the West, and it has destructive, deadening…
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Developing Forward-Backward Thinking
In this post, we are going to discuss forward-backward thinking and how our curriculum – especially our Creative Writing and science classes – develops this. Now, you may be asking yourself, “What does he mean by forward-backward thinking?” Let me explain. Typically, we only think forwards because that is what we use to navigate the…
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What We do in Teen Empowerment
Enkindle Academy offers a weekly Teen Empowerment Class to students in 6th Grade and above. We began offering this class over a year ago out of the pressing need to give young people a safe and supportive place to become themselves. We lack such spaces in the West today. Most, if not all, traditional and…
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The Role of Pain in Transformation
It may sound strange for a homeschooling blog to write about the role of pain in transformation. However, one of our students brought this question up recently in our Teen Empowerment Class. It is, therefore, relevant to our students as well as their parents. We ought therefore to inquire into our relationship with this troublesome…
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Art in Waldorf Education
Why is it so important to emphasize art in Waldorf Education? Or, in any education for that matter? Why not just give them textbooks? To explore this question, let’s first acknowledge that a true education educates the whole being. Would you send your children to a school whose motto is, “We only educate the head!”…
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Are You Waldorf Enough?
Are you Waldorf enough? Many Waldorf-based homeschoolers ask themselves this question. In my own teaching career, I wondered this for the first several years, even though I was going through teacher training at an accredited institution. Generally, people come to a path as intentional as Waldorf Education with zeal and dedication. This isn’t just a…
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Explaining AI to Students Part 2 – Human Vs. AI
In last week’s post, we focused on explaining how AI (artificial intelligence) functions. If we want to know how best to explain AI to our students, we have to start there. After all, being Luddites who dogmatically reject all technology out of hand won’t do us good. Our children will eventually become curious and open…
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Parent Self-Care
Life is work. Parenting is hard work. Homeschooling is even harder work. It’s an enormously rewarding path that is worth the effort. However, even the best endeavors require parent self-care so we can keep up the good work. While many articles on parent self-care advise you go to the spa, get a massage, or take…
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Is Homeschooling Right for You?
Making the decision to homeschool is a big one that more and more families are turning to these days. How do you know if it’s the right thing for your family, though? Recently, we wrote a post about how to tell if homeschooling is right for your child. On the other hand, is homeschooling right…
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Daily Homeschool Rhythm
Homeschoolers have a variety of curriculum options these days. Some of them are DIY written curriculum while others, like ours at Enkindle Academy, are more interactive. However, as every homeschooler knows, having the right curriculum is not enough. There’s a lot more that goes into your day, and today I want to talk about your…