Tag: simplicity parenting
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How to Take Notes
In this post, I want to discuss ways to take notes. This is an important skill starting in middle school. It is certainly needed going into high school and beyond. In this article, I will discuss reasons why note taking is important and why notes should be handwritten. Let’s begin with the latter. Why Take…
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Happy Children
In a recent interview, Dr. Leonard Sax, a long-time family physician and psychologist, explained that the biggest predictor of adult well-being in children is their relationship with their parents. Let that sink in for a minute. Happy children are those who have the best relationships with their caregivers. Does that surprise you as it did…
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Winter or Advent Spiral
This week, I wanted to write a post about making winter holidays meaningful, especially for adolescents and teens. I will focus on the Winter or Advent Spiral, commonly done in Waldorf settings. The principles, however, are broadly applicable to other traditions as well, so extrapolate as necessary. The Difference Between Children and Adolescents At puberty,…
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What is Waldorf Education?
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by
In order to answer the question, “What is Waldorf Education?” we have first to answer a more fundamental question, “What is a human being?” Well, what IS a human being? What do you say to that? Stop and consider your answer. I recently elaborated my answer in the following clip: A human is a threefold…
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The Formative Power of Gratitude
On Thanksgiving each year, many of us practice giving gratitude. Is this just a nice family tradition, or is there a truly formative power of gratitude? Let’s start with words of wisdom from wise people. Eckhart Tolle once said (paraphrased), “If you practice gratitude, life will give you more things to be grateful for.” In…
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Civic Education in Homeschool
In the wake of this 2024 U.S. presidential election, I feel called to write a post about civic education. We have a deeply polarized nation, and that’s not good. For the record I must say that as a teacher, it’s not my place to take sides. Rather, it’s my job to preserve the sacred balance…
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Emotional Intelligence
In this third post of our series on the 6 Basic Exercises, we will discuss “Control of Feeling.” A better title for this exercise would be “cultivating emotional intelligence through mastering the feeling life.” However, the Austrian simplicity of Rudolf Steiner preferred the shorter title, so we’ll go with that. This is probably the hardest…
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Freewill (Control of Will)
In this blog post, we will discuss freewill. However, this will not be a philosophical treatise on whether or not freewill exists. Rather, it will be a practical guide on how to become free of will. This is the followup to a post we wrote a few months ago entitled Control of Thought. The Six…
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Education in a Time of Uncertainty
Our world is becoming increasingly uncertain. Wars progress and threaten to escalate. Markets are volatile. The upcoming U.S. presidential election looks messy. Even Asheville, N.C., long considered to be one of the very safest places in the country, was just devastated by a hurricane. (So safe was Asheville considered that NOAA put their server building…
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The Power of Story
Where do you get your news from? I get mine from The Lord of the Rings. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true, and that is because of the power of story to convey truth. Allow me to explain. Every reasonable adult I know agrees that the media is a fray, literally like the…