Bringing Spirit Into Matter (and homeschooling)

I'm back from Bringing Spirit Into Matter summer workshops at the Rudolf Steiner Centre in Toronto and feeling very inspired and energized to start a new homeschooling year (hoping to start lessons again once our summer camps have ended mid-August). My friend Jan and I attended a workshop designed especially for homeschoolers. Our teacher (Marg Beard) was wonderful! She helped us to better understand Waldorf pedagogy, child and human development, identify our needs and our children's needs (and find ways to meet them), work on our homeschool rhythm and goals and she shared many ideas and tools to help us better organize our home environment and teach our children. We even learned some great new songs and games to try out with our kids! Wow! I'm amazed at how much I've learned and how much useful help I've received in one week! I also attended a Eurythmy class and silk and yarn dyeing workshop, both equally inspiring. I came home with a suitcase full of colourful silks and rainbow yarn and feel confident to keep working and experimenting with plant dyes at home, on my own or with the children. As a homeschooler, I felt very welcome at the Steiner Centre. I met many amazing Waldorf teachers and early childhood educators as well as other homeschoolers from all over the world. Everyone was happy to share their experience, exchange ideas and teaching material with others. It was interesting to be in the classrooms of the beautiful Toronto Waldorf School for our workshops and Jan and I were lucky to be able to stay on site at Hesperus (watch the video, it's interesting!).

beautifully lazured walls everywhere...

and stained glass...

the farm, hard to believe we are in Toronto!

plant dyeing workshop, so nice to do outside!

I also brought home some interesting books...