when you feel the soul of the cosmos
then you will know peace
when you feel the soul of the earth
then you will know harmony
when you feel the soul of the family
then you will know love
when you feel the soul of the self
then you will know
Sunday, August 15, 2010
you will know
a verse of feeling and knowing
when you feel the soul of the earth
when you feel the soul of the family
when you feel the soul of the self
when you feel the soul of the earth
when you feel the soul of the family
when you feel the soul of the self
Sunday, August 8, 2010
know thyself
learning to be, and to be a teacher
With a five-week summer training program at Rudolf Steiner College completed, I am taking this Sunday morning to breathe, to fill a request for over easy eggs from my youngest son, and well, of course, to reflect-blog!
I began my teacher training last year, and this summer was the second in a four-year summer program; my cup is half full. Oddly, it feels both too much and not enough.
(Break for making breakfast.)
And this is why processing is so important. The students of the program, teachers in training, have received a generous heap of salad greens to digest, beautifully prepared and presented by our caring intructors. We ate up our plates, wishing for more time to enjoy it. But aside from the lingering flavors on our taste buds, all the goodness of the meal is inside us. We must now allow ourselves to process, to metabolize, to let the nutritive forces of the training to find their way into our muscles and nerves.
In so doing, in entering into the digestive phase, we can hear the quiet murmuring of our bodies, and if you really listen, there is one truth, one maxim, one directive: KNOW ONESELF. In ancient Greek, this aphorism was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. It has been the slogan of the enlightened for over 4000 years, most likely even further back when early humans, without speech or the written word, just knew.
Floating in the ether of too much and not enough, it is best to land on the ground of the SELF. One classmate, Hillary, in a moment of clarity we all shared, said, "I am enough." But the feeling of not being prepared, which we also all shared, especially for those of us about to dive into teaching this Fall, makes one doubt oneself. It is not easy to hold back the tides of insecurity, which can rise and engulf the ground of the self. It is not enough to be barely holding one's head above the water. So how do we have the feeling of being enough?
One must find calmness in simply being. To just be. To be in the realm of ONENESS, the core of the SELF. (The SELF is one of the five spheres of Waldorf education.)
Connecting with the inner self, and being so fully at peace with what is there, I believe will give us the freedom to be fully present and fully in the moment with the children. This is what I love about the Waldorf way: my being, which holds the power of the cosmos, is blessed to teach the children. Not to teach the curriculum, or to be tethered to some prescriptive standard. But to be the author and artist, expressions of the self, to be a teacher. On a practical note, choose what works for you. Gather your bag of curriculum concepts, your bag of Waldorf goodies, then create from the self. On an esoteric note, meditate. According to Chelsey, a friend and classmate, "Inner work is our battle cry!"
Whether you will be in a Waldorf classroom, a homeschooling parent, or are in a quest for inner enlightenment, it all begins with the self.
It all begins now.
(Break for finishing my cup of coffee.)
It all begins now.
(Break for unpacking boxes from moving to our new place in Davis!)
It all begins now!
With a five-week summer training program at Rudolf Steiner College completed, I am taking this Sunday morning to breathe, to fill a request for over easy eggs from my youngest son, and well, of course, to reflect-blog!
I began my teacher training last year, and this summer was the second in a four-year summer program; my cup is half full. Oddly, it feels both too much and not enough.
(Break for making breakfast.)
Steiner's work in anthroposophy and Waldorf education is monumental. His philosophical ideas and ideals are imbued with science and spirituality that reach out to the cosmos. His advice and teachings have an interdisciplinary range that is vast. His work is informed by multicultural forces of past, present, and future. In our training this summer, we are in our average day giving quality to the consciousness soul, then telling a story about giants, fairies, and queens and how to present with reverence the pentatonic flute to a first grader, then doing a tinikling dance with bamboo, then singing in three part harmony in Hebrew, then doing free-hand geometry, then trying to delineate the four temperaments,then proving the Pythagorean theorem, then reciting Shakespearean sonnets, and finally, in a refreshing and joyful out of character experience with Antje Staub, ending the day with a rap song about antipathy and sympathy!
And this is why processing is so important. The students of the program, teachers in training, have received a generous heap of salad greens to digest, beautifully prepared and presented by our caring intructors. We ate up our plates, wishing for more time to enjoy it. But aside from the lingering flavors on our taste buds, all the goodness of the meal is inside us. We must now allow ourselves to process, to metabolize, to let the nutritive forces of the training to find their way into our muscles and nerves.
In so doing, in entering into the digestive phase, we can hear the quiet murmuring of our bodies, and if you really listen, there is one truth, one maxim, one directive: KNOW ONESELF. In ancient Greek, this aphorism was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. It has been the slogan of the enlightened for over 4000 years, most likely even further back when early humans, without speech or the written word, just knew.
Floating in the ether of too much and not enough, it is best to land on the ground of the SELF. One classmate, Hillary, in a moment of clarity we all shared, said, "I am enough." But the feeling of not being prepared, which we also all shared, especially for those of us about to dive into teaching this Fall, makes one doubt oneself. It is not easy to hold back the tides of insecurity, which can rise and engulf the ground of the self. It is not enough to be barely holding one's head above the water. So how do we have the feeling of being enough?
One must find calmness in simply being. To just be. To be in the realm of ONENESS, the core of the SELF. (The SELF is one of the five spheres of Waldorf education.)
Connecting with the inner self, and being so fully at peace with what is there, I believe will give us the freedom to be fully present and fully in the moment with the children. This is what I love about the Waldorf way: my being, which holds the power of the cosmos, is blessed to teach the children. Not to teach the curriculum, or to be tethered to some prescriptive standard. But to be the author and artist, expressions of the self, to be a teacher. On a practical note, choose what works for you. Gather your bag of curriculum concepts, your bag of Waldorf goodies, then create from the self. On an esoteric note, meditate. According to Chelsey, a friend and classmate, "Inner work is our battle cry!"
Whether you will be in a Waldorf classroom, a homeschooling parent, or are in a quest for inner enlightenment, it all begins with the self.
It all begins now.
(Break for finishing my cup of coffee.)
It all begins now.
(Break for unpacking boxes from moving to our new place in Davis!)
It all begins now!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
singing with eva
developing our vocal instruments
Melody finds the deepest places within our bodies and pulls us to float on each note. Harmony weaves the threads that wrap us in color, warmth, and love. Lyrics resound like a warrior god or whisper like a dreamy lover.
But a choir of voices, oh how truly the song of many hearts enraptures the soul!
Morning singing with Eva Cranstoun, enhanced by the acoustics of Stegmann Hall, begins a wondrous, romantic day at Rudolf Steiner College. We enter the room with hardwood floors and plastered walls, and find chairs neatly positioned in a gentle arch with a piano and Eva at the center. Quiet good mornings and hellos and how are yous are exchanged, and with a faint yet purposeful chord from the piano, Eva captures our attention. She smiles, and before even a sound is uttered from her lips, she already appears to be singing. I believe her angels just hover around her, and they are most likely humming perpetually.
A room full of striving individuals, Waldorf teachers, with varying levels of singing experience, most with a mild dose of singing confidence. Eva is smiling because she senses, she knows, that each of us are carrying an instrument that can produce sound, beautiful, rich sound. Like all fine instruments, it needs to be prepared and developed. And the musician, with his or her own vocal instrument, must understand the rudimentary skills to use it well.
Posture is a key element to prepare us for singing. Eva directs us to slouch with half-present eyes, then to shift to an upright sitting position with alertness in our eyes and a smile. It is an effective technique, for the difference in mood and feeling of readiness is apparent – with the proper posture and mindset, we look ready, we feel ready.
We do not sit with stiffness in our bones, or tenseness in our shoulders. We move with gentle rolling motions; we loosen our necks. When we are to sing, we must be aware of the muscles in our bodies and remain supple, yet firm. We must be aware of our breathing, and the muscle of singing, the diaphragm. Air can then travel with ease in and out of our airways to feed the vocal cords.
Eva looks at us and when she sees that we are ready to practice our instruments, she gives brief instructions. She demonstrates how we are to hold our lips, our tongues, cheeks, jaws, and teeth to form the sounds. She sings a few notes. With just warm up scales, she sounds absolutely divine! Where is that voice coming from, penetrating through us, vibrating in our bones and our minds? It comes from Eva’s instrument, no doubt cared for and practiced with reverence. She models how we are to treat our instruments. We sing, and outwardly, it does not sound bad at all. Inwardly, confidence is building.
She gives us a few sheets of music. Shalom Aleichem is one of the songs and clearly, Eva has the confidence that we are capable of singing in three part harmony. She sings each part, she plays each part. We imitate and sing. First, get the melody, she says. In Hebrew, the words are meaningless to us (unless you can read Hebrew), but no matter, it makes us focus on the melody, on the quality of the sound. Now, get the words. Listen to each other; always listen for each other’s voices.
With our vocal development flowing nicely in a week’s worth of Eva’s insights and modeling, we sing a new song, Where is the Moon. Eva mentions that it is a wonderful song to sing for the sixth graders. As a teacher for the sixth grade next year, I am lucky to have a few songs that we practiced for that grade level. I pose a question to her: If I cannot reach the high notes of that song, how am I to teach it to the sixth graders?
Eva addresses my concern. I can certainly play the piano to teach the children the melody and the right pitches. However, as is the way of Waldorf, we teach how to be striving, living, loving individuals. You must sing, Eva says with conviction. And I agree with her, I must show courage in the act of singing, this is key to my vocal development. My class must see that I am not afraid, that I am willing to try, for that is the golden lesson after all. And what better way to learn a lesson than through song.
Eva teaches the class about vocal development, but I am a romantic, so I believe she is really teaching us about love. Our development as a whole human being depends on embracing each aspect of our bodies and abilities. The vocal cords as our instruments deserve to be cultivated. In their cultivation can we share the love in our hearts. Then, as Mozart joyfully sings out, we can live a truly long life with romance and song!
But a choir of voices, oh how truly the song of many hearts enraptures the soul!
Morning singing with Eva Cranstoun, enhanced by the acoustics of Stegmann Hall, begins a wondrous, romantic day at Rudolf Steiner College. We enter the room with hardwood floors and plastered walls, and find chairs neatly positioned in a gentle arch with a piano and Eva at the center. Quiet good mornings and hellos and how are yous are exchanged, and with a faint yet purposeful chord from the piano, Eva captures our attention. She smiles, and before even a sound is uttered from her lips, she already appears to be singing. I believe her angels just hover around her, and they are most likely humming perpetually.
A room full of striving individuals, Waldorf teachers, with varying levels of singing experience, most with a mild dose of singing confidence. Eva is smiling because she senses, she knows, that each of us are carrying an instrument that can produce sound, beautiful, rich sound. Like all fine instruments, it needs to be prepared and developed. And the musician, with his or her own vocal instrument, must understand the rudimentary skills to use it well.
Posture is a key element to prepare us for singing. Eva directs us to slouch with half-present eyes, then to shift to an upright sitting position with alertness in our eyes and a smile. It is an effective technique, for the difference in mood and feeling of readiness is apparent – with the proper posture and mindset, we look ready, we feel ready.
We do not sit with stiffness in our bones, or tenseness in our shoulders. We move with gentle rolling motions; we loosen our necks. When we are to sing, we must be aware of the muscles in our bodies and remain supple, yet firm. We must be aware of our breathing, and the muscle of singing, the diaphragm. Air can then travel with ease in and out of our airways to feed the vocal cords.
Eva looks at us and when she sees that we are ready to practice our instruments, she gives brief instructions. She demonstrates how we are to hold our lips, our tongues, cheeks, jaws, and teeth to form the sounds. She sings a few notes. With just warm up scales, she sounds absolutely divine! Where is that voice coming from, penetrating through us, vibrating in our bones and our minds? It comes from Eva’s instrument, no doubt cared for and practiced with reverence. She models how we are to treat our instruments. We sing, and outwardly, it does not sound bad at all. Inwardly, confidence is building.
She gives us a few sheets of music. Shalom Aleichem is one of the songs and clearly, Eva has the confidence that we are capable of singing in three part harmony. She sings each part, she plays each part. We imitate and sing. First, get the melody, she says. In Hebrew, the words are meaningless to us (unless you can read Hebrew), but no matter, it makes us focus on the melody, on the quality of the sound. Now, get the words. Listen to each other; always listen for each other’s voices.
With our vocal development flowing nicely in a week’s worth of Eva’s insights and modeling, we sing a new song, Where is the Moon. Eva mentions that it is a wonderful song to sing for the sixth graders. As a teacher for the sixth grade next year, I am lucky to have a few songs that we practiced for that grade level. I pose a question to her: If I cannot reach the high notes of that song, how am I to teach it to the sixth graders?
Eva addresses my concern. I can certainly play the piano to teach the children the melody and the right pitches. However, as is the way of Waldorf, we teach how to be striving, living, loving individuals. You must sing, Eva says with conviction. And I agree with her, I must show courage in the act of singing, this is key to my vocal development. My class must see that I am not afraid, that I am willing to try, for that is the golden lesson after all. And what better way to learn a lesson than through song.
Eva teaches the class about vocal development, but I am a romantic, so I believe she is really teaching us about love. Our development as a whole human being depends on embracing each aspect of our bodies and abilities. The vocal cords as our instruments deserve to be cultivated. In their cultivation can we share the love in our hearts. Then, as Mozart joyfully sings out, we can live a truly long life with romance and song!
Friday, July 23, 2010
phenomenology
and modern science
I wrote an essay for my phenomenology class at Steiner College. In short, phenomenology is an approach to science that studies the world through what we as humans can directly observe and experience. For instance, in studying nature, we must examine the plant as a whole, and in the parts we can see with our naked eyes. In so doing, we learn the true essence of the nature of the plant. In my essay, "Inward Spiral, Outward Spiral," I support the reductivist methodology of modern science while also encouraging the phenomenological approach. I think the combination of both gives us the little pictures and the big picture of our natural world.
Here is the essay. Enjoy!
In college, I took many classes for my biological sciences major that ended in –ology, such as biology, microbiology, bacteriology, anthropology, and zoology. In medical school, I had classes such as pharmacology and physiology. Clearly, we humans love to study things! These disciplines represent only a fraction of the sciences that exist out there today. And it seems new fields of science are developing each day. Combined with the other areas of human life such as sociology, geography, history, economics, mathematics, physics, computer sciences, language arts, music, arts, and crafts, it becomes evident that we really like to study things, to try and make sense of things, to try and figure out what life is all about, and to perhaps connect our lives with the larger cosmos.
Another field of study is phenomenology. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe followed the principles of phenomenology in his approach to studying nature. In studying nature through the lens of this discipline, he believes that we can find a connection to the cosmos and to the understanding of things. In the direct human experience of nature, through the “encountering” of nature with what physical senses we are endowed with and what inner intellect we have, the true essence of the object would reveal itself to us. He states, “Each phenomenon in nature, rightly observed, wakens in us a new organ of understanding.”
In studying nature, we need to cultivate the ability to let thoughts dissolve and experience, for instance, the plant kingdom as just the thing-in-itself. We need to be active in not doing, and allow the plant to speak. It would tell us all the mysteries of its life, and ultimately, the truths of existence. It is an elegant and beautiful view of the study of nature.
In the Waldorf classroom, in particular, the grades, where the teacher is appealing to the feeling life of the students, this phenomenological approach serves the teacher well in enlivening the curriculum. The child, whether as a first grader simply strolling through a wooded path or a seventh grader actively contemplating the phyllotaxy of Rosmarinus officinalis, the direct experience of the phenomena of nature is satisfying and life-affirming. It aids the teacher in fostering a love of learning that we all want for our children.
The interactive, phenomenological approach connects us to the elements, the tangible stuff that our world is made of and within which we experience the world in a very intimate way. Air, water, fire, and earth. Inspiration, imagination, intuition, and intellect. In the material elements are the human elements. For an eighth grade physics block, I was cognizant of actively approaching my lessons through a phenomenological lens. We studied the properties of heat by directly observing and experiencing the effects of fire, and the sun on our skin, on our clothing, on different materials, in a room. We studied magnetism, pressure, and even some physiology. But I come from a “traditional” science background, and I would say that my lessons were not purely phenomenological. While I did not formally engage the students in the scientific method, I still felt it important to include concepts such as refraction and reflection, convection and radiation, rays of incidence, etc., all products of the reductivist, 20th century approach to the sciences.
And this brings me to the title of this essay, “Inward Spiral, Outward Spiral.” There is validity in the phenomenological approach, and certainly, if our walk through the bio-dynamic garden, and our using our senses to learn about yarrow, agapanthus, sunflowers, and apples demonstrate this method, then it is a welcome approach – definitely more joyful than leaning over a microscope in a lab to look at a cross-section of xylem and phloem! But I feel a sense of obligation to defend the work of the great scientists of our time, who took the reductivist path to exploring and understanding the sciences. I believe that humans are young, relative to the history of the cosmos. It has been only about 10,000 years ago that human history had begun to be recorded, only about 1000 years ago that the scientific method was born, only about 100 years ago that human genetics was being studied, and only 10 years ago that the human genome was mapped.
The work of a multitude of really smart people, of so many minds working towards the betterment of humankind, lead to the advancements in the field of genetics and medical science. These advancements arose from reductivist science, not phenomenological science. In the eyes of Goethe, all the research going on in these medical laboratories are a “calamity,” that the “use of experiments has severed nature from man…microscopes and telescopes, in actual fact, confuse man’s innate clarity of mind.” But, I believe we need to give modern science a chance. Modern science is in a period of what I call the Inward Spiral.
Imagine the snail shell, and beginning at the outermost contour of the shell, one can trace a path that gradually spirals into a point more or less in the middle of the shell. Now imagine that a tiny human can walk along the contour of this shell. As the human is walking, he is seeing the world, and he is taking in the wonder of it all. At first, he is accepting, for example, the mysteries of the weather or his body as divine. As he walks the Inward Spiral, he develops questions that dig deeper and deeper, he makes observations, he creates experiments, he gathers data, he makes calculations, he creates more elaborate experiments, his measurements become more precise, he aids his senses with tools to gain new perspectives, his quest leads him to examine the parts of the whole, then the parts of the parts, then the parts of the parts of the parts. He goes from body, to cell, to nucleus, to chromosomes, to DNA sequences, to base pairs, to molecules, to elements, to atoms, to subatomic particles, to maybe even the “God” particle. This is the path of modern science, of the Inward Spiral.
We are at a moment in human history where we are walking the contour of the snail shell towards the middle of the spiral. What happens when we reach the endpoint?
We enter then into a new phase of human history, the Outward Spiral. Here, I think we as humans will have developed a deep understanding of the materiality and elementality of our existence that our course will then change. In using the intellectuality we were born with to gain the knowledge amassed during the Inward Spiral, we can walk with spirituality, with deep global citizenry, and with a holistic view. This is the Outward Spiral.
I think perhaps that we humans need to enter into the Inward Spiral to be able to actively, and rightly engage ourselves in the Outward Spiral. We are young, and we are still in the process of awakening our senses and our spirits. In the Outward Spiral, as I think some of our scientists have entered into, they are finding ways of healing our earth, curing diseases, and discovering the connectedness of the kingdoms. At the outermost contour of the Outward Spiral, we will discover the spirituality that will bring peace to all the world’s creatures and the universe.
Maybe the advocates of phenomenology have old souls that can already see with enlightened eyes. They may not need to enter into the Inward Spiral to experience the Outward Spiral to reach the cosmos.
David Seamon states in Goethe's Way of Science: A Phenomenology of Nature, “We must somehow find ways to bring our thoughts, feelings, and actions in harmony both with ourselves and with the world in which we live.”
I invite him to take a stroll along the Inward Spiral with me. We might spend some time in a research facility splitting an atom, but that stroll will also have time spent smelling the fragrant aroma of roses or jasmine, feeling the warmth of the sun, tasting the sweetness of a persimmon, and listening to the flow of a stream – the phenomena of our immensely amazing world.
I wrote an essay for my phenomenology class at Steiner College. In short, phenomenology is an approach to science that studies the world through what we as humans can directly observe and experience. For instance, in studying nature, we must examine the plant as a whole, and in the parts we can see with our naked eyes. In so doing, we learn the true essence of the nature of the plant. In my essay, "Inward Spiral, Outward Spiral," I support the reductivist methodology of modern science while also encouraging the phenomenological approach. I think the combination of both gives us the little pictures and the big picture of our natural world.
Here is the essay. Enjoy!
In college, I took many classes for my biological sciences major that ended in –ology, such as biology, microbiology, bacteriology, anthropology, and zoology. In medical school, I had classes such as pharmacology and physiology. Clearly, we humans love to study things! These disciplines represent only a fraction of the sciences that exist out there today. And it seems new fields of science are developing each day. Combined with the other areas of human life such as sociology, geography, history, economics, mathematics, physics, computer sciences, language arts, music, arts, and crafts, it becomes evident that we really like to study things, to try and make sense of things, to try and figure out what life is all about, and to perhaps connect our lives with the larger cosmos.
Another field of study is phenomenology. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe followed the principles of phenomenology in his approach to studying nature. In studying nature through the lens of this discipline, he believes that we can find a connection to the cosmos and to the understanding of things. In the direct human experience of nature, through the “encountering” of nature with what physical senses we are endowed with and what inner intellect we have, the true essence of the object would reveal itself to us. He states, “Each phenomenon in nature, rightly observed, wakens in us a new organ of understanding.”
In studying nature, we need to cultivate the ability to let thoughts dissolve and experience, for instance, the plant kingdom as just the thing-in-itself. We need to be active in not doing, and allow the plant to speak. It would tell us all the mysteries of its life, and ultimately, the truths of existence. It is an elegant and beautiful view of the study of nature.
In the Waldorf classroom, in particular, the grades, where the teacher is appealing to the feeling life of the students, this phenomenological approach serves the teacher well in enlivening the curriculum. The child, whether as a first grader simply strolling through a wooded path or a seventh grader actively contemplating the phyllotaxy of Rosmarinus officinalis, the direct experience of the phenomena of nature is satisfying and life-affirming. It aids the teacher in fostering a love of learning that we all want for our children.
The interactive, phenomenological approach connects us to the elements, the tangible stuff that our world is made of and within which we experience the world in a very intimate way. Air, water, fire, and earth. Inspiration, imagination, intuition, and intellect. In the material elements are the human elements. For an eighth grade physics block, I was cognizant of actively approaching my lessons through a phenomenological lens. We studied the properties of heat by directly observing and experiencing the effects of fire, and the sun on our skin, on our clothing, on different materials, in a room. We studied magnetism, pressure, and even some physiology. But I come from a “traditional” science background, and I would say that my lessons were not purely phenomenological. While I did not formally engage the students in the scientific method, I still felt it important to include concepts such as refraction and reflection, convection and radiation, rays of incidence, etc., all products of the reductivist, 20th century approach to the sciences.
And this brings me to the title of this essay, “Inward Spiral, Outward Spiral.” There is validity in the phenomenological approach, and certainly, if our walk through the bio-dynamic garden, and our using our senses to learn about yarrow, agapanthus, sunflowers, and apples demonstrate this method, then it is a welcome approach – definitely more joyful than leaning over a microscope in a lab to look at a cross-section of xylem and phloem! But I feel a sense of obligation to defend the work of the great scientists of our time, who took the reductivist path to exploring and understanding the sciences. I believe that humans are young, relative to the history of the cosmos. It has been only about 10,000 years ago that human history had begun to be recorded, only about 1000 years ago that the scientific method was born, only about 100 years ago that human genetics was being studied, and only 10 years ago that the human genome was mapped.
The work of a multitude of really smart people, of so many minds working towards the betterment of humankind, lead to the advancements in the field of genetics and medical science. These advancements arose from reductivist science, not phenomenological science. In the eyes of Goethe, all the research going on in these medical laboratories are a “calamity,” that the “use of experiments has severed nature from man…microscopes and telescopes, in actual fact, confuse man’s innate clarity of mind.” But, I believe we need to give modern science a chance. Modern science is in a period of what I call the Inward Spiral.
Imagine the snail shell, and beginning at the outermost contour of the shell, one can trace a path that gradually spirals into a point more or less in the middle of the shell. Now imagine that a tiny human can walk along the contour of this shell. As the human is walking, he is seeing the world, and he is taking in the wonder of it all. At first, he is accepting, for example, the mysteries of the weather or his body as divine. As he walks the Inward Spiral, he develops questions that dig deeper and deeper, he makes observations, he creates experiments, he gathers data, he makes calculations, he creates more elaborate experiments, his measurements become more precise, he aids his senses with tools to gain new perspectives, his quest leads him to examine the parts of the whole, then the parts of the parts, then the parts of the parts of the parts. He goes from body, to cell, to nucleus, to chromosomes, to DNA sequences, to base pairs, to molecules, to elements, to atoms, to subatomic particles, to maybe even the “God” particle. This is the path of modern science, of the Inward Spiral.
We are at a moment in human history where we are walking the contour of the snail shell towards the middle of the spiral. What happens when we reach the endpoint?
We enter then into a new phase of human history, the Outward Spiral. Here, I think we as humans will have developed a deep understanding of the materiality and elementality of our existence that our course will then change. In using the intellectuality we were born with to gain the knowledge amassed during the Inward Spiral, we can walk with spirituality, with deep global citizenry, and with a holistic view. This is the Outward Spiral.
I think perhaps that we humans need to enter into the Inward Spiral to be able to actively, and rightly engage ourselves in the Outward Spiral. We are young, and we are still in the process of awakening our senses and our spirits. In the Outward Spiral, as I think some of our scientists have entered into, they are finding ways of healing our earth, curing diseases, and discovering the connectedness of the kingdoms. At the outermost contour of the Outward Spiral, we will discover the spirituality that will bring peace to all the world’s creatures and the universe.
Maybe the advocates of phenomenology have old souls that can already see with enlightened eyes. They may not need to enter into the Inward Spiral to experience the Outward Spiral to reach the cosmos.
David Seamon states in Goethe's Way of Science: A Phenomenology of Nature, “We must somehow find ways to bring our thoughts, feelings, and actions in harmony both with ourselves and with the world in which we live.”
I invite him to take a stroll along the Inward Spiral with me. We might spend some time in a research facility splitting an atom, but that stroll will also have time spent smelling the fragrant aroma of roses or jasmine, feeling the warmth of the sun, tasting the sweetness of a persimmon, and listening to the flow of a stream – the phenomena of our immensely amazing world.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
teacher training
summer school at steiner college
The Waldorf teacher strives for the balance of head, heart, and hands for his or her students indeed, but this balance begins within the teacher. The training attempts to provide the teacher with a wealth of practical and intellectual knowledge that would enrich the teaching life.
This balance actually begins even before the formal teacher training is received. No one can teach another individual how to be compassionate, how to share one's life work, how to be giving, how to be selfless, how to be of service to humankind. These have to come from somewhere within the person. One's inner life then informs the outer engagement of life, and the harmony of spirit, mind, and the will gives the teacher the true foundation to be an excellent teacher.
The training, any teacher training, only gives information. How one uses the information, how one makes it his own, how one converts that information to a beautiful teaching experience is up to the teacher.
The children of a teacher who enters the classroom with compassion in his heart, artistry in his hands, and nimbleness of his mind are blessed. I strive to be this teacher.
This summer, I am back at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks for my teacher training program. As I look forward to my post as the sixth grade teacher for Davis Waldorf in the Fall, I am excited to receive new insights and pedagogy from my instructors at the College. Thus far, in this past two weeks, the classes I have had are: eurythmy, singing, child observation, speech, painting, inner work, cosmology, and phenomenology.
The Waldorf teacher strives for the balance of head, heart, and hands for his or her students indeed, but this balance begins within the teacher. The training attempts to provide the teacher with a wealth of practical and intellectual knowledge that would enrich the teaching life.
This balance actually begins even before the formal teacher training is received. No one can teach another individual how to be compassionate, how to share one's life work, how to be giving, how to be selfless, how to be of service to humankind. These have to come from somewhere within the person. One's inner life then informs the outer engagement of life, and the harmony of spirit, mind, and the will gives the teacher the true foundation to be an excellent teacher.
The training, any teacher training, only gives information. How one uses the information, how one makes it his own, how one converts that information to a beautiful teaching experience is up to the teacher.
The children of a teacher who enters the classroom with compassion in his heart, artistry in his hands, and nimbleness of his mind are blessed. I strive to be this teacher.
Monday, June 28, 2010
crafting creativity
summer craft conference at steiner college
Jennifer has a boundless creative spirit. Her fiber crafting has thoroughly blossomed. The seeds of fiber delight were planted by her mother and grandmother through the passing on of knitting and crocheting. In college, I remember the amazing crocheted quilts she produced. Then, gradually, quietly, miles and miles of yarn crept into our home like tendrils of a magical vine, filling every cabinet space, and it was total yarnage! Then, perhaps, along with the growth of our children, Jennifer branched out to carding and spinning her own fibers and yarns. Adorable, unique, delicate, quirky fiber creations sprouted like wildflowers. Tunisian crocheting, kumihimo, weaving, needle felting, hand-dyeing, Jennifer harvested a crop of creative wonders.
A summer handcrafts conference with Ruskin Mills at Steiner College this week is another beautiful element to add to Jennifer's fiber garden. The conference is called Recreating the Human Vessel: Educating through Rhythm and Crafts.
This is the way of Jennifer's creative soul. She loves to learn for herself, but I think she loves to learn equally to be able to share it with others. All her creative energy often becomes the nourishing water and light for our kids, and others around the world, coaxing the expression of artistry in others take root.
Jennifer has a boundless creative spirit. Her fiber crafting has thoroughly blossomed. The seeds of fiber delight were planted by her mother and grandmother through the passing on of knitting and crocheting. In college, I remember the amazing crocheted quilts she produced. Then, gradually, quietly, miles and miles of yarn crept into our home like tendrils of a magical vine, filling every cabinet space, and it was total yarnage! Then, perhaps, along with the growth of our children, Jennifer branched out to carding and spinning her own fibers and yarns. Adorable, unique, delicate, quirky fiber creations sprouted like wildflowers. Tunisian crocheting, kumihimo, weaving, needle felting, hand-dyeing, Jennifer harvested a crop of creative wonders.
A summer handcrafts conference with Ruskin Mills at Steiner College this week is another beautiful element to add to Jennifer's fiber garden. The conference is called Recreating the Human Vessel: Educating through Rhythm and Crafts.
This is the way of Jennifer's creative soul. She loves to learn for herself, but I think she loves to learn equally to be able to share it with others. All her creative energy often becomes the nourishing water and light for our kids, and others around the world, coaxing the expression of artistry in others take root.
Friday, June 25, 2010
watercoloring video
from earthschooling
We had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Kristie Burns one weekend when she was a workshop speaker at a conference at nearby Rudolf Steiner College. Kristie has a wonderful website called The Bearth Institute, where she has many reosurces to help families in their homeschooling journeys. With video camera always ready to capture a lesson opportunity, Kristie convinced me to do a video workshop on wet-on-wet method painting. You can take a peek at Part One of my Watercolor Journey debut video.
Thanks, Kristie, for your energy in sharing our creative lives!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
father's day
a family day
In the morning, my family treated me to a breakfast of funnel cakes and gifts made by their loving hands. For lunch, we invited my mom and dad, my brothers, and their families. I have four younger brothers, two of whom are married with children. My kids have four cousins on the Tan side of the family. To find everyone in good spirits, to share a meal prepared by all, to enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon together, this father's heart fills with peace. Father's Day, when everyone gathers, is really Family Day!
my mom and dad with the grandkids
In the morning, my family treated me to a breakfast of funnel cakes and gifts made by their loving hands. For lunch, we invited my mom and dad, my brothers, and their families. I have four younger brothers, two of whom are married with children. My kids have four cousins on the Tan side of the family. To find everyone in good spirits, to share a meal prepared by all, to enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon together, this father's heart fills with peace. Father's Day, when everyone gathers, is really Family Day!
my mom and dad with the grandkids
Friday, June 18, 2010
teleseminar grades one thru three
The Waldorf Connection Homeschool Expo workshops
Rick is speaking on Saturday, June 19 at 4:30pm EST on Grade Overview 1st-3rd. You can access this on your phone or online. If you are on your computer, you will also be able to see a visual presentation.
Length: approx. 60-70 minutes. Replays are available for 48 hours after live call for free. You may also purchase mp3 files. You must register in advance. Free registration: http://thewaldorfconnection.com/dap/a/?a=8
Rick is speaking on Saturday, June 19 at 4:30pm EST on Grade Overview 1st-3rd. You can access this on your phone or online. If you are on your computer, you will also be able to see a visual presentation.
Length: approx. 60-70 minutes. Replays are available for 48 hours after live call for free. You may also purchase mp3 files. You must register in advance. Free registration: http://thewaldorfconnection.com/dap/a/?a=8
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
fabulous forty
a birthday verse for my wife
At ten,
You were someone I did not know,
A girl, dancing, playing with her Barbies,
And I was entering my teen world.
At twenty,
My girlfriend whom I was glad to know,
A young woman, learning at UC Davis,
And I was studying too in our college town.
At thirty,
My wife whom I had grown to know,
A mother and principal at Rail Ranch Elementary.
And I was caring for kids and a lawn to mow.
At forty,
My partner whom there is much yet to know,
A being of immense Love and boundless Energy,
And the children and I love you more and more.
You were someone I did not know,
A girl, dancing, playing with her Barbies,
And I was entering my teen world.
At twenty,
My girlfriend whom I was glad to know,
A young woman, learning at UC Davis,
And I was studying too in our college town.
At thirty,
My wife whom I had grown to know,
A mother and principal at Rail Ranch Elementary.
And I was caring for kids and a lawn to mow.
At forty,
My partner whom there is much yet to know,
A being of immense Love and boundless Energy,
And the children and I love you more and more.
Friday, June 11, 2010
brother francesco
learning language arts and love
In our last block with Class Two of East Bay Waldorf School, the life and stories of San Francesco di Assisi brought forth the learning of language arts and values such as devotion, charity, kindness, and peace. In the second grade curriculum, the deeds of noble characters in fables, in animal legends, and the saints, speak to the spirit of the seven to nine year old child. As they emerge from the oneness of grade one, they begin to see themselves as separate individuals. And with that separation comes a mixed sense of freedom and uncertainty. Guidance that gives them both boundaries and room for exploration is a challenging task of the teacher and parent. It leads them to a balanced self-awareness and world-awareness.
Saint Francis offered an image for the second grader of a life that transforms from selfish to selfless, and also an opportunity to build our artistic and basic language arts skills. I brought for Class Two young Francesco born into a wealthy family, who enjoyed extravagant and boisterous feasting and partying with his friends. The town of Assisi was then engaged in wars with neighboring people and Francesco joined the army to fight, soon to be captured and imprisoned by the enemy. Alone and miserable in prison, he heard a voice, "Francesco, please help me to rebuild my Church."
When Francesco was released from prison, he shunned the wealth and partying of his youth. He donned a simple burlap robe with a rope for a belt, and wore no shoes. He began to rebuild a church in the countryside (it may be the church of San Damiano). Stone by stone, he restored the church. Francesco had a great affinity for nature, and he would often be seen outside among the birds and creatures of the earth, and they would flock to see him and hear him preach. A famous story of a fearsome wolf and the townspeople of Gubbio showed the peacefulness of Brother Francesco. He came to the aide of exiled lepers on the outskirts of town, providing them with food, clothing, and care, when no one else dared.
Devotion, Charity, Kindness, Peace - stories offered guidance towards selfless virtues. In the playground, at home, in the classroom, the second grader is in an amazing process of transformation. Based on a presentation made by wonderful Mrs. Ricketts, a friend and partner teacher at EBWS, I had written a letter to the second grade parents about this process: It is a process that is necessary and normal. The process unfolds, revealing human development at its most primal and at its most endearingly elegant. The poking is their way of communicating! We observe, we monitor, we are patient, we are very patient, we guide, we encourange, we model, we remain calm and smile (we cry when they are not looking), we become stern, we become firm, we become loving ogres when behaviors reach tipping points, and the children learn and grow. Lay down the fenceline, not too close, not too far, just enough room for both freedom and supervision. And always love. In the words of The Beatles, "all you need is love, love, love is all you need!" Click here for a YouTube video.
The langauge arts gleaned from Brother Francesco had been fruitful. We built on previously introduced curriculum such as word families and blended consonants, and I introduced some new stuff like story sequencing, setting, and mood. We unscrambled sentences. (Mischievous elves always seem to scramble my sentences when I am not looking!) We practiced printing on lined paper. We worked beautifully in our main lesson books, learning new artistic techniques.
Learning the mood of a story was particulary fun and memorable for the children. In using the story of Saint Francis, the children and I first sang songs and danced in our well-lit and gaily decorated classroom - the party youth of Francis. Then, we marched to the laundry room of the school, dark, dank, dingy, cold, and cramped - the lonely despair of Francis in prison. Then we were happily freed and we ran up to the straw bale structure on the upper fields of the school where the quiet, softly lit interior of this plastered, thick walled woodshop echoed like a church - the restoration of San Damiano. And finally, the children and I strolled into the grove of trees, where we listened to the birds, and played as second graders do, in nature.
The second graders had also been doing eurythmy to Saint Francis' Canticle of the Sun, so there was this interdisciplinary cohesiveness to their lessons.
During this last four week block before school's end, I hoped the children learned and grew, as I did. Interestingly, during this block with Brother Fancesco, a nest of young birds had hatched in the rafters just outside our classroom, where they chirped all day. We also, one day, returned to our classroom to find that a blue jay had come in and we carefully let it out through the window. And I, at home, was visited by mourning doves, who perched on branches just outside on our back porch. Brother Francesco's spirit lives on.
In our last block with Class Two of East Bay Waldorf School, the life and stories of San Francesco di Assisi brought forth the learning of language arts and values such as devotion, charity, kindness, and peace. In the second grade curriculum, the deeds of noble characters in fables, in animal legends, and the saints, speak to the spirit of the seven to nine year old child. As they emerge from the oneness of grade one, they begin to see themselves as separate individuals. And with that separation comes a mixed sense of freedom and uncertainty. Guidance that gives them both boundaries and room for exploration is a challenging task of the teacher and parent. It leads them to a balanced self-awareness and world-awareness.
Saint Francis offered an image for the second grader of a life that transforms from selfish to selfless, and also an opportunity to build our artistic and basic language arts skills. I brought for Class Two young Francesco born into a wealthy family, who enjoyed extravagant and boisterous feasting and partying with his friends. The town of Assisi was then engaged in wars with neighboring people and Francesco joined the army to fight, soon to be captured and imprisoned by the enemy. Alone and miserable in prison, he heard a voice, "Francesco, please help me to rebuild my Church."
When Francesco was released from prison, he shunned the wealth and partying of his youth. He donned a simple burlap robe with a rope for a belt, and wore no shoes. He began to rebuild a church in the countryside (it may be the church of San Damiano). Stone by stone, he restored the church. Francesco had a great affinity for nature, and he would often be seen outside among the birds and creatures of the earth, and they would flock to see him and hear him preach. A famous story of a fearsome wolf and the townspeople of Gubbio showed the peacefulness of Brother Francesco. He came to the aide of exiled lepers on the outskirts of town, providing them with food, clothing, and care, when no one else dared.
Devotion, Charity, Kindness, Peace - stories offered guidance towards selfless virtues. In the playground, at home, in the classroom, the second grader is in an amazing process of transformation. Based on a presentation made by wonderful Mrs. Ricketts, a friend and partner teacher at EBWS, I had written a letter to the second grade parents about this process: It is a process that is necessary and normal. The process unfolds, revealing human development at its most primal and at its most endearingly elegant. The poking is their way of communicating! We observe, we monitor, we are patient, we are very patient, we guide, we encourange, we model, we remain calm and smile (we cry when they are not looking), we become stern, we become firm, we become loving ogres when behaviors reach tipping points, and the children learn and grow. Lay down the fenceline, not too close, not too far, just enough room for both freedom and supervision. And always love. In the words of The Beatles, "all you need is love, love, love is all you need!" Click here for a YouTube video.
The langauge arts gleaned from Brother Francesco had been fruitful. We built on previously introduced curriculum such as word families and blended consonants, and I introduced some new stuff like story sequencing, setting, and mood. We unscrambled sentences. (Mischievous elves always seem to scramble my sentences when I am not looking!) We practiced printing on lined paper. We worked beautifully in our main lesson books, learning new artistic techniques.
Learning the mood of a story was particulary fun and memorable for the children. In using the story of Saint Francis, the children and I first sang songs and danced in our well-lit and gaily decorated classroom - the party youth of Francis. Then, we marched to the laundry room of the school, dark, dank, dingy, cold, and cramped - the lonely despair of Francis in prison. Then we were happily freed and we ran up to the straw bale structure on the upper fields of the school where the quiet, softly lit interior of this plastered, thick walled woodshop echoed like a church - the restoration of San Damiano. And finally, the children and I strolled into the grove of trees, where we listened to the birds, and played as second graders do, in nature.
The second graders had also been doing eurythmy to Saint Francis' Canticle of the Sun, so there was this interdisciplinary cohesiveness to their lessons.
During this last four week block before school's end, I hoped the children learned and grew, as I did. Interestingly, during this block with Brother Fancesco, a nest of young birds had hatched in the rafters just outside our classroom, where they chirped all day. We also, one day, returned to our classroom to find that a blue jay had come in and we carefully let it out through the window. And I, at home, was visited by mourning doves, who perched on branches just outside on our back porch. Brother Francesco's spirit lives on.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
creative weekend
a yearly retreat under the oaks
We love the company of our creative friends, and the food was fantastic! What makes the retreat so wonderful for us is that, as a family, we can enjoy our tent pitched under a magnificent oak with birds singing, and the sun would rise warmly over the hills. And together, we can engage our family spirit in creative work that we all love.
the morning view from our tent
preparing yarn for dyeing
dyeing yarn
needle-punching
assembling the glass and copper bowl
impromptu music
our gosh yarn it! store at the retreat
hand-dyed yarns
teaching a tunisian crochet class
tie-dyeing
crafting all weekend
our weekend work
We spent a weekend together as a family with our friends of Griffin Dyeworks, at their annual Dye & Fiber Retreat, held in beautiful Camp Verdugo Oaks. For the past few years, we have been enjoying the creative energy of some amazing people who are dedicated to sharing their fiber arts and crafts. Jennifer has been teaching Tunisian crochet and other handwork for the retreat. The children have been joining in and participating with the various crafting classes. This year, Ricky created a glass stone bowl soldered with copper and tin. Joey needle-punched a design of her own. We tie-dyed shirts, and hand-dyed many yarns and silks. Ricky and I, on our down time, whittled manzanita branches into knives!
We love the company of our creative friends, and the food was fantastic! What makes the retreat so wonderful for us is that, as a family, we can enjoy our tent pitched under a magnificent oak with birds singing, and the sun would rise warmly over the hills. And together, we can engage our family spirit in creative work that we all love.
the morning view from our tent
preparing yarn for dyeing
dyeing yarn
needle-punching
assembling the glass and copper bowl
impromptu music
our gosh yarn it! store at the retreat
hand-dyed yarns
teaching a tunisian crochet class
tie-dyeing
crafting all weekend
our weekend work Saturday, May 8, 2010
gnomes, stones, footlongs
birthday at the river
Joey celebrated her 11th birthday this Friday, May 7. We strolled down to the river near our home. She discovered Subway sandwiches recently and the footlong Veggie Delight on Italian bread with provolone cheese, onions, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, green peppers, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper is her favorite, so we had a footlong picnic by the river!
I had the roasted chicken with barbeque sauce, shared with Wilson.
Joey got a gnome home as her birthday present, and Jennifer needle felted the acorn-capped wood sprite. We watched families of ducks and geese paddle by, and skipped rocks when they had gone ashore to forage.
a peaceful gnome
on river stones
friends of a feather
in sunset weather
eleven in may
a heavenly day
dark brown hair
smiley and fair
the girl grows
the family knows
our love flows
like a river
Joey celebrated her 11th birthday this Friday, May 7. We strolled down to the river near our home. She discovered Subway sandwiches recently and the footlong Veggie Delight on Italian bread with provolone cheese, onions, tomatoes, olives, lettuce, green peppers, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper is her favorite, so we had a footlong picnic by the river!
I had the roasted chicken with barbeque sauce, shared with Wilson.
Joey got a gnome home as her birthday present, and Jennifer needle felted the acorn-capped wood sprite. We watched families of ducks and geese paddle by, and skipped rocks when they had gone ashore to forage.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
may faire
may day at east bay
At East Bay Waldorf, the community of faculty, families, and friends gathered together for their May Day celebration on the magical knoll where the school meets the sun. The meadow at the heart of the school, where the children would play kickball during the week, was transformed into the May Queen's Royal Court.
With guitar in hand, a rosemary and oak branch crown on my head, and a levity of spirit in my heart, I participated in my first May Day with a Waldorf school, leading the second grade in a song, and joining other musicians in playing for the May pole dance. The concerted efforts of all the faculty and dedicated families are what brought joyfulness to the day. Blessed with sun and a gentle Bay breeze, the reverent revelry was picture perfect!
The May Queen sat on a raised portion of the meadow under an arch festooned with spring flowers and roses. Grades one through three offered folk songs, including some in German and Spanish. Class Four recited a verse. Class Five and Eight, under the direction of the eurythmy teacher, danced around the May pole to create intricate ribbon patterns against the blue sky. The orchestra teacher provided accompaniment with the strings students, some percussion, and my guitar strumming. A marionette play, crafts, and games rounded out the festivities. Class Eight also continued their fund raiser by offering strawberry shortcakes. Class Six helped with pizzas and other refreshments. The families brought picnic lunches, and enjoyed the day with children laughing and playing.
Being an honored part of the faculty until the end of the school year, I experienced and witnessed the striving of a dedicated staff to bring even just a couple of hours of May Faire joy to the community. The planning, meetings, practicing, preparing, phone calls - tasks that go mostly unnoticed and unrecognized - by the staff whose work life often seems like it is their whole life, somehow, day after day, will pull from a wellspring of their inner selves to enrich the lives of the children.
May Day is more than the symbolic celebration of the vitality of spring, it is the celebration of the life long commitment of continued growth and striving, and the strength of the educator's will forces.
over in the meadow
where the school meets the sun
lives a dear teacher
and the children having fun
love, says the teacher
we love, they say as one,
so they work and learn and play
in the springtime sun
At East Bay Waldorf, the community of faculty, families, and friends gathered together for their May Day celebration on the magical knoll where the school meets the sun. The meadow at the heart of the school, where the children would play kickball during the week, was transformed into the May Queen's Royal Court.
With guitar in hand, a rosemary and oak branch crown on my head, and a levity of spirit in my heart, I participated in my first May Day with a Waldorf school, leading the second grade in a song, and joining other musicians in playing for the May pole dance. The concerted efforts of all the faculty and dedicated families are what brought joyfulness to the day. Blessed with sun and a gentle Bay breeze, the reverent revelry was picture perfect!
The May Queen sat on a raised portion of the meadow under an arch festooned with spring flowers and roses. Grades one through three offered folk songs, including some in German and Spanish. Class Four recited a verse. Class Five and Eight, under the direction of the eurythmy teacher, danced around the May pole to create intricate ribbon patterns against the blue sky. The orchestra teacher provided accompaniment with the strings students, some percussion, and my guitar strumming. A marionette play, crafts, and games rounded out the festivities. Class Eight also continued their fund raiser by offering strawberry shortcakes. Class Six helped with pizzas and other refreshments. The families brought picnic lunches, and enjoyed the day with children laughing and playing.
Being an honored part of the faculty until the end of the school year, I experienced and witnessed the striving of a dedicated staff to bring even just a couple of hours of May Faire joy to the community. The planning, meetings, practicing, preparing, phone calls - tasks that go mostly unnoticed and unrecognized - by the staff whose work life often seems like it is their whole life, somehow, day after day, will pull from a wellspring of their inner selves to enrich the lives of the children.
May Day is more than the symbolic celebration of the vitality of spring, it is the celebration of the life long commitment of continued growth and striving, and the strength of the educator's will forces.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
