The Waldorf Way

sacred geometry

2012-01-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

from phi to Fibonacci

It all started with a single point. A vertex.

Then two vertices were joined by a line. A line segment.

Then three line segments formed a polygon with three sides. Triangle.

Joined by a fourth line, the polygon became a quadrilateral. Trapezoid. Parallelogram. Square.

A fifth line segment formed the pentagon. Pentagram. Pentacle. Star.

Moving through the seventh grade geometry was about the evolution of shape and its properties as it transformed from a single point to a pentagram. Much like the evolution of the universe from a single particle to the infinite stars.

On a human level, the sacred geometry was discovered in the ebb and flow of the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians used the magical 12-knotted rope to plot perfect right angles for crop fields whose boundaries were washed away with the seasonal floods of the Nile. They discovered the aesthetic quality of the golden ratio to design the Great Pyramids. Centuries later, Thales of Miletus establishes theorems to formalize geometry.

On a more personal level, Leonardo Pisano aka Fibonacci was fascinated - no, obsessed - with numbers all around him. Unlike his up and coming Renaissance counterparts who found beauty through paint and marble, he found beauty in nature's numbers. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13... The same numbers seemed to appear everywhere. Mother Nature revealed herself to Fibonacci - it was the growth pattern of the universe.

The universe, indeed, for the Fibonacci numbers even reflected the approximate lengths of the lines of a pentagram. Each line, in relation to the next longest or shortest line, was close to the ratio of 1.618 to 1, the golden ratio, phi.

The seventh grade students discovered the golden ratio in the star. But they did not have to look to the stars to find it, for in their own fingertips, they held the golden ratio in the lenghts of their bones. The point was driven home once again, we are connected to the universe.

Our study of geometry took us to the introduction of measuring volume in cubes, cylinders, and spheres. In art, we continued to refine our skills in manipulating light and shadow. With an advanced technique of drawing black and white on blue paper, we got some magnificent effects of contrast and realism in the study of a hand holding a cube.

star cross'd

2012-01-14T23:06:00.000-08:00

our seventh grade play

When one thinks of the Renaissance, usually one pictures Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, or the Medicis. But if you travel westward from the Italian countryside, cross the vast western European taiga forests, and swim to the British Isles, one encounters the greatness of the English Renaissance. Here, it is not about the explosion of painting and sculpture, instead, the Elizabethan theater. And one immediately recalls the great wordsmith of 16th century England, William Shakespeare.

Renaissance history for the seventh graders of Davis Waldorf would not be complete without the performance of a Shakespearean play. However, perhaps in the spirit of creativity, and in a very conscious effort to give a balanced amount of lines for each of my students, I wrote a play, which incorporated passages from Shakespeare's plays, epic poems, and sonnets.

The play is titled Star Cross'd. It takes us on a journey from Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon to the Globe Theater in London. What had interested me as I imagined the plot of Star Cross'd was how Shakespeare got his start, and what inspired him. His life during the time of Queen Elizabeth I included many people that were as interesting as his fictional characters, so I decided to include some of them in our play. And though while historically they existed, I took creative license in their interactions with Shakepseare.

If love is at the heart of the writer's soul, then it was Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, who was his muse. When Shakespeare leaves Stratford, he arrives in London at the Master of Revels office where he meets the Burbages, financiers and actors in the Chamberlain's Men. The Master of the Revels is the Queen's censor, and with Shakespeare's wordsmithing prowess, the Burbages ask Shakespeare to join them as their playwright.

The play jumps a few years and Shakespeare is invited as the guest of honor of the Queen and her Royal Court. Here, he meets Sir Walter Raleigh and Bess Morton (Elizabeth Throgmorton). I discovered that Morton was secretly in love with Raleigh and the two eventually married each other. I decided to use their secret love affair as the vehicle that inspires Shakespeare to write his play Romeo and Juliet. So the second half of our play is a "play within a play," as the Chamberlain's Men perform Rome and Juliet (excerts from the play) for the Queen and the Royal Court to convince Bess Morton to follow her heart.

Here is an excerpt of our play, where Shakespeare is quietly talking to Bess Morton:

BESS MORTON
Oh, Mr. Shakespeare, I hope I did not offend thee
With an amateur’s recitation of your epic poem.

SHAKESPEARE
No, not at all! I express the opposite, gentle lady.
Words are just words without heart. And your heart
Sings of one truly in love. And dare I presume, a love
You are keeping in shadow.

BESS MORTON
Sir, you are gifted in knowing the human soul.
It is no wonder the characters in your plays speak
With genuine emotion.
I am in love, but I must not act upon my heart’s call.
As Lady to the Queen’s Privy Chamber, I am
To serve only Her Majesty.
I am forbidden to fall in love.

SHAKESPEARE
Forbidden to fall in love?!
Can a rose be forbidden to bloom in beauty?
Can the wind be ordered to hold sway its might?
Can the sun be estopped from slicing the summer sky
With it glorious rays of light and heat!!

BESS MORTON
The Queen cannot ever know, else I draw her rage.
Or worse, I become a prisoner of the Tower.

SHAKESPEARE
Oh dear Lady Bess, I am reminded of what my
Wife Anne tells me:
Love looks upon tempests and is never shaken.
We were young, foolish perhaps, but impassioned
By the unwavering truth of love.
A Queen’s temper cannot temper love.

BESS MORTON
You are asking me to disobey the wishes of my Queen.

SHAKESPEARE
I am asking you to obey the wishes of your heart.

gnome abode

2011-12-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

for every elf and fairy sprite

With poplar and some local branches, I made this gnome home and some additional cut pieces. Now, only a child's imaginative play is needed to bring stories of gentle country gnomes and playful forest elves to life. While working on a Shakespeare play for my seventh grade students, I came across a fitting excerpt from Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream:

Through the house give glimmering light

By the dead drowsy fire:

Every elf and fairy sprite

Hop as light as bird from brier:

And this ditty after me

Sing, and dance it trippingly.

First, rehearse your song by rote,

To each word a warbling note;

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,

Will we sing, and bless this place.

happy holidays

2011-12-24T22:38:00.000-08:00

from the Tan family

From Rick, Jennifer, Ricky, Joey, Wilson, and Linden,
happy holidays and blessings for the new year.

more angels

2011-12-16T22:47:00.001-08:00

winter concert at davis waldorf

Winter break for Davis Waldorf was heralded by a beautiful evening of seasonal songs, lively dancing, string ensembles, and concert band performances. Students of grades two through eight proudly gave their all in bringing holiday cheer to the DWS community.

My seventh grade students had been practicing a song and dance number that I had composed for the past three weeks. Drawing from their varied talents and strengths - two on percussion, a pianist, two guitarists, vocalists, and dancers (a special thanks to my daughter who choreographed their dance), the students came together to create a very special offering.

Here are the lyrics:

Winter light aglow

whisper of falling snow

Lonely star on high

A silent holy night

Holly and mistletoe

Wreaths on every door

Bells rign in the season

Apples and cinnamon

Friends and family

Are all the gifts I need

Never mind the tinsel

Or stockings on the mantle

In this winter holiday

I sing to heaven and pray

Climb down

Ye angels

Bring peace

Climb down

Ye angels

Bring peace

Climb down

Ye angels

Have a blessed holiday season!

Rick

four angels

2011-12-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

linden and her siblings

Linden at one week old with Ricky, Joey, and Wilson

Like autumn leaves turning from green to shades of orange, gold, and brown, the season changes, the children change. Linden "Li" is now nine weeks old, and becoming bigger, smilier, and cuter every day! My wife and I feel very fortunate and blessed that our four angels grace our home with love, warmth, and laughter.

the last supper

2011-09-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

homage to da vinci and the renaissance

As is traditional for the classroom, a chalk drawing accompanies the curriculum. It was Labor Day weekend prior to the start of my seventh grade school year at Davis Waldorf School when I made up my mind to tackle Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

On average, I spend about three to four hours per chalk drawing. Here are three from my sixth grade year:

With The Last Supper, I knew it would take longer to complete. And to avoid the often painful act of erasing my chalk drawings every four weeks when the block is finished, I figured that The Last Supper would work for my first two blocks of the year - physiology and Renaissance history; thus, I can keep the drawing up for at least eight weeks! In physiology, I introduced the digestive system and the idea of the five core values of food: nutrition (f0r growth), combustion (energy), socialization (getting together), tradition (cultural), and inspiration (for art). The Last Supper, a meal shared by Jesus and his disciplies, is an example of how food inspires art. For Renaissance history, The Last Supper is the iconic painting by the great Renaissance painter Leonardo. It also is one of the best examples of perspective, which is an art technique that I will be teaching the students this year.

This chalk drawing, four feet by eight feet, has taken me nearly twelve hours thus far. The students would come into the classroom to find an unfinished drawing. Da Vinci was notorious for taking his time on his work, and sometimes kept them unfinished. I was afraid I would end up not completing my version of The Last Supper. Nearly three weeks since the first day of school, I am finished! From the print I was using, it was hard to distinguish what the food was on the table, so I omitted it except for the bread rolls and wine.

I hope it inspires the budding artists of my seventh grade.

pregnant mommy

2011-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

jennifer at thirty-three weeks

mommy

gardens

and laughs

and loves

while

inside

her tummy

baby bumps around

moves her limbs, stretching

within her warm, fluid home

growing everyday, growing big

mommy radiates goddess nature

the giver of life, nurturer of soul

strong, healthy, spirit-filled

beautiful mommy

five spheres ecourse

2011-08-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

sponsored by little acorn learning

If you are interested in knowing more about the Five Spheres of Waldorf Education, I have a five week ecourse available through our friends at Little Acorn Learning. The first online seminar began this week, but it is not too late to sign up!

lakes, trees, and volcanoes

2011-08-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

family time at lassen volcanic park

This summer, the Tans were busy with our own individual endeavors. Jennifer was director of a two-week summer camp at Davis Waldorf School. Ricky spent one week at a music camp at University of the Pacific and another week at ID Tech camp at Sac State. Joey spent two weeks with River City Dance Company learning a variety of dances. Wilson sculpted in clay a mug and a castle at the Davis Art Center. I was at Steiner College in Fair Oaks for a five week teacher training. At the end of July, when all the camps ended, we came together and went to Lassen Volcanic Park for camp of the set-up-a-tent, build-a-fire, hike-up-a-volcano, kayak-on-a-lake, roast-a-marshmallow variety.

The picture above is Summit Lake where we camped nearby, kayaked, and swam.

body, soul, and spirit

2011-07-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

summer teacher training at steiner college

In my third summer at Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California, I had expected the dry heat, the afternoon snack of popcorn, the last minute switcheroos of classroom assignments, and the very heady foundational studies in anthroposophy. I expected to see friends and classmates from the previous summers. I expected to feel a sense of urgency in the five week program to return to Davis to complete end of year reports, plan for my seventh grade curriculum, and spend time with my family. What I did not truly expect was that just one weekend after it was all over, I would feel a sense of longing for the moments that punctuated the training program - moments that touched my soul and spirit in different ways. I can't describe what made those moments special, so I'll just list them as they come to me.

Two members of my cohort, Loren and Ashley, are expecting their first child. Ashley is pregnant, due in September, and she looked radiant, her soft voice beaming with gladness. Loren will be a second grade teacher this coming school year, and the two of them had a nervous, giddy energy of a young couple diving into familyhood and work and a new place.

Chelsey is not enrolled in training this summer, but I saw her briefly before she flew back to Hawaii to get married. Chelsey just glows, her golden hair tumbling over her tanned shoulders, and there was so much pride and joy in her voice as she shared her experience with her first graders last year. She showed me a memory book of their year, which contained pictures that showed her beautiful students: the girls must admire their teacher as they sported their hair in the same style! I could tell that the children loved her.

Mikko Bojarsky was my instructor in upper grades chemistry and physics. He has an unassuming quality and speaks with a tone that is both direct and sensitive. Quite skillfully, he showed us how to apply the Waldorf method of scientific experimentation and observation. He advises we demonstrate the experiments with a phlegmatic approach - steady, careful, anticipatory, with a shared sense of wonder as the phenomena unfolds. He models this phlegmatic approach in speech, in mannerism, but his brilliant knowledge of the physical sciences clearly demonstrate a choleric person's academic striving. On our first meeting, he paraphrased a passage from my blog - I liked him immediately! Then he generously gives me his physics handbook for the seventh grade. He had me at the blog mention.

Ina Jaehnig and I spent more time with each other than she even remembers ever having with any other student during summer training. Balance in Teaching, Goethe's Faust I and II, Adolescence, Child Study, Minerology, and Geography! In Balance in Teaching in particular, I was her only student, and our discussions were priceless. She kept giving me treasures for my professional growth. In her other classes, it was small groups as well, and she shared personal stories of her childhood. She reminisced about her father who was an architect, and she and her siblings had accompanied him on projects. One project took them to an island in Greece, and her father created a lean-to overlooking the ocean. Ina went for a night swim and she recalled bioluminescent plankton floating all about her and on her arms.

In Carol Diven's music class, I wrote a short song as an exercise in the style of an African spiritual. It had a part for recorder, a soprano part, alto, an ostinato, and piano accompaniment. We sang it on the last Friday class together. They loved it! Carol decided she would make a copy of it to put in her music packets for the other teachers. My classmates decided to use it as a recessional song for their graduation.

Eva Cranstoun sings as lovely as an angel, as always. In her class, you just close your eyes and sing what she instructs you to do. Somehow, the room gets filled with voices that you know have so much personal energy in every note. I always feel like my singing in her class is received by loved ones in the spirit world.

Jo landed a job as a handwork teacher at a local Waldorf school. Her energy is unwavering and contagious! The children will create amazing fiber crafts in her stead.

Kelsy is a professional dance instructor. She has a presence about her, integrity, humility, love. She had taught an impromtu West Coast swing class for a friend. I would like to take a class from her.

Trisha has a vast amount of energy. We did the levers demonstration together in physics - she rocks.

Patrick Wakeford-Evans is ever the poet. His words as we study Steiner's Study of Man always find their mark in exacting Steiner's concepts. His imagery paints mental pictures that hover within my head, and inspire me to create images of my own.

Mary, Rebecca, Noelle, Stefanie, Rosa, Sadna, Michelle (sorry for misspellings), the early childhood crew, became eating buddies occasionally as I often invaded their territory in the Commons. I had a pleasant surprise when I entered the Commons to eat and they had set up the room for a show with a story and marionettes they had created. The show was sweet and their marionetting was fantastic!

Ted Mahle allowed me to join his wet on wet painting class halfway through their two week course. It was my third year with the technique, and I appreciated that he gave me much freedom in experimenting with it. He is a wonderful teacher.

Barbara always took the time to say hello and ask how I was doing as we pass each other from class to class.

Enrique was one of few of us dudes who attended the College, so we stood out among the ladies. He has a Spanish accent and is a high school history teacher. In our class together with Eva Cranstoun, we were to present a recorder piece. Enrique was sitting in a bench in the College's biodynamic garden and I could hear peeps and squeeks as he practiced his recorder. I came over to help him out a bit. Enrique, the next day, when it was his turn to perform, did the best he could, and mentioned I helped. We clapped for his striving and bravery.

Cynthia Hoven is a long-time eurythmy practitioner and teacher. She took a small group of us through some eurythmy exercises that had us weaving in and out, and pulling energy from the air, and characterizing letters with movement, and making us feel like points of a cosmic star.

Body, soul and spirit. This threefoldness was the arcing principle of Study of Man. As I plan for my upcoming year, I have a renewed sense of purpose that places this threefoldness at the foundation of my work as a teacher.

Thanks to the people I had the pleasure of knowing at Steiner College.

wet on wet painting

2011-07-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

summer training at steiner college

Water moves about the earth and in the clouds and in us. It is elegant in its simplicity. It is awesome in its power. It is miraculous in its phasic fluidity. It is fickle in its use with wet on wet painting!

In my third summer of teacher training at Steiner College, I learned to further refine this traditional Waldorf artistic medium. When I was first introduced to it two years ago, I was irked by the water's stubborn refusal to yield to my desired brush strokes. Each time a dabbed my Filbert brush into a jar of pigment, I would utter a short prayer of mercy. I would gently apply the brush to paper, and immediately, the water would coax the pigment to form tiny hairs that would grow this way and that, moving to places I did not intend. I was baffled as to why it would not remain loyal!

Then I figured it out: water is not an extension of my will force, a tool like a chisel or a pair of knitting needles. I must regard it as an elemental being, not just an element. Water is alive. I must form the right relationship with it. I should not demand of it to bend to my will. I must understand its strengths and its limitations, its properties and its nature. Water's fluidity and sensitivity must be given space to be mischievous and impetuous, then water's elegance and lawfulness can be received as a gift. The artist forms a partnership with water.

While wet and wild, water invites the layering of a cloudy sky. As it begins to evaporate from the paper, foliage of trees and the contours of hills and mountains take form. Traveling less on the paper, the water then allows the more definitive forms of humans and castles to take shape. Playful and generous, water allows me to apply my favorite technique of lifting off the pigment. Counter to one's intuition, it is the removal of edges and planes by lifting away the pigment that reveals the three dimensional shape of faces, bodies, structures, and surfaces.

Every artist - and we are all - must find the right relationship with water. And like any other dynamic partnership, you must be forgiving when things don't always go as intended, be joyful in the triumphs, and be open to the possibilities.

spirit of nature

2011-07-09T20:16:00.001-07:00

divine grace of muir woods

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe." - John Muir

There was once over two million acres of redwood forests along the coasts of California and Oregon. Now, only three percent of it remains. It is not hard to imagine where the redwoods have gone. Human habitation and economic forces had driven these mighty sentinels from their tranquil domains. Perhaps with divine intervention, preservationists of the early 20th century had the foresight to embrace the glory of a small cluster of woods in the northern portion of San Francisco Bay.

Protected as a national forest, the Muir Woods National Monument is home to redwood trees averaging 600 to 800 years old. These coast redwoods tower over 250 feet tall. Their trunks rise from the forest floor like columns, and their branches reach like buttresses holding an arching roof of leaves and needles. As rays of sunlight penetrate through the canopy and touch the dense understory, one enters this divine space as if it were a cathedral, where the spirit of nature itself is present and celebrated.

Over the weekend, my family and I joined a congregation of people who had come from far and wide to make their pilgrimmage. We found respite in the coolness of this wooded sanctuary while most of northern California was bathed in summer's heat. The feeling of reverence was immediate. It was like when I was in Catholic grade school entering through our heavy church doors: I would dip a finger into the Holy Water and make the sign of the cross on my forehead. My mood shifted instantly to solemnity.

There was no Holy Water at the entrance to the Muir Woods park, but there was moisture in the air that annointed the congregation. A raised boardwalk and decomposed granite paths guided us through the park. Redwood Creek meandered quietly through the horsetails and clover. Decayed, fallen branches lay peacefully along the paths. Flying bugs danced about high in the trees, visible only as light reflected off their delicate wings. Sonoma chipmunks confidently munched on crumbs dropped by young children. We processed through the park. We breathed in Nature's breath, an earthy, primal, green smell.

We pointed to this and that, and made scientific and artistic observations. One thing was evident to me, using an anthroposophical lens: antipathy was helpful in seeing all the percepts around me. They came into my I and concepts formed and sensations developed. But the concepts and sensations drew me into the spirit of what lay behind the percepts. I saw the clover, the equisitum, the rocks, leaves, tree bark; I felt the coolness of the air; smelled the decomposition of earth material; and I heard the birds and the trickling of water. First antipathy, then sympathy. We ourselves were present in the trees and the water and the rocks. It was a relational cycle that helps us humans appreciate the elements and also realize we are of the elements. John Muir's quote is right on: life is interconnected, and we are "hitched" to it as well.

We made a communion with the spirit of Nature. The word communion suggests completeness through togetherness (unity from community). I must believe that Nature herself was made even more beautiful by our very own presence.

Jennifer and our kids

waldorf charge

2011-06-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

from seven to fourteen and beyond

(This article is a slightly modified reprint of a blogpost I wrote for The Magic Onions.)

Sedimentary rocks settle back to their bins inside the science closet. The chalkboard compass acutely rests deep in my desk. My sword leans against a wall like a seasoned knight retired from his last battle. From studying rocks to Rome, knights to starry nights, my year with the sixth grade comes to a close. Here at the end of this amazing year - my first year at Davis Waldorf with my students, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some thoughts about the development of the child, and how it determines the charge of the Waldorf teacher.

Steiner’s developmental approach to Waldorf intuitively holds the child first from the physical environment. This is the kindergartener whose body and soul are nurtured through the oneness with his teacher, peers, and surroundings. Next, the child of the first through eighth grade, from 7 to 14 years old, is then held by authority and leadership. The teacher’s role through the grades is being the noble knight, to use imagery from my sixth grade year. In chivalric fashion, with unwavering resolve, the teacher must guide the student with charismatic aplomb.

I have had to be a noble knight this year! The curriculum of the sixth grade is such that it meets the mind and heart of the 11-12 year old. My students were like rowdy attendants to the king’s ball, enjoying the thrill of entertainment, which sometimes can be as economical as pulling one’s lips to imitate a quacking duck. Then, with the announcement of a cause, a challenge, or a quest, and with the possible reward of victory or even certain death, they sober to become unified crusaders! How fitting it was this year that they had studied the clarity of Roman law, and the code of the medieval knight. For the sixth graders, it has been about the passionate interplay of silliness and sincerity.

Banking on their capacity for precision and recitation, I wrote the “Warrior’s Creed” which they performed with martial arts-style movements at the Medieval Games and at our May Faire.

Courage
With strength and sacrifice,
My sword I wield.
Justice
From righteous code,
I will not yield.
Mercy
I sheath my sword
And extend my hand.
Generosity
I giving heart
Benefits all the land.
Devotion
With discipline
I resolve on the right.
Faith
I trust my path
Towards everlasting light.
Hope
From spirit mountain
I gladly stand and fight.

The eighth grader, at about the age of fourteen, is then held in a different manner. It is not so much holding as if in cupped, protective hands, but rather open and challenging, like you are asking, “So what do you think you should do?”

After fourteen, the child, or the young adult, is developmentally prepared for independent judgment. It is scary to think that we are empowering our teenagers with making their own decisions! But perhaps, it would not be so scary if truly we as caregivers, teachers and parents, were fully present in creating nurturing environments, and leading with responsibility and role modeling. Then, we should be able to trust that their decisions will be made from a place of our own making.

The charge of the Waldorf teacher, in the context of the threefold nature of the human being (body, soul, and spirit), is to transform the children’s natural desire for learning into treasures of creative and intellectual capacities. As the child develops, the needs evolve. The parent or teacher must recognize these shifts and find the rhythm of the growing child.

My own fourteen-year-old graduates this year from Davis Waldorf. He has decided to pursue his ninth grade at a nearby public school in Davis. The school offers a fantastic music program, and my son auditioned as a clarinetist for the concert band and as a saxophonist for jazz band. I had driven him to the school and I waited in the hallway as the music teacher lead him into one of the practice rooms. A faint but confident melody penetrated through the adjacent wall. Only a few measures later, the music teacher emerged from the room and told me that my son had earned positions in both bands. It struck me with full force for the first time that my first born child had just carved his own path, paved the way for his own fate. My role as a guide for him had reached its apex. From here on, like a waning moon, I glimmer only as a celestial navigator, and I let my son’s own luminous self become the star. I thought about the instruments that we always had around at home when he was a toddler. I thought about the times I would play songs on the piano or when my wife would teach him how to hold a clarinet. We had given him the physical environment and the guidance to appreciate music.

Now he is making his own music.

stones and stars

2011-05-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

astronomy in the sixth grade

Five thousand years ago, neolithic people of Briton carved and moved 80 four-ton bluestones from the Preseli Mountains in South Wales to Wiltshire - a 250 mile distance. A 300 foot diameter moat was dug with antlers and encircled the stones. Nearly 1000 years later, massive 50 ton sarsen stones topped with lintels formed a circle around five trilithons and the Altar stone in the middle.

On the summer solstice, heelstones placed at the eastern edge of the moat bracket the first ray of morning sun, which pierce into the center of Stonehenge to the Altar stone. To a people who had shifted from a nomadic life to an agragrian society, the sun and its daily rhythm through the seasons was reliable, its life-giving power was to be revered and honored.

This is Stonehenge.

This is astronomy for the sixth grader.

To the ancients, the movement of the heavenly bodies was viewed from a geocentric perspective and with the naked eye. We studied the movement of the sun, its ecliptic, the solstices, and the equinoxes. We studied the moon and its phases. Then, we expanded outward to the celestial sphere, where we pointed to the north celestial pole and discovered Polaris, the North Star. It follows the axis of the earth and so has become invaluable in orienting navigators and stargazers to the constellations. From Polaris, we found the circumpolar stars such as the Big Dipper. From the Big Dipper, we "arced to Arcturus, and spiked to Spica." Then we discussed the band of animal signs, the Zodiac, that appeared like a belt around the ecliptic.

From geology to astronomy, I had taken the sixth grader through a journey of their personal development and my development as their teacher. As is true for much of Waldorf, there is a poetic underpinning to the things we do. For me, geology in the beginning of the year represented the firmness of the earth from which I needed to connect with the students. We needed grounding, and geology was the discipline that would do it. In the end of our year, after studying Roman and medieval history, economics, physics, and geometry, we needed a block that would represent the outward optimism of looking forward to the seventh grade. Astronomy, the study of the stars, was the perfect close to our year.

Geology to astronomy, stones to stars, earth to heaven.

In the beginning of the year, we visited Lassen Volcanic Park. Last week, we visited Cache Creek Regional Park in Yolo County. Lassen was meant to be instructive about geology. The Cache Creek trip was meant for the students to have fun - and if stars happened to be visible from the canyon floor and the students happened to pause and look up, then we got some astronomy too!

In the beginning of the year, I had a pre-formed image of the potential ideal of my students. Like a sculptor with a block of limestone, or a conductor with a musical score to an orchestra, I had worked towards that image. From my Renaissance nature, I would shape them through example as an artist, musician, philosopher, and scientist. From my personal being, I would guide them as a father who nurtures my own children. From Steiner's anthroposophical frame, it would be through "discipleship and authority." From a spiritual place, I would go about our day with reverence, order, and peacefulness.

At the end of the year, the students have grown in mind, body, and spirit. The kinetic reality of teaching and learning, of the individual personalities of the children, and of their dramatic age nature produced a sixth grader who far exceeded my idealized picture. In the heart of performing our concerto, it was the spontaneous, inspired accents, the nuanced colors of dynamics, the subtle, yet moving harmonies, and the unifying force of rhythm that the sixth graders concluded their performance with brilliance. Sure, a few misplaced notes here and there to jarring effect, but we kept on going!

What have the students become?

Pretend this is a plexer: a picture of a chunk of granite + a picture of a constellation.

Yes, you got it, ROCK STARS!

cache creek

2011-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

regional gems of yolo county

The Tans are enjoying a reprieve from our school rhythm at Davis Waldorf. Yet, in our Spring break, we found ourselves scouting a possible sixth grade field trip venue: Cache Creek Campground. Less than an hour away from Davis, this regional campground in Yolo County was quite a treasure; we found ourselves enjoying an unexpected day at the beach - in the heart of agricultural farmlands of California's Central Valley!

dark ages

2011-04-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

medieval history with grade six

In the sixth grade, we study Roman and medieval history. The cause and effect quality of these periods in history, the sense of law and order, conviction for truth and justice, and devotion to beliefs are soul food for the sixth grader. In studying the events surrounding the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity and medieval history, I realized that there really is not a clear line between the end of one period of history and the beginning of another. History has a sequential quality, a cause and effect linearity, that is particulary evident in the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and the beginnings of medieval history. A series of events, singular and concurrent, all contribute to the way the human story marches forward. I though I had left Rome behind several weeks ago in our Roman history block, but the Roman Empire proved quite resilient as it formed the foundation for the beginnings of the Dark Ages. So our medieval history block had to start with the fall of the Empire.

Under the Emperor Tiberius, a man named Jesus was crucified by the Romans for fear that his teachings about God and the power of love was counter to the laws of the Romans. His followers began to spread his teachings, and Christianity was born. Under the reign of Nero, many Christians were tortured and executed. By the time Hadrian had taked power, it was unlawful to be Christian and many went into hiding, spreading the word of God secretly. The Roman Empire reached the height of its power during Hadrian's reign, and many roads were built that reached to the edges of Hesperia, Gaul, the River Danube, and the northern coast of Africa.

In Britain, the Romans had tried to extend their laws and customs to this forested island. Pagan tribes of Celts resisted the might of the Romans. One tribe, the Iceni, led by Queen Boudicca, fought the Romans bravely. But Queen Boudicca and her two daughters finally poisoned themselves when they realized they had lost, and did not want to be brought to the city of Rome as prisoners to be humiliated, tortured, and executed. The Iceni were one of the last Celtic tribes to resist the Romans, and from then on, much of Britain, except for the northern lands where the Picts and Scots had lived, went under Roman rule.

The sixth graders and I, on a sunny Friday at the end of school, re-enacted the battle between the Romans and Celts out on the school's lawn, which abuts a mound of dirt and logs. The Romans marched with shields towards the Celtic hill fortification. I played the role of a Roman officer. On my command, we charged towards the hill, PVC pipe-swords drawn and ...we all threw water balloons at each other, and the children dumped a bucket of water on me! Glorious!

But Christianity continued to spread, and in the city of Verulanium in Britain, a Roman nobleman named Alban had chanced upon an old man he helped. The old man was a Christian. After hearing his stories about Christ, Alban proclaimed himself Christian. Roman soldiers came to his house, and he helped the old man escape. Alban did not deny to having helped the old man, and also admitted to the Roman officer, a family friend, that he had converted to Christianity. When Alban refused to renounce his faith, Alban was executed. He became the first Christian in Britain to die as a martyr.

Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. He gave the Western Empire to Maximinius. Their successors, Maxentius, the son of Maximinius, and Constantine, disagreed about the rule of the two halves of the Empire. They declared war on each other. Constantine had a vision from God and he instructed his men to paint crosses on their shields. When they went into battle against Meaxentius' soldiers, they scared them off with a crucifixion image on their shields, and the seeming determination they had on their countenances. Constantine decided that Rome would no longer be the center of power, so he established Constantinople. The executions of Christians stopped. It became fashionable to be a Christian.

Meanwhile, Germanic tribes, barbarians, from the northeast, began to push against the fortified boundaries of the Roman Empire. The tribes did not have centralized power so the Roman tried to convince them to battle as Romans against other Germanic tribes. Roman law, loyalty, and power began to crumble under the weight of unruly, uncontrollable hoardes of people.

Attile the Hun, the "Scourge of God," struck fear and destruction across the Empire. Eventually, the Goths and the Vandals took their tour of pillaging and plundering the Empire. The Western Empire fell into ruin, and the Eastern Empire, ruled from Constantinople, managed to maintain some power due to tenuous alliances with the barbarians. The Angles and Saxons, also Germanic tribes, traveled northward into Britain as mercenaries against the Picts and Scots, battling at Hadrian's Wall and everywhere in the British countrysides.

The great Migration of People, the huge nomadic tribes of the central plains of Europe, continued their movement into what was left of the Roman Empire. Odoacer, a strong Roman Commander-in-Chief of Germanic descent and Christian faith took control of the Western Empire and threw away the title of Emperor. In 476 AD, the Empire ceased to exist. Along with the unrecorded history of the Angles and Saxons in Britain, and the settling of Germanic tribes throughout Europe, this period of history became known as the Dark Ages.

The monks believed that to be a true Christian, one must live simply and virtuously. In their monasteries were scriptoriums, where they spent night and day as scribes, creating beautiful, delicate, and perfect manuscripts of religious texts.

The sixth graders are learning the art of calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts. They will be completing a page of their creeds, of what it is they have a conviction for, of what they believe. It ties in with the strong devotion of the Christians, and of knighthood and chivalry. We had touched on the seven knightly virtues, and they seem to be getting into the spirit of the chivalric ways!

We are now in Spring Break. The timing of this block seemed to work well, as some families will be celebrating Easter, a time important to Christianity. When the children return, we wil learn about Islam and Eleanor of Aquitaine, the mother of medieval history! We will be working more on our calligraphy and completing our creeds. We will also be working on our individual coats-of-arms just in time for our participation in the Medieval Games, where we will compete with other sixth graders from other Waldorf schools.

sound and light

2011-03-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

physics for the sixth grade

The sixth graders at Davis Waldorf School completed their three week block of physics where we covered the phenomena of sound, light, and magnetism. In the sixth grade, physics is about the experience and observation of the phenomena. There is less emphasis on quantitative data, and more on the quality, the sense-experience, of light, sound, and magnetism. However, I found myself not sticking strictly with the experience, but diving into the abstract as well. Maybe it is my science background, or perhaps the way the students had appeared to want to know about the abstract stuff such as sound waves, but I found myself introducing the hidden mysteries of the experience, in particular, the idea of the wave. I had to use my intuition as a teacher.

For light, I organized the material and the main lesson pages as:

1) the phenomenon of light, where I had the students copy the "gift of light" verse we sang at our Winter Assembly,

2) the sources of light, where we drew images of luminous objects, those that actually produce light, and illuminated object, everything else that reflects light,

3) the rays and rainbows of light, where we identified the properties of the light ray as reflecting, absorbing, and transmitting, including using a prism to see how visible light separates into the rainbow colors, and

4) the refraction of light, where we performed an experiment. We shone a beam of light through a water-filled tank at an angle, and observed the bending of the light as it passed from the medium of air and into the medium of water.

For sound, I organized the main lesson this way:

1) phenomenon of sound, where the students copied a verse about hearing,

2) making sound, about the three ways that sound is produced: striking, strumming, or blowing, told as a story about a king wanting music played at a spring festival,

3) affecting sound, about the qualities of sound: duration, volume, pitch, and character,

4) hearing sound, where we discussed the vibration, and the sound wave, and its properties such as frequency and amplitude. I wrote a rap about sound:

vibrations, vibrations

objects in motion

strum, pluck, or blow,

and feel the sound waves go

sound can be high

sound can be low

sound can be really loud

or quiet like an echo, echo, echo

sound goes on and on and on

sound can stop like this

sound has character

a bark, meow, or hiss

frequency and amplitude

waves have attitude

patterned or continuous

waves are not superfluous

big words - don't you fear

c'mon, just use your ears!

For magnetism:

1) the phenomenon of magnetism, where in our main lesson page, I had them copy down a medieval style of courtly love poem (force of attraction = magnetism, get it?)

2) earth's magnetism, about the history of the discovery of lodestone and its use in navigation

3) field of magnetism, where the students practiced their 3-dimensional drawing and shading to show a magnet and its lines of magnetism.

Our project for the block was making an instrument. The students created some lovely-sounding instruments!

I chose to do a chalk-drawing of a lotus flower in a still pond. The photograph that inspired it had a luminous lotus flower and I wanted to try to capture it in chalk. Also, I was struck by the quietness that the image had. So sound and light.

Anthroposophy 101 eCourse

2011-02-19T16:29:00.001-08:00

geography

2011-02-01T21:54:00.001-08:00

sixth grade visits europe

The sixth graders of Davis Waldorf School (no, we really did not take a filed trip to Europe - but that would have been molto fantastico!) came back from their winter break to learn a little about geography. The three branches of geography are physical (biomes, cartography, coordinates), human (cultures, populations), and environmental (resource management).

We learned about the different biomes of the world (forest, grassland, tundra, desert, marine, and freshwater). The students created dioramas of their biomes, which we called "bioramas." They were spectacular! Some had fashioned trees from wire and frayed rope, animals from beeswax, snow from old cotton jerseys, and rocky cliffs from clay.

We learned about latitude and longitude, and how to make accurate maps using a grid technique.

To study human geography, the students are researching European countries for their reports. It is a big undertaking for the sixth graders as they are learning to choose the right resources and compile information about the land, the culture, and landmarks. They are writing creatively and using illustrations to create beautiful reports.

To bring in the global, environmental consciousness into our work, I had the students list their observations of things outside our classroom. It was not surprising that when I had them categorize their observations between human, human-made, and nature-made, most things they listed were human-made. I had told them that it was very important how our geography is closely tied to human impact, that it was our responsibility to always be mindful of how we interact with our earth.

supply and demand

2010-12-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

grade six economics and winter concert

Supply and demand is a relationship. It is about the dynamic balance of what we produce and what we want. During our three weeks of economics, sixth grade viewed the world in this way. The relationship begins with what the earth itself provides: natural elements that through human use become natural resources. From natural resources, we derive raw materials. Raw materials give us the stuff to be self-sustaining. When reliance for survival shifts outside of the self, we enter into barter. From barter develops a more convenient form of exchange, currency. In maintaining mutually beneficial exchange, we discussed value and worth. From understanding the value of things, the theory of economics itself is formed: production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Then the world of entrepreneurship, profit, capital, and interest opened up. From here, we were ready to tackle suppy and demand.

I had deliberately (strategically) placed our economics block just before our winter break. There was no better way for the students to understand economics than to experience it. We created Grade Six Greetings, converting our classroom into an assembly factory. We produced greeting cards with original artwork by the students, and sold them to the school community, just in time for the holidays! Consumers demanded, and we supplied. Lo and behold, we turned a profit!

In the midst of the excitement of our curriculum coming to life, we also had practiced for our school Winter Concert. I wrote an instrumental piece for the sixth grade strings ensemble called Winter Solstice, which our strings teacher arranged for me, and composed a song called Gift of Light, with choreography. At the Winter Concert, the sixth graders were magical, inspiring, and awesome. The audience demanded, and we supplied!

In each of these students, there is a light. It flickers, it dances, it glows, it warms, it shines. The light fills me with hope and encourages me to keep doing what I do. I nurture the light, cup it with a gentle hand when a mischievous wind comes blowing. I keep it safe, let it shine, and it gets brighter and brighter.

Blessings to all.

roman aqueduct

2010-11-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

our sixth grade roman history project

Our sixth grade block in Roman History at Davis Waldorf was crowned today with a Roman feast and a presentation of our Aqueduct Project. The project, in Roman fashion, required precision and citizenship. Each segment of the aqueduct had to be exactly measured and executed by each of the students so that when connected, their sections would function collectively to convey water.

The project needed a box of specific dimensions, and cut precisely for the columns, arches, and holes. A layer of spackling or plaster, scored and painted to resemble brick, gave it an artistic touch. When each of the segments were lined up end to end, the impact was quite incredible. I ran a 3/4" PVC pipe through all the segments, attached a hose to one end, and a spout at the other. Our aqueduct directed water for a ceremonious washing of our hands to begin our Roman feast.

The Roman saying holds true: FINIS CORONAT OPUS (the end crowns the work). I think the students will remember this project, and they will know the work they put into it had lead to a sense of accomplishment and pride.

o roma nobilis

2010-11-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

roman history with sixth grade

Do as the Romans do. So my chalkboard drawing took on a very austere, practical, disciplined, and serious nature. It was from a relief of a Roman general leading centurions in battle, rendered in marble, beautiful in the precision of the sculptor's craftsmanship. It set the tone of my 3-week block of Roman history.

It is not easy to condense 1500 years in 3 weeks!

In our first week, we traveled with Aeneas, the Trojan prince who escaped from the burning Troy, who traveled to Latium, in what is now Italy. He begins the Trojan bloodline that lead to Remus and Romulus and the birth of Rome in 753 BC.

In our second week, we moved through 500 years of the Roman Kingdom, and with the suicide of Lucretia in her refusal to be kidnapped by Tarquinius' son, the Roman Republic was formed in 509 BC. We discovered the social structure of the Republic with the plight of the patricians and plebeians. We learned about the technology of arches learned from Rome's Etruscan neighbors, and its application in the famous aqueducts. During the period of the Republic, I read to the sixth grade about the great Carthaginian general Hannibal's declaration of war against the Romans, and his eventual defeat in Zama.

We have also been learning Latin word roots, and a Latin verse that I put to song that reflects the somber glory of Rome.

About to begin our third week, I will end the Republic and enter the Empire. There are key players whose biographies I will bring: Julius Caesar, Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and Octavian Augustus. At the end of our block, we will put together our aqueduct project (pictures to follow), and I will run a PVC pipe through a channel in each of our segments. Water will flow and we will ceremoniously wash our hands to prepare for a Roman feast!

geometry

2010-10-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

sixth grade gets precise

Our dear sixth grade students of Davis Waldorf are in the second block of the year: geometry. We shifted from the organic, amorphous shapes of rocks in the geology block to the precision of geometric lines and shapes. I used the acronym "TLCC" to give structure to the block.

Technique, Language, Construction, and Calculation.

The students are learning proper techniques of using a compass and a straightedge to develop the precision of an architectural draftsman! They are learning the language of shapes, the parts and pieces that describe the points and lines of circles, triangles, and parallelograms. Through constructions, they will continue to hone their drafting skills to create beautiful artistic work. And finally, we will calculate formulas for areas of shapes.

Within the block, I decided to offer them short biographies of Frank Lloyd Wright, Piet Mondrian, and Euclid to give a historical and artistic perspective to geometry.

My chalkboard drawing for the block, called Blue Right Triangle, was inspired by stained glass designs by Frank Lloyd Wright. (If you can tell, I had a hard time letting go of my Mount Lassen drawing so I incorporated a portion of it in the new drawing!)

michaelmas dragoneering

2010-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

the task of the waldorf sixth grader

Michael:

Fear not good people your prayer is heard.
Michael am I, guardian of the highest word.
Oh dread dragon with this sword of light
I can conquer you in a single fight.
Your scaly hide it can easily pierce
And drain the life from your fangs so fierce.
But also to you a last chance I may give
To change your ways and so to live.
That the highest is served through your power
And a part of us you become from this hour.

Dragon:

Ah, Michael, conqueror from on high
If I may but live then I shall try
To serve the princess as best I can
And with her every woman and man.
I’ll plow the fields and plant the wheat
So that she and all her folk may eat.

People:
We’ll teach him to plough
And we’ll teach him to sow,
We’ll teach him to harrow
To reap and to mow.
He’ll garner the harvest
And grind all the flour,
Humankind will grow strong
In the strength of his power.

The Michaelmas play at Davis Waldorf was held in a stand of trees on our field. The second graders, directed by their teacher Patrice Rapp, presented their play with strong, fearless voices! The sixth grade students provided the dragon.

From the fire-breathing volcano of Mount Lassen to the fire-breathing dragon of Davis Waldorf, the sixth graders gave life to the dragon. I used chickenwire to form the head, and tarp for the skin. We draped the tarp over the children and with flour thrown to simulate smoke, they made a convincing dragon!

Enjoy the following pictures (I used publishing software to make them look like pencil drawings to maintain the children's privacy).

preparing to enter the dragon

the second grade townsfolk

with a loop and a puff of smoke, the dragon appears

the archangel Michael saves the day

pausing proudly with our dragon

mount lassen

2010-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

our sixth grade camping trip

This second week of September, the sixth graders of Davis Waldorf School spent three days in magnificent Lassen Volcanic Park. The feel of cinders crunching at our feet as we climbed Cinder Cone or inhaling the sulfur from fumaroles at Bumpass Hell allows their study of geology to live in their hearts. Our itinerary included a picnic at serene Lake Helen, a hike into steamy Bumpass Hell, and an epic climb up Cinder Cone.

The following images, taken by me, were inspired by B.F. Loomis' photographs of the 1915 eruption of Mount Lassen, on display as giant black and white photos in the Loomis Museum at the northern entrance of the park.

Lassen is rich in geological treasures.

The dynamic landscape is in a cycle of decay and growth.

We camped on the edge of secluded and picturesque Summit Lake.

Our campsite may have had forest nymphs watching over us!

As we hiked on trails, there were amazing views in all directions...

And lots of rocks.

This is on the way to Bumpass Hell.

The intrepid chaperones paused on the Bumpass Hell boardwalk -

where are the children?

Oh, there they are!

Cinder Cone is a 750 foot tall cone volcano, whose steep climb is like

scaling a tall sand dune.

The wind was wild and the views were spectacular from the crater rim.

We conquered Cinder Cone, and brilliantly documented the shoes that got us there!

opening day

2010-09-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

reverence and the rose

Davis Waldorf School celebrated its first day of school with the Rose Ceremony. It symbolizes the beliefs of the Waldorf way: honoring the beauty of the spiritual nature of the child. With reverence and grace, each grades teacher proudly expressed the voyage of their students through the curriculum and through the developmental stage of that particular grade.

As the sixth grade teacher for Davis Waldorf, I spoke of the new sense of reasoning awakening in the 12 year old child, which opens their hearts to the transformation of people and places in their curriculum. More importantly, the course of the year will see a transformation in the children themselves.

offering a hand-made gift for my colleague, Coleen Borrego

The opening day celebration centers around the Rose Ceremony. Ms. Ute Luebeck, our dear first grade teacher, shared heart-felt words with the parents. Truly, the first grade child will begin on a path of wonder and adventure, but they need not fear. With gentleness, our eighth grade children, young adults, offer the rose to the little ones as a token of friendship, peace, calm, and beauty. Then the parents had formed an arc of sunflowers that lead the way for Ms. Luebeck and the children to enter into the first grade classroom.

It is a magical way for the little ones to begin the school year.

my son Wilson gets a hug, a crown, a key, and an 8th grade buddy

Angela Kost, our strings teacher, provides music for the ceremony

a beautiful and welcoming display

a new gate for the lower grades garden

warm, calm, nurturing kindergarten spaces

It was also a magical way to begin my first year with the sixth grade! With consciousness of the incredible task about to unfold, I prepared as best as I could for this day, for my year. I moved my family to Davis over the summer, a huge task in itself. I spent 5 intense weeks at Steiner College. I wrote a variety of material to organize my thoughts and plans for the year, created a Google Group for my parents, cleaned and organized my classroom, planned our sixth grade Mount Lassen filed trip, gathered resources, painted and sanded my gift for the fifth grade teacher the night before opening day, and it continues.

This first day was key, it sets the tone for the year. Jennifer knitted me a tie to wear for Opening Day, which I was glad for. In so many ways, it was an important day. It was the first day of school for my three kids at Davis Waldorf, it was my first day to greet the community, it was my first day to be in the classroom with the sixth graders.

And as I write this blog at the end of this first week, I will say that I am truly grateful for them. They have shown me this week that they have the courage, honor, faith, and heart to take this journey with me. And as I reflect on the first day of school with the children, I feel that a connection was made, and the natural bond formed felt as if I had been standing in front of the classroom with them much longer.

growing pains

2010-08-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

campus under construction

Like the twelve year old child, the campus is undergoing some major changes! Just as my sixth grade students are entering into a new phase of life, so too is Davis Waldorf School.

Growing in spirit over two and a half decades, Davis Waldorf has built a reputation in the community for the loving embrace that held the children and their families. Now, the school also grows in classroom and office spaces. As new prefab buildings totaling over 4000 square feet are secured to poured concrete foundations, trenches with new utility lines and plumbing are excavated and filled, play strucutres uprooted and replanted, irrigation and drainage lines revamped, lawns and flower beds disturbed and replaced, Davis Waldorf is experiencing some growing pains.

What has diffused the construction discomfort is the support of the community of families and friends. Over the weekend, work crews of volunteer parents, Board members, faculty, and staff worked hard with gloves, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, hammers, and assorted power tools to bring the school closer to being ready for Opening Day.

Gloved hands with strong will forces.

The curriculum of the sixth grade is about transformation and the laws of cause and effect, the art is about light and shadows, the inner work is about fortitude and moral resolve. I took the following images this Sunday morning, when the campus was quiet and still. The process of transformation was evident in the materials laying about the campus, the black and white imagery reflected the dance of light and shadow, and I felt the powerful textures of earthmovers and scaffolding, of boards and rubble somehow told a story of hope and resolve.

The campus and the children are growing together.

mindful and artful

2010-08-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

the teaching and learning setting

I will be greeting my sixth grade students at Davis Waldorf School in less than two weeks! With a handshake and a good morning, I will welcome them into the classroom space. It is the space where teaching and learning will meet; it must hold us and support us. With a feng shui background, it was with mindfulness and intention that I designed the sixth grade classroom. The classroom is minimalist and uncluttered. There are living plants that the children will nurture and make grow. There are some decorative objects that are born from nature and crafted by hand. Musical instruments and artwork inspire creativity. Rugs, lamps, and pillows give lightness and warmth. Placement of students' desks and my desk, bookshelves, and file cabinets organize work spaces. I am fortunate to have a large enough room to define a space for my work, where I feel supported and protected. When I am prepping for school, the children are all home, the campus is quiet, and the room is all mine, I can pause and sit at the piano and play. It is my meditation; I breathe, and I will look forward to another day.

west davis pond

2010-08-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

a nature walk at the end of the street

A protected wetlands, the West Davis Pond, sits just a few steps away from our home. Designed to offer stormwater space, the West Davis Pond also provides a home for wildlife such as egrets and Canadian geese. We walked to the end of our street and entered into the paths that circled the Pond. Living in Davis is full of simple pleasures that allow family to spend time together in a safe, friendly environment.

you will know

2010-08-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

a verse of feeling and knowing

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

know thyself

2010-08-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

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.)

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!

singing with eva

2010-08-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

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!

phenomenology

2010-07-23T00:37:00.000-07:00

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.

teacher training

2010-07-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

summer school at steiner college

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.

crafting creativity

2010-06-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

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.

watercoloring video

2010-06-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

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!

father's day

2010-06-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

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

the "original" Tans

Jennifer

a shady spot for lunch

teleseminar grades one thru three

2010-06-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

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

fabulous forty

2010-06-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

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.

brother francesco

2010-06-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

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.

creative weekend

2010-05-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

a yearly retreat under the oaks

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

gnomes, stones, footlongs

2010-05-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

birthday at the river

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.

may faire

2010-05-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

may day at east bay

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.

dreamer's scroll

2010-04-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

wishes and blessings for our children

in radiant spirit

a wish unspoken

in hand is written

to move the child

with force unseen

as such are dreams

mothers and fathers

loving beings

bestow their blessings

to transform the world

with community

and strength of family

Over the weekend, I met with the parents of the children whom I will be journeying through sixth grade with at Davis Waldorf. Radiant beings with open hearts and open minds, the parents needed to see in whom their children's academic and social lives have been entrusted. I introduced the parents to my educational philosophy, and my vision for the students in addressing the academic component of their journey.

Perhaps, and I hope this is true, they saw in me, one who would genuinely care for the holistic wellness of the children. Joining the wonderful community of Davis and the families of Davis Waldorf, I believe that my own family will become part of an amazing circle of people with transformative power.

Through the concerted work of the caregivers and parents, and faculty at Davis Waldorf, I believe we have the capacity and the spirit to make a global impact: our children will influence the world, so we need to give them the love and the tools to influence it in the best possible ways.

It starts with a little blessing, a wish, the dreamer's scroll. I asked the parents to all write a message for their youngsters, an energetic thought, a wish of boundless nature. We tied each into a scroll and placed them all into a clear glass vase. It will remain in the classroom all year, and through eighth grade. Perhaps, at graduation day, the children will open them. We will see how that unspoken wish may have come true or had somehow aided the youngster in his or her journey.

I had a good feeling when the meeting was over. The parents appeared to support me in my vision. One offered his property for an overnighter to view the stars in our astronomy block. Others, seasoned campers, offered to help in our trip to Mount Lassen to view the volcano for our minerology block. Others wanted to arrange home visits. I said I welcome all those opportunities for parent involvement. And for home visits, I also welcome a plate of fried calamari!

grade two math

2010-04-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

partying with the little ones

I had begun my math block with class two at East Bay Waldorf upon returning from spring break. The second grade child, so full of liveliness, is experiencing both uncertainty and freedom in discovering their separateness from each other and the world around them. The teacher must guide them and help them build self-discipline and self-confidence.

Our four-week math block will be spent reinforcing previously introduced concepts such as multiplication. Here is what we did with learning our multiplication.

Climbers, Creepers, and Crossings. The king and queen lived in a castle blessed with a bounty of fruit trees and a vegetable garden. One day, an old beggar knocked on the heavy door and asked for some food. They turned him away, and he placed a curse on the castle. All the fruit trees and vegetables withered away. The king and queen were left with very little food. The beggar returned some time later and asked for food again. This time, even with barely enough for themselves, they offered him some morsels. He was so thankful, he revealed he was wizard and returned life to the castle garden. He even produced a magical vine. This vine gave out tendrils that ran up and down, the climbers. It gave out tendrils that ran side to side, the creepers. When a climber meets a creeper, they form a crossing. If you have 4 climbers and 5 creepers, how many TIMES do they cross? 20 times! 20 is 4 times 5.

Tables of the Royal Party. So happy for their new bounty, the king and queen wanted to hold a party. They needed up to 9 tables for their guests. At each table they needed: 1 vase of flowers, 2 buckets of ice, 3 pitchers of water, 4 pizzas, 5 blueberry muffins, 6 loaves of bread, 7 mushrooms, 8 carrots, 9 bowls of soup, 10 apple pies, 11 candles, and 12 fortune cookies. Well, if you have 6 tables set, and you wanted 4 pizzas per table, how many pizzas altogether do you need? 6 tables times 4 pizzas is 24 pizzas total. 6 x 4 is 24.

Math Outside. The day was gorgeous and I decided to take the children outside to enjoy the school grounds. With practice book and pencil in hand, the children joined me in a game of "I spy." I said, "I spy pine cones resting on a hay bale." They counted the cones, "4!" And I said, "What is 4 + 4 + 4 + 4? Whisper the secret answer in my ear." One by one, they whispered, "16." With each child, I would say, "Great, now only William and I know the answer, ooh, now William, Jane, and I know the secret answer!"

We have also been engaged with form drawing, painting, and language arts. With May Faire just a week away, we have also been praticing a song or two for the spring festival.

family feast

2010-04-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

a peaceful easter sunday

On our Sunday Easter morning, we celebrated spring and rejoiced in the togetherness of family. We prepared a simple meal. Ricky baked bread from scratch, and Joey helped her mommy slice a bounty of sweet strawberries. My parents joined us for brunch and we felt blessed with a peaceful day.

eggs-pressionist easter

2010-04-02T10:52:00.001-07:00

oblong abstract art

With left-over acid dye from Ukranian dyeing (bought from Steiner College Bookstore), the kids and I painted more eggs for Easter and we came up with some fun abstract work by dipping the eggs and also dripping dye onto them. The style almost resembles watercolor veil painting. Mostly, we had fun seeing how the dyes would find their own paths in traveling along the surface of the eggs, creating subtle organic shapes and abstract eggscapes!

Our Syrendell shop at Etsy has an ebook for learning how to use natural egg dyes!

where's waldorf

2010-03-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

teaching at east bay and davis

Where is Waldorf? Waldorf is where there is a community of people dedicated to the holistic wellness of our children and the world we live in. Two places I know of are East Bay Waldorf School and Davis Waldorf School, where in the former I am currently teaching, and the latter, I will be in the fall 2010 school year.

How I became so amazingly blessed to spend time with the faculty, students, and parents of both places is unfathomable! It seems the angels have been secretly watching over me as I went about my work. I accept their gift with humility, and gratitude.

This is not the kind of gift one receives like a gift certificate to a day spa!

It is more of the kind of gift like I have just been knighted. It is really cool and honorable, but you know you've got some serious work to do thereafter!

At East Bay Waldorf, I have been teaching sciences and math to the upper grades, with an economics block winding down the week after spring break. That same week, I am starting my new assignment at East Bay taking the children of class two through to the end of the school year! (Their wonderful teacher since first grade is blessed with a pregnancy, but is also experiencing some health-related concerns.) With nine weeks left, we will have time for a 4 week math block and a 4 week language arts block, and a week for review of recap of the year. I will reinforce their math skills and their reading and writing skills to prepare them for third grade. Overall, my goal is to maintain the joyfulness in their hearts and the reverence of their classroom, so that at whatever capacity they are at, they will meet their learning with love and enthusiasm.

At Davis Waldorf School, I will enter the fall 2010 school year as the sixth grade teacher. This will be a wonderful journey and hope to graduate the Class of 2013! I have many great ideas for the fall, and am looking forward to connecting with the children and parents in creating a synergistic flow of learning, doing, feeling, and being!

My new post has been recently announced to the parents of the children, and Kelly Brewer, the administrator at DWS, directed parents to visit my blogsite. I have attached links to previous blog posts that DWS parents might be interested in. Of course, you are welcome to read any of my postings and visit other blogsites as well!

Please visit the following links for highlights:

My kids:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-children.html
Ricky
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2010/02/enter-teen.html
Joey
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/07/verse-for-joey.html

My motive force:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/07/inspiration.html

Meditation:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/11/reflection-moments.html

My Waldorf philosophy:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/11/five-spheres.html

Upper grades curriculum:
grade six
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2010/03/elegant-economics.html

grade seven
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/12/digestive-system.html
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/12/circulatory-system.html
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/12/say-yes.html

grade eight
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2010/01/flow-and-force.html
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2010/01/our-bones.html
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2010/01/heat-energy.html

Serene photo:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/12/winter-rain.html

Wood work:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/08/mahatma-gandhi.html

Painting:
http://thewaldorfway.blogspot.com/2009/07/painting-stories.html

Please feel free to email me at: ricktan@eastbaywaldorf.org or rick@daviswaldorf.org

ready...fence!

2010-03-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

sabre and the will

Ricky has been with the Hristov-Csikany Fencing Club for about two and half years. He trains in the art of the sabre. There is a gradual and steady building of technique, skill, and strength in Ricky, and he does it with maturity and discipline. His fencing teachers always comment that he is a model student, ready and willing to learn. He is a smart fencer, according to his teachers, using a strategy with equal parts patience, skill, and composure.

In a club tournament that pitted him against his classmates, his hard work paid off. He earned First Place and brought home the gold medal.

So I am proud of Ricky that in his will forces exist the drive to do well, the discipline to carry it through, and the reverence to honor his relationships with his peers, his teachers, and the energy of the cosmos. Did I say I was proud of Ricky?

elegant economics

2010-03-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

our grade six block

An economics block at East Bay Waldorf with grade six proved that students can learn and earn! Our third week of economics demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit of a sixth grader, however, our project would not have been quite as succeessful or meaningful had we not on the first day talked about the elements.

So, just a recap of the block, each major concept was brought each day in a sequential, fluid manner.

The elements - wood, water, fire, earth, and air- through the human condition, are NATURAL RESOURCES.

These translate, for the human, into RAW MATERIALS.

Raw materials offer SELF-SUSTAINABILITY.

Acknowledging our limitations, we turn to BARTER.

Essential to the function of exchange of goods is understanding that things have VALUE.

We also value convenience, so CURRENCY is invented, and value is assisgned as PRICE.

Knowing that someone else is willing to pay a price for a good leads to the fundamentals of ECONOMICS.

In economics, being a PRODUCER has its obvious appeal.

Being a producer is worthwhile if we generate PROFIT.

Having a business plan that projects a profit allows start-ups to get CAPITAL, and the bank will add its fee as INTEREST.

As a producer, now with money to buy materials, we begin MANUFACTURING and MARKETING our product.

This brings us to Grade Six Greetings, with cards featuring original artwork by the students of grade six. The students displayed teamwork, creativity, and natural business acumen!

We sold the cards at the school for $3, and on the first day, having produced over 90 cards, sold ALL of them! They were so proud of their efforts, and I was so impressed!

With one week after spring break to bring the block to a close, we will discuss SUPPLY and DEMAND, SERVICE-oriented businesses, and to bring the block to a complete circle, I want them to think and act globally, to honor the ELEMENTS, while pursuing our economic goals.

Enjoy the following pictures of the card assembly!

1. We created the artwork: pencil drawings, geometric forms, and abstract watercoloring.

2. I showed them a trick on how to fold cardstock perfectly - push the edges against a flat plane!

3. Draw the logo on the back of the cards - see the g6g - grade six greetings.

4. Cut the artwork to the appropriate size.

5. Glue the artwork to the folded cardstock.

6. Display the cards where everyone can see them!

7. And don't forget to reap the rewards!

christ and cross

2010-03-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

an easter image in wood

I had a request to render in wood an iconic image of Christianity. As I carved the poplar, and the form of a man carrying the cross began to emerge, I knew that this powerful moment I was depicting held much symbolic meaning for humankind. Through selfless love, Jesus carries the weight of mankind, and sacrifices himself for us. Can we bear the weight of our own mortality? Do we have the strength to free our souls by making earthly sacrifices? Whatever religious and spiritual beliefs we follow, love should guide us all, and our spirits will rise to meet the angels.

wool and watercolor

2010-03-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

workshop at syrendell

At Syrendell in lovely Fair Oaks, my wife and I held a workshop where the vibrant hues of naturally-dyed fibers and watercolor paints gave brightness and joy to our day! Through our Syrendell Academy workshop held February 27, Jennifer taught handwork techniques in spinning and carding beautiful fibers and yarns in the morning. In the afternoon, I taught curriculum for the second grade, introduced the five spheres of Waldorf education, block crayon work, and wet-on-wet painting. Second grader Tristan had also attended the workshop and created nature-inspired crafts and a painting of his own! Thank you to those who graced us with their creative energy on a wonderful Saturday at Syrendell!

watercolor painting for the crow and the pitcher

block crayons for main lesson book work

beautiful fibers from the drum carder

daffodils

2010-02-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

awakening to a new season

A recently felled tree serves as a tranquil sitting space among daffodils awakening to the upcoming season.

A burst of color from this beautiful bulb signals the fading gray of winter.

The winter season is a time for rest and restoration, where we find solace in the quiet hum of our inner lives. In spring, the hum becomes a choir of nature's children. We lift our voices, restored from slumber, and sing praises of gratitude and hope. The choir steadily crescendos, sweetly harmonizing.

discovering waldorf

2010-02-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

reaching families everywhere

Blessings to the The Magic Onions. Their blog has reached so many families throughout the world, touching lives in ways that strenghthen the love of learning, creating, and family togetherness.

Today, on "Discovering Waldorf," I am guest blogger with my blog called Elemental Simplicity. Please stop by The Magic Onions' beautiful blogsite and enjoy their wealth of creativity and magic!

divine proportion

2010-02-13T23:17:00.000-08:00

da vinci, algebra, geometry, and business math

A three week math block for grade seven at East Bay Waldorf proved that math equals fun! Students often dread the idea of math, so I told the students at the beginning of our block that I would avoid using the word math, and yet introduce the basics of algebra and geometry.

I created a fictitious corporation that gave me a vehicle for creating interactive lesson plans. Through it, I organized the students into "departments" with department heads, allowing for group work, and building leadership skills and effective team dynamics. The topics in algebra covered were variables, expressions, equations, formulas, and signed numbers. The topics in geometry included Thales theorem, Pythagorean theorem, the Golden Ratio, the Golden Rectangle, Fibonacci numbers.

I explained signed numbers by illustrating the corporate ladder, using promotions and demotions to move up or down numbered levels in the company. For instance, if your office is on level 5, and you were given 4 promotions, your office is then moved to level 9 (5 + 4 = 9). Conversely, if your office was on level 9, and you were given 4 demotions, which are negative, your office is now on level 5 (9 + -4 = 5). What if you were on level 2 and 1 demotion was taken away? Then you would be on level 3, since having a negative number removed actually moves you up the ladder (2 - -1 = 3).

The products that our fictitious corporation sell included such items as Algebratwurst, or Algebran Cereal! We were able to create formulas, such as Total Sales = $6 x Algebratwurst sold + $5 x Algebran Cereal sold, or TS = 6B + 5C. Then, in groups, they designed new products and made commercials.

In geometry, the students continue to hone their use of a straight edge, right angle ruler, and compass by constructing the Thales triangle, the Pythagorean squares, and determining if their own hands fit the dimensions of the Golden Rectangle.

The last week of the block at the end of February, I will have the students prepare a song based on mathematicians Thales, Pythagoras, Archimedes, and Euclid. Thus far, I am pleased with how much the students are enjoying the block. I think they may have forgotten we're actually doing math!

I am also very pleased with how my homage to da Vinci turned out. Using chalk and some shadow techniques, it looks like an old parchment page from his journals! In the Waldorf classroom, it is traditional for the class teacher to create an artistic rendering that honors the current subject being taught.

enter the teen

2010-02-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

ricky's rite of passage celebration

Thirteen years ago, Ricky, our first born, made Jennifer and me into parents. Our lives transformed instantly as we held a tiny precious human in our arms. February 10, 2010, thirteen years later, our lives continue to transform, and the tiny human is taller than Jennifer, and holds his own among my four brothers.

With four uncles, or titos in Tagalog, a rite of passage celebration was in order!

With other family members present, including Ricky's grandparents (lolo and lola), we celebrated his entering into young adulthood. It is a time when the child is in a new arc of development where his will forces begin to extend out to the world. He begins to realize his actions can influence his surroundings and he begins to attach a value to those actions. He becomes a global citizen. With guidance, so crucial to this stage of his life, he exerts his will forces towards positivity. He will challenge authority and established precepts, and it is through guidance that this energy becomes a constructive force in our ever-changing world.

In the Waldorf curriculum, the child of the upper grades is introduced to woodworking, physics, human anatomy and physiology, chemistry, history of world leaders and the Renaissance. All prepares the child to know himself, know the elemental world, and know human history. In this global scale does the child see the potentiality of his power.

In our initiation for Ricky, the struggle for power starts with an arm wrestle! I created some additional games: 1) a traditional duel, using tennis balls, counting off a few paces and throwing the ball at each other, 2) rolling a log up a hill, 3) nailing as many nails into a chunk of wood, 4) estimating lengths of cut branches, and 5) calculating areas of rectangles, triangles, and circles.
(I wanted to playfully balance the ideas of chivalry, strength, coordination, bravery, and intelligence, mixed with plenty of plain old male silliness - and Ricky and my brothers had fun!)

The celebration culminated in a ceremony where I had my brothers help me in presenting symbolic elements and reciting short passages for Ricky.

Wood represents growth and strength. Ricky, care for your physical self, for in health, will you make a positive impact in the world.

Fire represents power and love. Ricky, be courageous in following your heart, and be generous in loving from your heart.

Earth represents stability and justice. Ricky, hold your ground when you are standing with integrity and fairness.

Metal represents sharpness and wisdom. Ricky, hone a sharp mind to be an insightful and wise leader.

Water represents fluidity and freedom. Ricky, living under the sign of Aquarius, let your creativity flow to free your your spirit and inspire others.

A bit of percussive drumming from other family members, and we launched into spontaneous primitive chanting!

Ricky enjoyed it, judging by his smile, his thirteen year old spirit in his eyes.

flow and force

2010-01-31T17:15:00.000-08:00

intersection of physiology and physics

a visit to Benner Creek near Chester, CA

When I had studied the human body in medical school, we spent much time naming every single bone, muscle, and organ in the body, we diagrammed metabolic processes, and we learned about disease and pharmacological treatments. Along with studies of the biological sciences as an undergrad at UC Davis, I came away with knowledge of other life forms as lesser species. It seemed that in our efforts in learning more about ourselves and our world, we are actually creating a widening rift between us and everything else. They are unicellular, we are multicellular with specialized cells. Their behavior is only instinct, while our cortical functions help us think things through. This is air, water, and fire, we are humans who can control the elements.

Rarely in our academic studies in the sciences do we appreciate the relationships of us and the universe. Rarely are we given entrance into modes of thought that are more enlightened. It is no wonder that many systems today (economic, healthcare, environmental, government) are deteriorating. We are in need of new paradigms of thought that will lead to new ways to be responsibly and joyfully active in our work on this earth.

A physics block with the serendipitous addition of some physiology for grade eight at East Bay Waldorf gave me a new paradigm of thought. It not only gave me that good teachery feeling of bringing something special to the students, but it gave me that awesome feeling of an aha moment!

In physics with grade eight, we had been talking about heat, light, water, air, and electromagnetism. They can be regarded as the fundamental elements of fire, earth, water, and air. These elements are omnipresent around us, carefully balanced in nature. In terms of their movement and the way we experience them, they exist as a physical presence through flow and force.

Flow and force. Like the yin and yang, flow and force is like male and female, death and birth, night and day. Equal and synergistic, like a magnetic field. The elements surge with power and grace, with strength and restraint, with awe and subtlety.

We appreciate and interact with the elements everyday. The heat of the sun on bare skin, the crunch of river rock during a stroll along the river, water on the fingertips, a breeze to cool the nape of your neck.

And as humans of high cortical function, we even go a step further and try to control the elements. In our study of physics, we gained knowledge of elemental properties, and often this knowledge allows us to control them for human use. The convection of air conditioning systems, refraction of light for corrective lenses, hydraulics, pneumatics, electric motors, and mag lev trains. I will not argue that our technology serves us and the world in some fantastic ways. But let's view the elements from a different light.

In thinking of the elements (the physics) through the human body (the physiology), we discover a much deeper relationship with the elements. Charles Kovacs, in his book Muscles and Bones, touches on this relationship. And forgive me for this non-Waldorfy reference: Yoda, the Jedi Master, also shares this view. The force and flow of the elements are not only outside of us, and they are also more than something we can manipulate, they are within us.

We are the elements.

The fire element, the Sun, the magma that flows within the earth's core, is present in us. To maintain optimum metabolism, our bodies stay heated at 98.6 degrees F, and many chemical reactions in our bodies need heat and produce heat. We have a heat body.

The water element, the oceans, the polar ice caps, Mars with its frozen tundra, is present in us. We are essentially water, as our bodies are about 70 % water and share the same density as water. We have a water body.

The air element, the earth's atmosphere, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, is present in us. With every breath we take, air flows through our lungs and our blood, and every cell of our bodies. Our bones, as strong as they are, have air pockets. We have an air body.

The earth element, stones, seashells, minerals, magnetic fields, bones and nerves, is in us. Like the electromagnetic force of the universe, our nervous system is powered by the flow of electricity and ions. Like the minerals of the earth, our bones are as tough and seemingly inert, the solid material of our bodies. We have an earth body.

In this perspective, with humility, we are of the elements, without which, the human organism would not exist.

We are one with the universe in this regard. The flow and the force of the elements surge within us. The new paradigm of thought that may allow us to live in harmony with our earth is to know that nurturing earth is the same as nurturing humankind. As we proceed with our human needs, we must encompass the needs of the earth. Physiology and physics must be studied and applied together. Thinking, feeling, and doing for us.

Us, as in all things.

our bones

2010-01-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

physics and physiology meet

The last few days of our physics block with grade eight of East Bay Waldorf in El Sobrante culminated in a discussion about the human skeletal system. I had placed a real human skeleton on a table draped with a blue veil and a gray wool cloth. We gathered around the skeleton, and I felt it was important to have approached the learning with much reverence. I simply asked the students to make observations, prompting them to think about the shape and textures of the bones, and their distribution in the body. We then discussed the purpose and mechanics of the bones and joints.

force of attraction

2010-01-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

week four of grade eight physics

The topic of electromagentism was covered in three days between the third and fourth week of the physics block with the grade eight students of East Bay Waldorf. We began by playing with permanent magnets (magnets that have been commercially produced or are naturally-occuring, and hold their magnetic field). We experienced the force of a magnetic field.

We then built an electromagnet using wire, a 9 volt battery, and an iron nail. Looping the wire created a solenoid, which multiplied the magnetic force present in the wire. The addition of an iron core, such as a nail, further amplified the magnetic force.

water and air

2010-01-30T20:03:00.001-08:00

week three of grade eight physics

Physics for grade eight included four days spent on the properties of water and air. This week allowed for some exciting movement games with water and balloons! For instance, we played a game called life raft, a relay race where two teammates held a balloon between their backs in order to get the teammate across to the other side.

Liquids and gases are both fluids, and share similar properties. Volume, mass, and density were measurements we took of liquids such as glycerin, water, vegetable oil, and alcohol, and air.

I described what volume is, the space that is occupied by fluid and taking on the shape of the vessel. We measured 200 mL each of the liquids, then weighed and compared them. We then calculated for density (D=M/V). Once we had our figures, we predicted the outcome of putting all the liquids together in a tall beaker. I used food coloring mixed with glycerin and with the alcohol. Pouring each one carefully into the beaker containing water, the glycerin flowed to the bottom, the oil rested atop the water, and the alcohol rested on top of the oil. This demonstrated the different densities of each.

We also calculated for air. I filled a balloon with air and submerged it into an aquarium, marking the level of water before and after. We calculated for volume by measuring the height change multiplied by length and width of the aquarium (V=l x w x h). Then we measured the balloon filled with air on a scale, and again after I popped the balloon, and we got the weight of air in the balloon. By calculating D=M/V, we arrived at an answer. Unfortunately, our calculated result did not match the expected density (0.00013 g/mL)! I think there was too much moisture in the air I blew into the balloon (moisture reduces the density of air). It was a good lesson in learning how scientists need to be able to postulate and record where errors may occur in experimentation!

Additionally, the non-compressible properties of fluids allowed us to discuss the work of fluids, as with hydraulics and pneumatics. A typical piston assembly allows us to apply force in one area and transmit it as force exerted in another area.

path of light

2010-01-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

grade eight physics

Grade eight at East Bay Waldorf completed their second week of physics, where we studied pathways of light and sight. The two main concepts discussed were REFLECTION and REFRACTION. Capitalizing on the double entendre of the word reflection, the students began with a a short paragraph, verse, or poem about their thoughts on light.

Day One: Reflection

We brought mirrors into the classroom to demonstrate how light is bounced off of a flat, reflective surface. Mirrors can reflect an image exactly as it is. Using yarn, I had the students follow one end of yarn, held by a classmate, as the incident ray, to the point in the mirror where the image is seen by the observer (the incident point), then to the observer's eye (the reflected ray). Doing this shows two physical laws of reflection:

1. The incident angle equals the reflected angle.

2. The incident ray, the normal line (the line perpendicular to the reflective surface and whose axis is placed at the incident point), and the reflected ray are coplanar.

Day Two: Refraction Observed

On day two, I set up the classroom with five stations with which to view the phenomena of refraction. The five stations allowed for smaller groups of students to experience each station and offer accurate observations and recordings of the phenomena. I rotated each group every 3-5 minutes.

Station 1: Viewing a beam from a laser light pen through an empty beaker and a beaker filled with water, and observing the resulting dot behind the beakers.

Station 2: Through a 600 mL beaker filled with cloudy water (I mixed in a bit of flour), viewing a flashlight beam as it is passed horizontally across the outside of the beaker.

Station 3: Observing a large diameter glass container with a quarter at the bottom. Students were asked to angle their vision so as not to be able to see the quarter at the bottom. Water was poured in, and they observed if the quarter became visible.

Station 4: Observing a beaker with a straight rod in the water.

Station 5: Viewing objects passed across the back of a water-filled beaker.

Day Three: Refraction Explained

We returned to the previous day's demonstrations and discussed the results. I explained the phenomena of refraction, the bending of light as it passes from one medium into another. The direction of the bend required careful explanation. I did an exercise with the students outdoors to better illustrate the phenomena:

The students lined up in three rows of five holding hands. They stood on the asphalt at an angle to the grassy lawn. The asphalt represented air and the grass represented water. I asked the students to skip on the asphalt, and walk slowly on the grass (to show the speed of light is slowed in water).
Coming in at an angle from asphalt to grass, the first student to touch the grass will walk, while the others will still skip until they also touch the grass. It demonstrated a physical law of refraction: a ray of light hitting another medium at an angle will change its course as the ray hits the medium at an uneven speed. In the case of air to water, the angle becomes steeper. From water to air, the angle becomes less steep. (This really has to be demonstrated in steps in class!)

Day Four: Magnification

Just as our knowledge of the properties of heat (radiation, conduction, and convection) allows us to control heat, our knowledge of light refraction allows us to control light, useful in magnifying glasses, telescopes, and corrective lenses. We viewed different lenses and noted the distortion of image sizes, depending on the shape of the lenses.

Day Five: Recap and Intro of New Topic

On day five, we revisited magnification. I introduced the new concepts for next week: water and air. I decided to make it an extra fun day. We had a few water games that pit one tribe against another. They did a relay race with heavy, water-filled jugs. They passed cups of water along to see which tribe would be first in filling a container. Two warriors from each tribe even dueled with water syringes to decide the fate of their nations!

heat energy

2010-01-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

grade eight physics

Continuing the science blocks at East Bay Waldorf school, I am teaching physics for grade eight. Physics in the upper grades begins in grade six, and continues on as a sequence of advancing concepts through grade eight. In grade eight, the concepts covered are thermal dynamics, refraction, hydraulics, and electromagnetism.

Our first week of physics, we learned about heat energy. Heat energy travels via radiation, conduction, and convection. I organized our week according to these three principles. The approach to physics in Waldorf is phenomena-based, meaning, the instruction is designed to be experiential, and not abstracted through lecture or texts. Through direct experience and observations of demonstrations, the children live in the phenomena of physics.

The beauty of physics is that, unlike learning about Renaissance art, or the American Revolution, physics is experienced in the everyday. The physics block can be regarded as a way of simply giving a vocabulary and elucidation of what the children already know and experience.

Day One: Heat Experienced in the Everyday, and Radiation

On our first day, I had the students write a paragraph on their experience of how heat and cold are experienced in their everyday lives. It was a way for them to give thought to their actions and their feelings as they wake in the morning and feel the coldness of a bare floor, the warmth from a robe or a cup of hot chocolate. They become active in feeling warmth in standing close to their friends, and the sun as it filters into the classroom space.

In observing the effects of the sun on dark and light materials, and in experiencing the heat from a radiant heater, the students learned about RADIATION, the transfer of heat energy through space. The key observations were that dark objects tend to absorb heat, while lighter objects tend to reflect heat.

Day Two: Conduction

The rhythm of the main lesson is such that the students are engaged in some movement exercises and mental acitivities to synchronize the class as a whole, followed by a review of material introduced the day before, then the new material, and work in their main lesson books.

In day two, I had the students form two lines and, joining hands, formed a wave. Good for their physical beings, and also had demonstrated for them how radiated heat travels (through waves).

We observed the phenomena of CONDUCTION. I used a heating plate with a baking stone set on top, and placed various materials on top of that: a piece of marble, a metal cup, cork, rubber stopper, a beaker of water, a shell, wood block. The students touched the materials after the baking stone had heated, and also after the heat was turned off.

Conduction is the transfer of heat energy between materials that are in direct contact with each other. We witnessed that different materials behave differently to applied heat: the metal cup seemed to have heated up the fastest, the marble heated to the highest temperature, and the marble also retained the heat the longest.

Day Three: Convection, Part I

Our movement exercise included two lines of students who demonstrated the wave, and they also passed a ball from one person to the next, showing that "direct contact" is required for conduction. Each line of students raced one another - let's see who can conduct heat the fastest!

The phenomena demonstrated on day three was CONVECTION, the transfer of heat energy through air or liquid by a moving current. I demonstrated for them how heat from a candle produces a current of warmed air that rises. This rising heat can be used to do work - thermal dynamics. I showed them how to make tiny pinwheels that balance on bent paper clips. They held their pinwheels over the candle, and the pinwheels turned!

Day Four: Convection, Part II

We continued the concept of convection. This time, using a large glass container, I showed them how a red dye placed at the bottom of the water-filled jar would begin to move towards a corner that was being heated by a candle. It showed how heated liquid rises, and as the water cools with an ice cube placed at the opposite end, the cooled water sinks, creating a convection current.

In their main lesson books (MLBs), the students would write a paragraph and draw a picture that would help them synthesize their learning. Following a two-day rhythm, the material that I introduced one day would be become their MLB work the following day.

Day Five: Designing an Eco-Friendly Home

The knowledge gleaned from the week's work is connected with practical application. In designing homes that are energy-efficient, and eco-friendly, which is a growing industry, knowing how to regulate temperature of a home with efficiency and with resource conservation is very important to the comfort of its occupants. I put the students in small groups and gave them the following exercise: they are an architectural firm who a client is asking to design an energy efficient home that uses heat energy wisely, so innovative use of materials and design elements is essential in winning the bid. The students took the exercise whole-heartedly and came up with some creative solutions such as grass rooves, rain catchment systems, gray water, radiant-heated floors, solar energy, wind energy, and use of materials that have good thermal retention and are eco-friendly.

To keep things fun, and help them with remembering concepts and terms, I had them draw little cartoons associated with the concepts. With radiation, they drew a surfer enjoying heat from the sun, saying "Radical, dude!" With conduction, they drew a duck whose feet are in direct contact with an icy pond, "Quack, my feet are cold!" With convection, they drew a conveyor belt, where heat was actually being moved from one place to another, "More heat, coming right up!"

happy now year

2010-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

living fully present

In the New Year, we are thrilled with the idea of facing new endeavors. The new stuff of tomorrow we promise ourselves we will meet head on. Certainly, the New Year gives us a sense of courage and hope for the future.

Equally important is the Now Year. In the now year, it is about being fully present in the everyday, about appreciating the stuff we already have, about the steady completion of tasks already begun. I read somewhere that a new journey does not always mean traveling to a new place, a new journey could be seeing the same old place with new eyes.

I wonder if anyone has ever taken an old item from their home, wrapped it, and re-gifted it to himself? It seems silly, but I am going to try it! Instead of the excitement of newness, I want to foster the excitement of nowness!

The image above is a close-up picture of a pregnant belly cast we took of Jennifer when she was pregnant with Wilson. We decorated it with colorful glass stones embedded in mortar. The sculptural piece sits peacefully in the bamboo in the back yard. We see it everyday, coming and going from our daily activities. By using fresh eyes (with the help of a digital camera), it helped me stop for a moment to appreciate how the children had pressed these stones into the mortar, and I see its beauty again.

To see our old stuff with a new perspective, a renewed sense of reverence, it expands the spirit of the thing. We then transcend the materiality of the world. Things don't lose their value. In the era of eco-friendly and green, this represents true resource conservation, a spiritual sustainabilty.

Sustaining our spirits, the Now Year has begun.

winter blessing

2009-12-31T08:43:00.000-08:00

a wish for the new year

I was sitting at the dining table yesterday afternoon, and the winter sun cast a soft glow on our nativity that rested quietly in the middle of the table. The table runner is of hand spun yarn that the family together had woven. Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were felted by Jennifer and the children. The transparency scenes were created by Ricky and Joey. The twig house was made by me a couple of years ago. A family's heart and hands.

While the Christmas items around the house will soon be stored or transformed for other uses, the image of the nativity will remain with me as the new year approaches. The spirit by which it was created continues to live on. The blessing of family bridges the seasons and the years. Our creative striving and our love for each other continue to sustain our souls for all eternity.

My new year blessing to you:

year to year

season to season

morning, noon, and eve

with creative souls

and giving hearts

love does a family weave.

winter rain

2009-12-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

december in fair oaks

rain drop on a maple branch

oak leaf on a wet deck

I wanted to capture the mood of this morning. It had rained while we slept, and this morning, the sky is gray, the ground is damp, and it is quiet and still except for the gentle sound of the creek.

winter snow

2009-12-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

painting with salt

The kids and I made wet-method paintings of a winter scene. Using table salt (rock salt would also give an interesting effect), we sprinkled a bit onto the sky, which absorbed some of the pigment, creating the look of falling snow. On Wilson's, the sky appeared like far away snow-capped mountains - magical!

Wilson, 6 years old

Joey, 10 years old

Ricky, 12 years old

Daddy, not too old

east bay waldorf

2009-12-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

happy holidays to staff and students

in the kindergarten play area at East Bay Waldorf with my kids

Three weeks at East Bay Waldorf School with the seventh grade and eighth grade classes went by quickly - I suppose we must have been having fun! I just wanted to wish all students and staff at East Bay Waldorf a truly blessed winter season. Much gratitude for your warmth and dedication to the art of teaching and learning.

reproductive system

2009-12-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

for the seventh grade boy and girl

The following blog has content meant for parents and children 12 years of age and older. If you are younger than 12, do not read on without your parents' consent. (Of course, now that I said DO NOT READ ON, you might be tempted even more to do so...!)

My seventh grade physiology block at East Bay Waldorf in El Sobrante, CA, culminated in a week's discussion of puberty and human sexuality. I was so pleased with how well the students received the material that I am considering turning it into an ebook or a short published unit for Waldorf teachers!

Here are a few highlights of how the week unfolded.

Day One: Reproduction and Relationships

Humankind's experience of sexuality is truly of a dual nature. I pointed out to the students that the cycle of life has two complementary turning circles: reproduction and relationships, or biology and biography. And it starts with the duality of genes and jeans!

On the biological side, our genes, our DNA, are key to the passing on of the human design. On the biographical side, our jeans, which I used to represent the social aspect of ATTRACTION, are key to the turning on of human desire.

Attraction leads to HOPE. On the reproduction side is the male SPERM, and its complementary symbol on the relationship side is a STAR, which I used to represent the wish (wishing upon a star!) or hope for partnership, after attraction.

Hope leads to LOVE. The female EGG, the reproductive side, complements the EARTH, representing oneness, the love formed in partnerships.

Love leads to FAMILY. On the reproduction side, FERTILIZATION. The concept here is that our reproductive capacity to create Life is complemented by the relationships needed to nurture Life.

This dual concept of reproduction and relationship I believe is so important in laying the foundation for the seventh grader in making happy, healthy choices (which is the umbrella theme for the entire physio block). As they undergo puberty, knowing what is going on with their reproductive organs is obviously important. But at 12 and 13 years of age, even though they are capable of having children biologically-speaking, are they ready for the relationship side, for nurturing offspring? I made it clear that creating life is one miraculous human achievement, but nurturing life, having the maturity to be in a partnership with another human, to dedicate oneself to taking care of a child, requires many more years of growth. (My anti-teen pregnancy talk!)

Day Two: The Parts and Counterparts

The second day, I introduced the reproductive organs to the students. (A sidebar: as a teacher, I was sensitive to the delivery of the material. When we talked about digestion, I showed huge drawings on the board. With reproduction, I sensed that the material needed to be delivered on a more intimate scale, so our discussion occured in a small circle of chairs, with no board work. I instead made drawings on handouts.) I had the students make observations on the male and femal parts that I had drawn side by side, and they also labeled the parts. The students could easily see that parts had counterparts, such as with the male testes and female ovaries. I would point to the part and say it, such as PENIS, or VAGINA. Delivered in this way, they got used to hearing the words objectively, removing some of the giggle factor!

Day Three: Puberty and the Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle allowed us to talk about female puberty. The signal for reproductive maturity in females is the period, along with other changes to the female body. In the 28-day cycle, we talked about the developing egg, the endometrium, and the hormones invovled.

I wrote a song (sung to Jingle Bells, since 'tis the season):

In the ovary,
The follicle does grow,
Inside there is an egg,
And soon it will explode.
If unfertilized it stays,
The egg it travels on,
Through the tube and uterus,
And with the blood it's gone!

Ohh,
FSH, estrogen, LH, progesterone,
FSH, estrogen, LH, progesterone,
FSH, estrogen, LH, progesterone,
FSH, estrogen, LH, progesterone!

Day Four: Puberty and Spermatogenesis

Our circle of chairs became the lining of the testes. Using bean bags, I described the maturation of the sperm as it traveled from the edges to the center on the testes to become mature sperm. Spermatogonia to spermatocyctes to spermatids to spermatozoa. They then moved to the epididymis for storage, and mixed with seminal fluid from the glands and prostate, and ejaculated upon stimulation of the penis.

If you are wondering, the mechanism of bringing egg and sperm together was in fact briefly discussed. I simply said that the act of intercourse, when the male penis is erect and stimulated, releases the seminal fluid into the vagina where the sperm, all 500 million of them, needs to travel to the Fallopian tubes, and just ONE sperm fertilizes the egg, quite a journey!

The Guy Talk

On the fourth day, we had a break out session, I spoke with the boys, and Mrs. Nelson, my partner teacher, spoke with the girls. I was really impressed that the boys were very open and candid with the guy topics!

The week went very well, and I was glad to have been involved with this crucial stage in the lives of these dear children.

say yes

2009-12-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

to hugs, no to drugs

For the seventh and eighth grade students at East Bay Waldorf, I brought an anti-drug presentation that reminded them of the things in their lives to say YES to. Then, they can say NO to drugs with conviction. I had made it interactive to engage them in heart, head, and hands!

I posed to them that it will be the actions of love that will keep them safe from the harmful effects of drug abuse.

I gave each of the students a paper circle with a street name of a drug written on it, and we grouped them into the common illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. We also discussed smoking, alcohol, and steroids. I began with how the drugs are taken and how they enter the bloodstream to affect the brain and other organs of the body. I listed many of their effects, which I hoped had painted a fairly graphic image of the physical consequences such as convulsions, hallucinations, organ damage, irreversible brain injury, and death. Additionally, I touched on the legal consequences of manufacturing, distributing, possessing, and using illegal drugs.

The paper circles that each student held allowed me to do interactive statistics with them. For instance, with 35 of the students in my class, I had 7 stand to show the percentage of eighth graders who will smoke marijuana for the first time. Quite effectively, I had students stand to show how many would start smoking tobacco by high school, and who would end up dying as a result of it.

We also did an impromptu play about peer influence and peer pressure. The students really enjoyed it, as I had four with purple bean bags try to convince two friends to start playing with the cool bean bags. I commended the students who resisted, despite the pressuring and pushing of their peers!

Despite knowing about the consequences of illegal drug use, some people still cannot say no. I posed to the the students that perhaps these people do not have in their lives the things to say YES to. I had the students close their eyes and bring into their hearts the people in their lives who support and love them, and the activities they engage in that fill them with passion and strength. All the things that give us a natural high on life.

On the board, the students one by one placed the drug names in an arch around children I had drawn to show the pressure of negative influences bearing down on them. Then, I had asked each one to tell me what it was in their hearts. I wrote those on the board between the drugs and the boy and girl I had drawn. These things, hobbies, music, sports, family, all provided a supportive barrier against drug use. And if you look closely at the picture, you can see that I had written in yellow chalk the word LOVE - the actions of love that keep them safe from harm!

What are they keeping safe, I asked. Their self-identity, self-respect, self-worth, their health, their spirits.

And finally, I ended the discussion with a verse I had written for them:

My body is a sailing vessel
I am captain of its course
A voyage of wish and wonder
To the magic of distant shores.

North, South, East, and West
I am guided by sun and moon
Waves may batter at my hull
Yet I remain strong and true.

The journey moves my spirit
Love of life and Self drives me,
Joyfulness expands in my wake,
I sail on towards destiny.

circulatory system

2009-12-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

more physiology with grade seven

Grade seven and I spent three days on the circulatory system, or cardiovascular system (CVS). The transition from the digestive system was seamless, as we followed the absorbed nutrients from the small intestine to the bloodstream. The circulatory system distributes necessary nutrients, energy stores, and oxygen throughout the body.

Day One: THE BLOOD
We discussed that there is about 5 liters of blood in an average sized adult. Going to the microscopic level, we thought about what is really in blood. If we were to examine a given sample of blood (I simply drew a test tube on the board), it shows about 50% fluid, the plasma, which contains the sugars and proteins floating around in it. About 4% are the platelets, which help our blood clot, and 1% white blood cells, essential against germs. The most important element in our discussion was the red blood cells at 45%. Using a clear vase, I poured water into it, put in an apple to represent a red blood cell, an orange to represent a white blood cell, a chestnut for the platelet, and an assortment of stones and shells to show the other stuff in the plasma. I wanted to show the students that a sample of blood contains a number of individual cells, with the RBCs giving the red color of blood. How many red blood cells can fit on the head of a pin? Five million!

Day Two: THE VESSELS

Transporting the blood all over the body are the blood vessels. I showed that the capillary beds (those web-like areas on the diagram above) were the sight of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, and nutrient movement to the tissues and organs. From arteries arose smaller diameter tubes called arterioles, to capillaries, then widens to form the venuoles (carrying deoxygenated blood), and to veins. Capillaries are just wide enough in diameter to allow one RBC (1/3500 inches in diameter) at a time to travel. Its walls are thin, which allow for gases like oxygen to pass from the lungs to the blood, and oxygen in the blood to muscles and organs. I had the students act as RBCs and they had to squeeze in between desks I arranged in the room and travel in single file.

The diagram shows the circulation of the blood in the body and into the heart. This super highway of blood vessels cycles blood at about 5 liters per minute. You can follow the path on the diagram above.

Day Three: THE HEART

We then discussed the pumping station of the system that keeps that blood going and going, the heart. It has four chambers that act in concert to receive and eject blood. The diagram above represents the cycle of the heart, showing the "lub-dub" of the heart. The two heart sounds are when the valves in the heart close. The LUB is in the beginning of ventricular contraction, forcing the valves between atria and ventricles to close. The DUB is when the ventricles just finish contracting, and the blood from the exiting vessels (the aorta and pulmonic artery) push the aortic and pulmonic valves close. The kids enjoyed the stethoscope I allowed them to use to listen to their heart beats!

digestive system

2009-12-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

physiology block for grade seven

still life by Paul Cezanne

This first week of Advent, I began teaching as a guest teacher the physiology block on the digestive system for grade seven at East Bay Waldorf in El Sobrante, CA. While the rhythm of the week included preparations for an Advent assembly, my grade seven students and I had a wonderful week learning about the journey of food through our bodies.

Here is a brief recap of our week:

Day One

I introduced the topic of digestion by bringing samples of food to the classroom - a good place to start! Food is valued by us as humans for several reasons. I cut an apple in half and showed the children the five-pointed core. From it, I created a drawing on the board to show the five "Apple Core Values of Food." At each point of the apple star, I worte: Combustion, Nutrtion, Tradition, Recreation, and Inspiration. Food is important to us because we use it for energy (combustion), for nutrients (nutrition), for culture and family (tradition), for social gatherings (recreation), and to inspire art such as in Cezanne's still life of fruit (inspiration). I said that the balance of these core values of food leads to happy, healthy lives.

I also posed an idea for them to think about: in going from origin to table, the less steps in food processing it takes, the healthier the food is. We compared an apple, a potato, a bag of trail mix, and a Lunchable. Just in attempting to read the ingredients on the Lunchable box was enough to convince us that some of those chemicals listed should not be ingested! We figured it took lots and lots of step to bring the Lunchable to the table. In contrast, the apple simply was planted from seed, grown, picked, washed, and eaten!

Day Two

The second day of the lesson we started with a discussion of how we engage our senses to start the process of digestion even before we take the first bite. Not only is this important physiologically, but it brings the whole human into the realm of the lesson (the core values of food also brings this holistic approach). Then I drew the anatomy of the human as I talked about the path of the food.

Day Three

On this day, I traced for children the path of the food using a schematic diagram of the digestive tract I drew on the board, and talked about what was happening to the food as it passed through the different parts. As a visual aid, I put some crushed crackers in a sandwich bag to show how the food looks in the mouth, then I added some water and flour to show how it looks as a bolus, then chyme, then took some water out to show undigested matter.

Day Four

For their main lesson book, I had them copy this table to show the functions of each part and organ. This tabular form helped to recap the lecture from the day before. The colored bars represent the five processes: motility, digestion, secretion, absorption, and elimination.

Day Five

On the last day, I emphasized some important points. I also brought the material back out of the parts to the larger picture of our place in the world. I commented that I believed how truly amazing it is to know that our bodies have been designed to perfectly break down the foods that are available to us from our earth. We are of this world, made of this world.

reflection moments

2009-11-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

meditation in the everyday

our spiral pathway I designed for our courtyard

I was recently asked about what I do to meditate. Like most people, I picture a moment of stillness, sitting perhaps in quietness and solitude, whereby I consciously look inward to tap into some peaceful place to bring clarity to my thoughts or to seek answers. I think, like most people, rarely do I have time in my family life and work life to have the luxury to create the formal atmosphere for meditation. While I do occasionally make the effort to create a meditative moment, I realized that upon further reflection, meditative moments happen in the everyday activities of my life.

What is the purpose of meditation? For me, it is to create harmony of spirit. By this, I mean, it could be the need to center oneself, to seek clarity, to open oneself up to a revelation, to deepen one's spirituality, or to tap into one's joyfulness and creativity.

It dawned on me that aside from those times when I actually sit in a meditative manner, I create harmony of spirit - meditation - when I engage my emotional and will forces in an activity that is inherently peaceful, reflective, and rhythmic.

These meditative moments are:

1. When I watch our rabbit eat after I have given her some fresh vegetables, and she seems content as the sun bathes her in morning light.
2. When I slowly walk the garbage cans to the curb, and the sound of its wheels roll hollowly and deeply, and crunch leaves on the driveway.
3. When I sip a cup of coffee as I breathe in the cool morning dew.
4. When I write a verse from scratch, with pen in hand and paper on my lap, and I reach within for words that fit what I am feeling and express what I want to say.
5. When I play the harp and improvise the melodies.
6. When I sand a wooden snail or streamer wand and think about where it will go and who will play with it.
7. When I listen to my daughter play guitar.
8. When I hear the spinning wheel that my wife is using to spin some yarn.
9. When I look closely at leaves and branches and see that there is something so beautiful in the patterns of shapes, colors, and textures.
10. When I drive long distances (this might be a guy thing!)
11. When I wake up in the morning from a tent, unzip the door flap, and step out into the wooded setting to bear witness to the majesty of our world.
12. When I clean the house and everything appears in order, each thing repsectfully sitting in its rightful place.
13. When the kids are in bed and the house is breathing, relaxing, re-energizing.

In each moment, it is a connection with the stillness of the world around us.

verse for thanks

2009-11-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

for my family

Journeys are made across oceans

through uncharted waters

and into new worlds.

With courage

you face the day

with faith

you face the night

with hope

you face the future.

Only with your family

can you face

yourself.

Thank you Jennifer,

Ricky, Joey, and Wilson

for helping me

see me

and making the journey

together.

Happy Thanksgiving

to all.

five spheres

2009-11-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

of waldorf education

Rudolf Steiner created a richly textured world when he developed anthroposophy and laid the foundation of Waldorf education. It would take a lifetime - and perhaps two or three more incarnations - to understand all of it! So, the best I can do in this life, in my striving as a creative spirit, is to make the journey with the help of art. The five symbols here, for me, represent the main concepts of Waldorf education.

The circumpunct is the first symbol of the Five Spheres of Waldorf Education. It represents the singularity of the self. It symbolizes oneness and wholeness. The individual human soul is unique, and our strength to do good in the outer world comes out of working the inner life. This inner development is the core of anthroposophy. Through meditation, practical training of one's internal faculties, and living a life of good intent and genuine striving does a person develop character and presence, valued by Steiner as paramount to a Waldorf teacher.

The second symbol is the yin yang. In eastern philosophy, it symbolizes the dynamics of polarity: male and female, light and dark, heaven and earth. I borrowed it to represent synergy between relationships, how a cycle of growth develops within the particular relationship between individuals. In Waldorf education, the quality of relationships is key in strengthening us and the community. Key relationships for the Waldorf teacher are with the student, the school, and the parents. For the Waldorf school, its relationship with the community is key in its growth.

Between teacher and student: the teacher nurtures, guides, inspires, and models for the student, who grows, and in turn, encourages, motivates, and respects the teacher.

Between teacher and parents: the teacher maintains open and honest communication, offering reassurances for the parent, who grows in the Waldorf philosophy, and in turn, develops trust and faith in the teacher.

Between teacher and colleagues: the teacher contributes, collaborates, and cooperates with colleagues, who in turn offer mentorship and support, and the school grows in its vision.

The third symbol is the triform. In Waldorf education, the familiar head, heart, and hands, or thinking, feeling, and willing, is represented by this simple triangle. Balance of these three areas of human development is carefully attenuated in the Waldorf classrooms. I also like to refer to the three areas as: 1. practical cognition (thinking), 2. creative freedom (feeling), and 3. global citizenry (willing). In the service of the Waldorf student, the dynamic balance of these three areas provides an exciting framework for the teacher in bringing the art of education to the child.

This four pointed symbol, while looking much like the rose cross, is used here as the compass rose. The rhythms of life, in seasonal changes, the seven-year cycle, math concepts, nature, and music, are revered in Waldorf education. I have used the compass rose to symbolize the rhythm of the main lesson.

Beginning with E, East: ENTER the classroom. The children are greeted by the teacher, and begin circle time, which synchronizes the energy of the classroom, and makes them ready to receive the day.

Moving counterclockwise to N, North: NEW content is introduced. After review of previous content, and some mental activities, the teacher introduces the new material of the main lesson.

Now heading to W, West: WORK in the practice books and main lesson books begins. Following two-day or three-day rhythms in learning material, the students work in their practice books or main lesson books, and here they may also be work with manipulatives or other activities to engage the student in a multisensory experience.

Finally, at S, South: STORYTIME closes the main lesson. Now, I don't think there is a hard and fast rule about storytime, as it seems to be different with class teachers and grade levels. However, generally, a story does help conclude the main lesson to help the student breathe out, and also offers the student something relevant to sleep on.

The fifth symbol is the pentacle, which symbolizes many things in different faiths and cultures. Here, it represents the concept of course, with two meanings. One, as a path of discovery, and two, as an area of study. It is about the Waldorf curriculum. If you can picture Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian man superimposed onto the star, at the head is language, in the left hand is music, arts, and crafts, in the right hand is math, in the left foot is social studies such as history, including geography, and in the right foot is natural science.

By being mindful of the concepts that each symbol represent, I believe that the Waldorf teacher will have a balanced and fulfilling experience in guiding his or her students to love learning.

veteran's hope

2009-11-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

honoring our warriors

My grandfather Lolo Victor had served in WWII, a military engineer, a warrior, a man who helped me hone an artistic eye.

In honor of our veterans, let us proceed today in peace and hope.

My verse for veterans:

in war
they were soldiers
a fraternity of singular purpose
brothers in arms in mind in heart
eyes that have seen
the darkness
of war
at home
free men and women
individuals with many endeavors
holding family in arms
finding peace of mind
longing for love
to replace darkness
with light
at home

calendar of the soul

2009-11-10T23:28:00.001-08:00

for november 10 thru 16

I feel my own force bearing fruit,

growing strong to give me to the world:

I feel my own being gaining power,

turning to clarity

in the weaving of life's destiny.

soul train

2009-11-04T16:47:00.001-08:00

more on reincarnation and karma

Wilson visits with one of Arneson's "eggheads" at UC Davis, 2006

Our study group forged ahead on our study of Steiner's Reincarnation and Karma. In Chapter 2, Steiner offered philosophical concepts to help in our understanding of the movement of the soul through birth and death and rebirth.

What resonated with me was his illustration of the young child as the evidence for former incarnations. Soon after birth, the newborn is so full of life and energy. Without yet the provocations of the external world and influences of a thinking life, the baby is active in the will and strong in the feeling life. Where did these forces come from? Steiner believes they are what was carried over from the former incarnation. While the thoughts and concepts of one's life is learned and dissolves upon death, the striving of the individual, translated in the soul as the gestalt of feeling and will, is carried through the period between death and rebirth. This soul force is what is present in the newborn.

I created an image of my own - perhaps a simplification of reincarnation - but helpful in my understanding of the soul force. It is the soul train. Picture a train as the vehicle of the eternal soul, traveling through time and space. Each station that it arrives at is the physical embodiment of the soul, our life between birth and death. While at the station, the soul train experiences thoughts, feelings, and actions of the human being. Before it departs, the train loads the essence of the human: the striving, the feelings, the will forces. Upon death, the train leaves and travels once again through the spaces before it proceeds to the next station. At previous stations - former incarnations - the soul train builds and carries the essence of the soul, and every incarnation thereafter is a product of that force.

Each human of course is unique. We value our individuality, or in the context of Steiner's philosophy of human freedom, our individualized concepts. While the essence of the soul train lives within us, we are free to be who we are in the physical realm of human existence.

Clearly, we have a responsibility for what the soul train will take into the next incarnation. If we load the train, our soul, with positive feelings and good intentions of the will, then the human of our next incarnation will have the essence of a decent, striving individual, no matter what his or her endeavors and talents are. Karma - pass it forward.

In the study group, the image of the soul train sparked some humorous imagining of the train. What kind of train lives in me? A bullet train, locomotive, mag lev, the Chicago "L" train, a steam engine? Perhaps, it is that Little Blue Engine That Could.

strings and yarn

2009-10-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

the best moments of life

Autumn's warm, dappled sun and crisp, cool air drew me, my daughter, and youngest son outdoors to enjoy a joyful moment. Guitar strumming and singing. Knitting. The synchronicity and spontaneity of the soul forces - it is an awesome feeling when the vibrations and rhythms of family, earth, and heaven just hum together.

verse for sleep

2009-10-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

soul as nocturnal being

"spiral spirit" by rick tan, acrylic on canvas

an angel's inky blue veil
descends from the heavens
i close my eyes to welcome sleep
so that my body may rebuild
and my mind may release
the nocturnal nature
of my spirit self

free to travel
about the cosmos

chance meeting
with destiny
exploring all
possibilities
making unbiased
opinions
digging deep
into the unknown
cultivating
seeds of hope
embracing
fearfulness
flying high
by simple will
dancing with
the stars
finding insight
into worldy matters
and
receiving
God's graces.

reincarnation and karma

2009-10-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

a study group seeks to understand

People come together drawn by a collective motivation to seek truth and order, or to activate the will towards a common goal. Our study group aims for both. In a book titled Reincarnation and Karma, a compilation of five lectures by Steiner, he makes a bold statement: "The whole of life I now lead has no foundation for me if I cannot know anything of my former incarnation."

Our study group, comprised of anthroposophists and those new to Steiner's works, all academics with advanced degrees, educators, administrators, and authors, artists and musicians, philosophers and scientists, does not simply accept things as written. Even Steiner would agree, we must discover the truths within us, we must first seek to understand. Then we can act with full intensity.

So, in diving into the first lecture (some have read the book more than once), the subject opened the floodgates as important questions and concerns poured forth!

Steiner poses the first question: "To what extent can we find, in the facts of life, proof that the conception of repeated earth lives and karma is true?"

The group offered more to ponder:

"If knowing that our abilities in this life are determined by faculties of a former incarnation, can this lead to a position of surrender and non-accountability?"

"What is a soul-kernel?"

"Upon death, we discard the physical body and our most penetrating thoughts. What then does the soul take with it into the spiritual realm?"

"If thoughts are so central to Steiner's philosophy, why does the soul not take them with it? Or does it, in a different form?"

"Is there a practical application, a usefulness, in knowing that my soul had former incarnations?"

"When Steiner says we must have knowledge of former incarnations, does he mean we should have a literal and direct knowledge of a former life, or does it mean we should have an openness to the general concept of renincarnation?"

"Does that knowledge mean being mindful of consequences?"

"Does that knowledge mean the acceptance of a spiritual reality?"

"Are we anxious for meaning?"

"What is the origin of the concepts and beliefs of reincarnation and karma?"

In the course of our discussion in the next few weeks, we hope to answer some of those questions.

To start, I would like to present a thing that Steiner describes in this first lecture that, for me, may answer some of those questions (well, at least, it will help me answer mine), and that is the word "force." Steiner uses this word to describe an intensified form of the thoughts or whatever else that is passed into the next life.

In our layered human existence, the kernel is our striving. Striving is a force. A powerful force. If in your striving you have layered positive thoughts and pure will, the force that Steiner speaks of will carry much weight in the spiritual realm. And into the next incarnation.

autumn storm

2009-10-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

beauty in chaos and decay

organic material of Nature's body

through the spirit of God

receives Life and gives Death

storm fashioned from Earth and Heaven

through the eyes of Humankind

receives Death and gives Life

dalai lama

2009-10-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

from syrendell's world leader series

I am pleased to announce a new member of our Syrendell family of wood crafts: Dalai Lama in the Dell! Freshly carved, sanded, and painted, he is available through our Etsy shop.

Along with Mother Theresa and Gandhi, our Dalai Lama reminds us to seek peace in our daily lives.

Here is my verse for peace:

born from the cosmic seed all
humankind begins as a cellular ball
with potential energy to proceed in love

growing in the womb of our earth mother
tethered to spirit cords of one another
a family cared for by our heaven father above

we crawl then walk and talk and interact
with innate sense for mindfulness and tact
yet some brothers choose to push and shove

a downward spiral created by the unthinking few
ending our earth stay in a catastrophic brew
so I offer now suggestions to extend our lease

close your eyes and inside you will find
your earth family connected by oneness of mind
think collectively and goodness will increase

the blood of angels from your chest the flow starts
coursing with others via oneness of heart
feel in empathic wisdom and be naturally at ease

sift through wartime rubble or play in timeless sand
we choose our actions through oneness of hands
so in kinetic energy let us proceed today in peace

calendar of the soul

2009-10-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

for the week of october 13 - 19

watercolor painting by Ricky

Inwardly revived again, I can feel

my own being's vastness.

I can pour forth powerful beams of thought

rising from the soul's Sun-like might -

to solve life's mysteries

and give fulfillment to many wishes

whose wings loss of hope had lamed.

east bay waldorf

2009-10-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

serenity in el sobrante

Nestled atop a ridge along Wildcat Canyon Regional Park in Contra Costa County, East Bay Waldorf School nurtures its children in the spirit of anthroposophy, educating them through the gifts of art, music, and nature. The rolling chaparral with coast live oak, eucalyptus, and maple provides the setting for this 11-acre K-8 school founded in 1980. Lavender and wild grasses grow along the perimeter, maples dot the school grounds, and a lone pepper tree stands guard next to a stuccoed bell tower in the central courtyard. A straw-bale structure houses wood-working tables, and an earthen chicken coup shelters hens and a couple of roosters. Wooden decks and large overhangs extend out from the classrooms to give students the continued feeling of protection in their daily lessons. Wood pegs lined one railing with colorful rubber boots made for small feet, apparently to let children play in puddles on rainy days - wonderful!

I was a guest teacher on Thursday, having done a main lesson for the third grade class, and an art lesson for their fourth grade class. Culturally diverse, and altogether endearing, the chidlren shared with me their joyful energy and youthful spirits.

For the third grade child, who is transitioning away from the security of oneness, and into the adventure of separateness, I had each one introduce him or herself while striking a pose, and repeating what each of their classmates also had done. As you might imagine, some had quite lively and exuberant poses, while others simple and quiet. It was my barometer to see what the students were like, and a way for me to remember their names.

Paying attention to the rhythms of our activities, I had them do a controlled exercise of passing a wood squirrel I had made, with words:

This is Sally Squirrel

There she goes

She will stop

Where the acorns grow!

Then they all placed acorn caps on their heads, and while balancing, sung to the tune of Little Tea Pot:

I'm a giant acorn

Here's my crown

When the wind blows

I fall down!

I then played my harp for them. After the end of each song, they asked for another one, and another. I was so glad they enjoyed the harp music.

The students were learning about time, so I brought as our new content and practice, wood blocks I fashioned from branches, along with sticks, and a circular mat (from our Syrendell Etsy shop). It was a partner activity where I instructed the children to count by ones using the short stick, and by fives using the long stick. Then, the sticks became the hands of the clock, and I gave them a time to match with their clock faces.

For storytime, I recounted from my own childhood the story of The Sleeping Giant, about my grandfather's adventures with me and my brothers through the countryside of the Philippines - the Sleeping Giant was a mountainside whose silhouette was that of a reclining man. The students are also learning about Cain and Abel, so I wanted to bring up in my story about my loving relationship with my younger brothers.

I closed with a simple verse, and their teacher then lead their rituals of getting ready for snack time. I felt blessed to have had the chance to be with the children and offer them some jewels of my life and work.

For the fourth grade class, I taught an art lesson on basic shading techniques using colored pencils. Their curriculum is all about the adventurous spirit of humankind - Norse mythology, Native American studies, California history. This is tied to their studies of zoology, geometry, and map making. The fourth grade child is expanding his or her boundaries, meeting the world with a mix of trepidation, wonder, and courage. Heroism is called for, strength and boldness is essential. Guidance is absolutely necessary.

I offered them the Warrior Code:

Fight for love

Aim for victory

Embrace fear

Accept destiny.

With reverence for the art instrument, I also asked them to recite with art pencil raised high above their heads:

In my hand I hold

The power to express

The beauty of my world

I use it with respect.

A classroom of 19 students, I prepared a drawing for each child from which they practiced shading corners and circles, creating three-dimensional spaces. In the end, using an extended version of the Warrior Code, with each word of the code I printed on the backs of their art papers, they reassembled their individual works to reveal the Midgard sea serpent! I had first prepped 20 sheets of paper by drawing a sea serpent (with artistic elements that allowed for the lesson on shading), then distributing them randomly in the classroom. It was like putting a puzzle together. The reveal was the coolest part of the lesson!

I was very thankful for East Bay Waldorf for welcoming me that day. It was clear to me that the teachers of the school cared deeply for the welfare of the children. I sensed in those I met, genuine and gentle souls.

In the peaceful setting of the school, through the spirits of the teachers, I

know that the children were loved and supported through their individual strivings.

inner work

2009-10-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

the six essential exercises

Once we develop these inner qualities, we stand above all the dangers that can arise from the division in human nature. We can no longer stray from the path. These qualities, therefore, must be formed with the greatest precision. Then we enter the esoteric life.
-Steiner, Berlin, December 7, 1905

Steiner describes a series of qualities that are essential to our growth and development. Inner work is a major construct of anthroposophy, and one can easily understand the importance of it for the Waldorf classroom teacher, and for anyone else who wants to work on their inner Self.

The six essential qualities are as follows:

1. Control of Thoughts. Mastery of one's thoughts begins with setting aside a short time each day to focus consciously on a thought, placing it center in one's mind, and actively arranging other thoughts related to it in a logical manner. In this way, one practices creating order and logic in one's mind.

2. Self-Initiated Action. Often, our actions are a result of reactive circumstances, obligations to work and family, and environmental stimuli. This exercise asks one to initiate an activity or task that is derived solely from one's own inner drive, creating a connection with one's individualistic, unique Self.

3. Eveness of Feelings. Steiner describes it as detachment or imperturbability (detachment sounds too emotionless, and imperturbability is a funky word!) so I am using "eveness of feelings." One simply practices in regulating one's emotions to weather the ups and downs of life. Also, it decribes one's ability to take an objective perspective to fully evaluate the circumstances of one's surroundings. Sometimes, it helps to step outside of the self to see oneself clearly.

4. Goodness of a Thing. In everything, there is goodness. One must practice in seeing the silver lining in every situation that arises. Yin and yang. We are confronted everyday by what appears to us as negativity. It is a higher state to see the positive within it.

5. Having Faith. In the esoteric sense, this means that every new experience is met with openness. One must practice in avoiding past events and circumstances to color how one may approach a new idea or thought or concept. This allows you more freedom to experience the fullness of the world. You become fearless.

6. Balance. This is key to any esoteric or practical training. One must practice in harmonizing one's activities so that there is time for meditation, for practicing these exercises, for family, and everything else that develops one as a fully functioning human being.

my children

2009-10-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

joyful hearts, hands, and faces

The kids were each watercoloring an autumn image. Picture op!

(Click on the kids' pictures to view their blogs.)

sand meditation

2009-09-27T00:34:00.000-07:00

versatility of our new sandbox

With three rocks from our collection of geological treasures and a piece of wood I cut teeth into, Joey discovered the art of the Zen garden in our own little sandbox! Traditional Japanese meditation gardens capture the essence of nature through minimalist use of the elements - stones, raked gravel, and a few carefully chosen plants.

Joey placed the three rocks with a great eye for design! Upon completing the raking, Joey commented that it needed more. I said to her, "These days, we live in a world where we always seem to want more, but really what we need to do is learn to live with less."

I introduced her to the thinking behind the Zen garden. The minimalist approach encourages one to find the most beauty in an object, in the experience. The form and color of the earth elements, their arrangement, their relationship to each other, their connection to our own life experiences, from these are derived the beauty of nature. We learn to appreciate the smallest yet most meaningful moments of our everyday life.

"You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain; I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care. As the peach blossom which flows downstream and is gone into the unknown, I have a world apart that is not among men." -- Li Po

building willfulness

2009-09-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

a sandbox project for the kids

Arts and crafts, including wood working, plays an important role in the development of children. Creativity and imagination is expressed through handwork, building confidence, skills, and willfulness in the child. The finished product, when well conceived, is both beautiful and functional, connecting us with the world's resources and with the inner spirit. When designed, built, and enjoyed as family, handwork projects connect us to each other.

This sandbox project was completed in one day by Ricky, Joey, Wilson, and myself.

We began by designing the sandbox, whose dimensions would be fitting for Wilson. It would be compact enough to move around in the yard, yet adequate for homeschool lessons and lots of imaginative play activities!

We decided that its dimensions would be 27 inches tall to the top edge of the box, and be roughly 27 inches by 20 inches in length and width, and about 6 inches deep. We used 1 x 8 cedar fencing for the side panels,1/2 inch oak plywood for the base, and 2 x 2 cedar for the legs.

Under my supervision at all times, we cut the cedar panels to the appropriate lengths to meet the pre-exisiting dimensions of our plywood oak base.

We nailed the cedar panels to the plywood base roughly 2 inches from the bottom edge of the cedar planks.

Wilson also helped! Each nail we used a nail set tool to bury the head of the nail for a more finished look.

Using a drill, we pre-drilled holes to screw in the tops of the legs to the plywood base.

After drilling and gluing the legs into place, we used braces with 45 degree angle cuts to support the legs, gluing those into place.

When the glue was sufficiently dry and the legs appeared quite sturdy, we flipped the sandbox over and sanded the edges to minimize splinters.

Then, we poured 50 pounds of playsand into the box.

And voila! A new sandbox for Wilson - and everyone else too - to enjoy!