The passing of a great teacher

I just found out yesterday that my Main lesson teacher passed away at home from a sudden heart attach. My heart is heavy and sad by the loss of this wonderful soul. I wish I had spent more time talking to him about the fact that I am now a Waldorf teacher. I wish I had been able to talk to him about what I was like as a child and if he EVER would have guessed that I would be standing here teaching Handwork and Fine Art.

Not only do I teach in a waldorf school as a subject teacher but I also went to a waldorf school as a child and we had the same Main lesson teacher from 1st through 8th grade.

If a child is able to stay in a waldorf school for the entire cycle and their main lesson teacher stays the same, the bond that is created between the class and the main lesson teacher is absolutely amazing. Right now I feel a pain in my heart as if I just lost my Grandfather .

He was an absolutely amazing man and superb teacher.

23 years ago I was a young first grader walking into the most amazing classroom and there sat a man who was to be my class teacher, guide and grandfather figure for the next 8 years of my life. In that moment I remember feeling safe, relaxed and at home in my surroundings.

a raise of hands please

Before I go to my February training, I wanted to see how many Waldorf teachers, homeschool teachers and other wise crafty teachers are using this blog for information, inspiration and ideas.

I would also like to know if there are things that you want to know better. More explanation on crafts, tutorials or if you just like to pop in and view the pictures from time to time. ......or to just hear me ramble on about my day :)

I want to share with my teacher training group about how important sharing information and having a blog is.

I would like to see more waldorf inspired sites where you can get free information.

OK that's all for now

Thank you for coming by and being a conscious adult who shows love and inspiration to our next generation.

Here is a joke for the new year.....the chinese new year...no connection

An Israeli doctor says,' Medicine in my country is so
>
> advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put it in
>
> another, and have him looking for work in six weeks.'
>
>
> A German doctor says,' that is nothing; we can take a
>
> lung out of one person, put it in another, and have him
>
> looking for work in four weeks.'
>
>
> A Russian doctor says,' in my country, medicine is so
>
> advanced that we can take half a heart out of one person,
>
> put it in another, and have them both looking for work in
>
> two weeks.
>
>
> The Texas doctor, not to be outdone, says, 'You guys are
>
> way behind, we recently took a man with no brains out of
>
> Texas , put him in the White House for eight years, and now
>
> half the country is looking for work.'
>

8th grade sewing project Number 1

cotton knit material. fingerless gloves...I know there is a cool french name for these I just can't remember them
fold material over and cut a thumb hole at the fold

Only one line is needed for sewing these....great first project. .....8th grade should be learning the sewing machine and making articles of clothing

they all like this one.....I guess it fits the times....I wouldn't wear these but they like them

6th grade Orca whale felted animal

to make a felted animal just draw a side silhouette of the animal. after that you must draw the bottom of the animal. and any other areas that will need felt...like the flippers and the white eye area. its really simple and I just made it up as I went.
paper pattern next to 2 of the black wool felt
paper pattern to be cut out of white wool felt. this is the bottom of the whale



the 6th grade adopted the Killer whale

so here I am making one....they will make theirs next week.

painting verse

Now I take the brush so gently

In my hand with loving care

Watch the color flow so softly

On the paper clean and clear.

With my brush I stand

With my paint I can see the sand

With my heart I can feel the land

With my eyes the picture transforms

and guides me into shape and form.

I stand ready, I stand straight

ready to take a journey into water and paint.

All the colors of the world

Are gifts of love to me,

With skill and trust

I take my brush

And place it carefully

So that my work a gift will be

comment from a dear blogger

This was a comment I received from another sweet blogger, regarding my "Dwarfs are short" song. I just wanted to share because it shows how wonderful songs are for your kids.

"Oh, my eyes are streaming with tears of laughter over the dwarf song! My 3 teenage daughters are in the next room singing it at the top of their lungs...I showed them the video and it brought all their elementary waldorf days rushing back to them. I hope all your readers understand that it is meant to be sung as a round...when the singing is strong and the rhythm is well established the hilarity begins! Thank you! "
-cypress


I sang it kind of low in the video and I of course I did not sing it in a round. but when sung in a round there is a point where the words
dwarfs ....are....short comes out.....it's fun! you have to go back about 5 or so posts to see the video.

8th grade anatomy skull painting

this is an 8th grade painting and I was listening to ABBA while I painted so I just HAD to have ABBA as the music....I think this is one of my favorite songs!

Thank you

1) Thank you all for your kind words. We did not tell the children what happened since it really does not have anything to do with them and their own classrooms were not touched. The faculty room is with a computer but all else is well or has been restored to its place....I think the bean bags will need replacing.....not too bad.

Anne your story is shocking, I can't imagine what it would be like to see all that blood and expect to have a normal day after that......(you all can read it in the commentaries in my last post)

2) We had a very serious meeting yesterday about funds for next year. With the economy the way it is and with all the extra classes that we have, we may have to cut some things next year.....what that is.....I do not know, but it was a very dreary meeting.

our school was robbed

It is just so sad and I am very upset about how we are addressing this matter but our school's faculty room was robbed and the spacial dynamic space with all the bean bags and balls were vandalized and throne all over campus (that's 10 acres of land).

Please put us in your thoughts....there is so much craziness out there and our children need protection more than ever.

felt slipper from Living mag.

http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/felt-slippers?rsc=also_try

I like these slipper....Martha Stewart has some really good ideas on her site

This can be for 5th grade if you don't knit slipper and just knit hats....or it can be for 7th grade and they have to make the felted flats before sewing the slippers

4th grade cross stitch

Do you see how stiff the Aida cloth is? it's all starched....I buy it that way and it's much easier to use. its 6 count cloth....hard to find!!!!!!!!


My daughter and a friend undoing all the floss so that it can be hung on the rod




During the winter break I received my shipment of DMC 3 embroidery thread for our cross stitch pouch project.
I have allowed the boys to think of the project as an IPOD pouch because they don't want a "purse"

Is your school or family doing anything like this?

Look past the first 3 mins to the part about the environment

6th grade chose the Orca whale

The 6th grade class chooses an endangered animal to adopt for the year and then they make this animal in the gusseted method out of felt

here is cute u tube video

Question from a blog friend

"When a parent asks you why do they make a doll or a stuffed animal.... I am thinking pedagogically... what do you tell them?"


So in relation to the 6th grade, I would tell the parent.....very patiently....that the 6th grade child is going through many hormonal changes, their body is changing, their moods are changing and their thoughts are changing.....This brings about the question "what is the Human and what is this herd that I belong to?"

Hormones are so primal, so animal, so random!
The girls are getting their periods in this grade, the boys all of the sudden notice the girls.

We want to look at the human form.....so we make a doll. it has a face, 2 legs, 2 arms, hair and clothes. it is all in proportion and it is in the shape of a star.....6th grade is also studying astronomy constellations......it all ties in.

As silly as a doll may sound to a 6th grader....they all love their dolls. even if they say it is their Voodoo doll.

The animals and the herd is also a very important part of this grade. animals that run in a pack are similar to the team work that the 6th grade is trying to maintain and build.

saving an endangered animal is even more powerful.....this REALLY speaks them them

anyone have another thoughts on this topic?

Did I answer this question enough? were you asking just for 6th or for other grades as well?

calling me mom

It is so funny how kids get so comfortable with their teachers that they start to call you mom.

I really took notice to this yesterday when I had 1st,2nd and 3rd grade

2 children in 1st called me Mommy
1 child in 2nd
and 2 in 3rd called me mom

They get so embarrassed when this happens....I try not to give it any attention and just smile and ask them "what can I do to help you?"


They are so cute!

a letter for 6th grade

Dear Parents,
6th graders are at the age where they can have their own tools and are able to be responsible for maintaining and keeping track of them.

Supply list needed for Handwork class
• Scissors
• Sewing Needles
• One spool of thread
• 2 Socks for their sock monsters (new or gently used)
• $3 for the endangered animal project


6th grade

In the sixth grade handwork class we look at the human and the animal form. We focus on puppetry and move back into our fine motor skills of hand sewing.
During our class we will talk about endangered animals and as a group we choose an animal to adopt for the year. The 6th grade will draw a pattern out of felt and will be taught how to make a gusseted form, which should be a mirror image of their endangered animal.
Next the children will move into hearing stories from the Grimm’s fairy tale and will choose two puppet shows that the children will perform for the Kinder classes. The 6th grade will make Marionettes out of silk and will spend time working with more challenging materials like silk.
After this the children will choose a table puppet to make and then move onto making their all time favorite, the Sock monster. The sock monster is a made up figure which brings forth the child’s imagination and allows them to play with proportions and push the extreme of the human figure.

Please make sure that your child brings their supplies at the beginning of the next semester.

Waldorf Cafe board

LOOK WHAT I JUST FOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sign up right away!

you must.....you must!

http://cafe.waldorfteachers.com



and here is a cute u tube video about nothing really......just sweet movie making

1st grade song and verse for Jan

1st grade song and verse for Jan

the kids forgive my poor singing, so you will have to as well.

I rotate my songs and poems each month. The only one that stays the same is the 1st grade Handwork verse.

thank you http://waldorfmama.blogspot.com/
for the verse

GNOMES
with clang and clash in caverns cold,
we gather glittering, gleaming gold.

with ding and dong in the dark and deep,
we search where silver secrets sleep.

with a hey and a ho in a hundred homes,
we mine the mountains' magic stones

Dwarf Song:
Heigh-ho cry the merry .... dwarves (clap clap)
Its off to the woods we .....Are
We'd like to stay but time is...Short
Heigh-ho cry the merry dwarves (Clap clap)


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Happy 2009

I will send all of you off to the New Year with this:

1. If every household in America changed out their lightbulbs with those fluorescent bulbs, it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road
2. Take your own bags to the stores. I have been doing this for about 4 years and figure that I've saved about 2,000 plastic bags
3. Start a compost.....less trash in the dump....good for your garden
4. Every happy thought, every thought of gratitude, every kind word you think is sent out to the planet and can actually change consciousness (if you doubt this, look up "Hidden Messages in Water")
5. On that note, smile at everyone and see what happens
6. Drive less.....carpool your kids to school! or ride a bike to school.