It's Never One Size Fits All

EP222: Ever feel like if you could just find the right curriculum, everything would fall into place? You're not alone! In this episode of the Art of Homeschooling Podcast, I'm diving into why it's never one size fits all, especially when it comes to curriculum.

I’ll share why Waldorf education was never meant to be about following a script, and why the magic happens when we focus on the children in front of us, not just the tasks in front of them.

Whether you’re someone who loves structure or you’re ready to DIY your lessons from scratch, I’ll help you see that you are the most important part of the process ~ not the curriculum. 

So if you've ever felt overwhelmed, boxed in, or just plain tired of trying to make someone else’s plan work for your unique family, this episode is for you.

Find the Show Notes here  https://artofhomeschooling.com/episode222/

Join the Inspired at Home Community

Come to the Taproot Teacher Training

Chapters

• 1:01 Why "one-size-fits-all" is a myth
• 1:34 How to teach the child before you
• 3:22 Shiny object syndrome
• 4:10 Are you both drawn to the holistic nature of Waldorf education AND overwhelmed by implementing it at home?
• 5:31 Behind the scenes in my Waldorf-inspired homeschool
• 9:09 There is an easier way to implement Waldorf education at home
• 11:17 True teaching is about awakening the imagination and curiosity to learn about the world

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

You're listening to the Art of Homeschooling podcast, where we help parents cultivate creativity and connection at home. I'm your host, jean Miller, and here on this podcast you'll find stories and inspiration to bring you the confidence you need to make homeschooling work for your family. Let's begin. Hey there, dear homeschooler Jean here from Art of Homeschooling, and today I want to talk about something that trips up so many families on this homeschooler Jean here from Art of Homeschooling, and today I want to talk about something that trips up so many families on this homeschooling journey curriculum, specifically the idea that there's one perfect curriculum out there that'll solve all your homeschooling woes. You know that phrase one size fits all. Yeah, well, I think we all know that it's a bit of a myth. I mean, try putting on a one size t-shirt on a toddler and then on a teenager. Not happening. When it comes to Waldorf homeschooling, I've come to believe that curriculum is not even one size fits most. It's more like one size fits none. And here's why let's take it back to the roots for just a second.

Speaker 1: 1:33

Rudolf Steiner, the philosopher and educator behind the Waldorf approach, encouraged teachers to teach the children before you. That's actually what he said during the teacher's seminar over a hundred years ago, in 1919, the training that he did for 12 teachers who would open the very first Waldorf school. Teach the children before you, not a generic child, not a textbook ideal, not even all children of a certain age or grade, but the actual children in the room. So in your case, that means your children right there in your home, the ones right in front of you, with all their quirks and curiosities and personalities bursting at the seams. Here's an interesting fact Back in the early days of homeschooling and even Waldorf schools, there were not any Waldorf curriculum packages you could buy. They just didn't exist. Teachers and homeschoolers had to craft all their lessons from scratch. Now, when I was homeschooling our two older kiddos early on, that was the case and, yeah, we were making it all up as we went along, a little time consuming, sure, but deeply personalized. Absolutely. In those days we had no idea there would ever be any other way to do this. And that is what Steiner had in mind. He never wrote down a curriculum because, remember, he wanted teachers to customize lessons for the children right in front of them.

Speaker 1: 3:22

Fast forward to today and the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. We have so many options for curriculum. It's hard to even know where to begin. And the danger now thinking that choosing the right curriculum is your main job and that once you buy a curriculum you're done, good to go, no more planning needed. Spoiler alert you're not done. Curriculum is a starting point, not the end game. You still have to take it and shake it up a little, sprinkling your own magic, and craft it into something that fits your family, and you don't even have to buy a curriculum package at all if you don't want to.

Speaker 1: 4:10

Waldorf homeschooling is rich, layered and, yes, it's a big commitment. Between grades one through eight, I calculated this once. We're talking about an average of six or seven main lesson blocks a year, that comes to around 50 blocks. Multiply that number by the number of kids you're homeschooling and, whew, you've got yourself a boatload of planning. And then inside each block, oh, just a few things like stories, summaries, drawings, watercolor paintings, movement games, verses, songs, modeling and work. No biggie, right? Okay, yes, it feels so big and I get it. So, yeah, it's no wonder that we're all tempted by those shiny, supposedly open-and-go curriculum packages that promise to do it all for us. But let me tell you I've tried many of them and more often than not they're like trying to squeeze your family into someone else's shoes. It might work for a step or two, but soon you'll be hobbling around wondering why it feels so uncomfortable. And, honestly, there is an easier way and I'm going to get to that in just a moment. But first let me give you a little behind-the-scenes story from my own homeschooling journey.

Speaker 1: 5:35

One summer, feeling overwhelmed with planning and trying to juggle multiple kids I have three, in case you didn't know I decided to buy a curriculum package for my fourth grader she's my youngest curriculum package for my fourth grader. She's my youngest. Now, the curriculum I got has this a little bit of a Waldorf flavor, but it's not built around main lesson blocks, those periods of I like to say a month, but it could be three to five weeks where you're focused on one subject or topic for that period of time. And this particular curriculum was not set up that way. It still exists and it's more of a do a little bit of every subject every day kind of vibe, like a mainstream school. So that summer I took on this epic project of turning this grade level curriculum into a main lesson block plan, because, after all, main lesson blocks are one of the unique aspects of the Waldorf approach and I've seen it work so well in homeschooling with my kids, with others' kids, and that's what I wanted, right. So I took the time to do that. Now, by the way, if you want to learn more about this teaching approach, go have a listen to episode 107, main Lesson Block Learning. Okay, so that summer I spent two whole weeks outlining, mapping out and translating this curriculum I'd purchased into a main lesson block rhythm that would hopefully work for us. Right At the end of those two weeks I had two blocks kind of mapped out and a rough sketch for the rest of the year and phew, it was a lot of work, a lot of focus and brainpower spent on this project.

Speaker 1: 7:25

So the homeschool year began, and guess how long we lasted? Two and a half weeks. It was tedious, too much reading, too many worksheets, too much jumping around and not enough hands-on, creative, immersive goodness that my kiddos were craving. It just wasn't us and it was too much of everything. I've seen this happen again and again with my own family and with the families I mentor. Now I've tried many Waldorf curricula through the years, mostly with my youngest because, as I said, they weren't really available with my older two.

Speaker 1: 8:05

But while each has its own strengths, none of them fit just right out of the box, Because no curriculum can know your child the way you do, or understand your unique rhythm or the way your family needs to flow through the day. This is really the heart of what I teach inside the Inspired at Home community how to customize and personalize, how to take the pieces and parts and turn them into something that works for you. Because here's the truth Homeschooling isn't about perfection. It's not about following someone else's plan. It's about presence. It's about tuning into what works for your family and trusting your intuition, observing your children so you can see what it is that they need. And if using a curriculum takes all of your mental energy trying to follow it, well then that leaves a lot less energy for you to be present with your kiddos.

Speaker 1: 9:08

So here's what I want you to take away from this episode you do not have to do it like anyone else. You get to create your own path. Buy a curriculum or don't buy a curriculum. Just don't expect it to work right out of the box. Either way, I want you to recognize that you'll need to make your own decisions about what to do, when, how much to do and how to bring your whole family together. And if you don't want to purchase a curriculum, that works just as well.

Speaker 1: 9:41

Sometimes it's even simpler to build your own blocks, one little piece at a time. This is something that I talk about a lot, and when things are chaotic, our life is crazy. It's actually more effective to scale back and then add from there, building one little piece at a time. I know curriculum can feel overwhelming, like there's a secret formula you just haven't figured out yet. But, friend, you are the secret sauce, not the shiny package, not the guru you. So, whether you're just starting out and want a curriculum as a framework or you're ready to go full, diy and craft it from scratch, I'm here to help you simplify the process and personalize it. That's what I do.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Inside, inspired, at Home, we take these big, complicated ideas and break them down into bite-sized steps that make sense for real families, for your family. It's not about having it all figured out. It's about having a place to turn when you're stuck and crafting a realistic plan you actually want to follow. If you are longing for a community and would benefit from access to a library of masterclasses on how to do this, plus three group coaching calls a month with me. Come join us in Inspired at Home. I'll put a link in the show notes at artofhomeschoolingcom slash episode 222.

Speaker 1: 11:17

One last thing keep in mind that our job is not to fill our children's minds with facts. We know that right. That's why we're choosing to homeschool. But let's look at how Waldorf brings learning alive rather than staying stuck in the abstract. I remember this series of books that came out when my boys were young and each had a title, something like what your Fourth Grader Needs to Know. They were interesting to look through, but the way the Waldorf approach works is so different than that.

Speaker 1: 11:53

Teaching children is not a checklist of what to cover. It's about awakening our children's imagination and curiosity about the world. With Waldorf we start with stories that meet our children where they are developmentally and spark their interest. When we start with those stories and add in the lively arts, our children can engage with the lessons more deeply, can engage with the lessons more deeply, and then we can take all that content knowledge and use it to develop skills in writing, reading, math, history and observation to lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning. That's the beauty of going beyond curriculum in recognizing that curriculum is never one size fits all.

Speaker 1: 12:46

So if you've ever bought a curriculum and feel like this just isn't working, know this you are not alone and you're not doing it wrong. You're just ready to homeschool in a way that fits you and your family. And that, my friend, is a beautiful thing. Keep going. You're doing better than you think. There's beauty in the mess, wisdom in the waiting, and growth in that ebb and flow of day-to-day learning. Thanks so much for being here and remember there's no one right way to homeschool. There's your way, and I'm cheering you on every step of the way. See you next time. That's all for today, my friend, but here's what I want you to remember Rather than perfection, let's focus on connection. Thanks so much for listening and I'll see you on the next episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast.