How We Know What We Know

I am fascinated by how people learn, grow and change. How do we come to know what we know? In the study of knowledge practices or epistemology, ways of knowing can be broken into two groups, masculine and feminine. Masculine knowledge practices are based on information coming from outside sources. When an idea is presented and considered valuable, research is done, and if the concept is proven true, results are presented as fact. Hence, one can read about a research study and acquire knowledge from the outside in. On the other hand, feminine knowledge practices are based on personal experience. Something is known because the individual experienced it as true or conducted personal research. This way of knowing things accounts for the uniqueness of the individual. This is acquiring knowledge from the inside out. Anthroposophy, the spiritual science developed by humanitarian, philosopher and natural scientist, Rudolf Steiner, is a feminine way of knowing things. At the Rose Garden Early Childhood Center, anthroposophic indications inform our work with the children and the teachers' path to self development, although they are never directly taught to children. Steiner's indications are not meant be taken as truth but are rather to be experimented with to see if they are true for the individual. In this way, the individual develops an inner authority and is enpowered to find personal solutions to problems. In order to engage with anthroposophy, it requires an open mind, a willingness to experiment and to track personal results. I thank this spiritual science for the understanding of myself, child development and principles that I bring to my work. It is the fertile ground that the Rose Garden was born into three years ago on September 16th. How do I know that Steiner's indications about early childhood education work? I know that they work because the Rose Garden is a healthy, thriving system, able to learn and grow. Happy Birthday Rose Garden! This month, you wear the birthday crown.