Although there are differences, they are also similar. Each describes interacting planes of existence from the physical being to the subtler life-force plane, then the higher mental plane and lastly the plane of the spirit which is the true self within us. Education should consider all these layers, not just the physical and intellectual layers of traditional education. Chapter 4 describes a day in the life of the second grade at the Waldorf School in Lexington, Massachusetts. He brings to life features of Steiner s approach, such as the insight of the teacher, the rhythm of the day, the aesthetic and artistic core of activity, the focus on stories and the holistic approach to memory.
Teachers help students to follow their interests and be self-motivated.
Chapter 8 shows the principles of the Sufi Seed Centre schools in the U.S., following Khan s teachings, which set up a controlled environment and allow the child freedom within that environment to explore and discover their own world. Marshak gives some interesting conclusions about their common vision. He sees that the descriptions of human nature and the stages of the child s unfoldment are valid today and help us understand the child s unfoldment in body, emotions, mind and spirit. He reports that for all three, the most profound element for child raising and education is the understanding that we must have faith in the child s inner teacher to guide their development. He observes that freedom and self-direction are not necessarily evident in their educational practice.