In the framework of the anniversary year “Waldorf100” that celebrates 100 years of Waldorf education worldwide, and thanks to committed SEKEM friends, three eurythmy teachers from the SEKEM school went on a journey to Germany last August. They visited the Waldorf School in Berlin-Dahlem for two weeks in order to exchange with the local teachers. “We learned a lot – many things that we want to implement at SEKEM School but there were of course also approaches that are not directly appropriate for the pedagogy in Egypt,” says Shaimaa Chattab. “In education it is not about copying but rather to get to know different methods, to be inspired by them and to adapt them to the respective circumstances,” she further explains.
The three long-standing SEKEM teachers traveled to the German capital at the invitation of Reinhardt Wedemeier. The Waldorf teacher has recently visited SEKEM to support the educational training for eurythmists at the SEKEM school. “Reinhardt, his colleagues and especially Elisabeth Rieger welcomed us so warmly that we felt like coming to our second home”, Wagieh Embark tells happily. Elisabeth Rieger is a longtime supporter of the SEKEM School. She regularly comes to Egypt for longer stays and helps with the eurythmy training.
“I found especially the dialogue between the pupils and the teachers great. I would like to try to integrate this type of exchange on an equal level also in my lessons,” says Wagieh Embark. His colleague Nahla Hassan was impressed with the precise work that the German teachers do: “At the Waldorf School in Berlin, the students do less projects than the children at SEKEM, but they do it very well and carefully. I think a balance between both would be just perfect.” Generally speaking, all three eurythmists want to give their students more freedom, listen better to them and respond more specifically to their individual feelings and needs – as “Eurythmy is an important tool to train the social skills of children,” Wagieh explains.
The three SEKEM teachers were especially grateful for the great hospitality, such as the fact that the school kitchen adapted their meal plan to the habits of the Muslims. And it was a special experience for them, to spend the time of the great Islamic sacrificial feast in a German mosque that took place in mid-August. “We liked the international and multicultural flair of the city and we are very grateful that we had the opportunity to learn from the teachings of the Waldorf School in Dahlem – hopefully such an exchange will be continued in the future”, Shaimah summarizes the Berlin trip.
Christine Arlt
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