A holistic view of the child

Waldorf education is a focus of the Bachelor's degree programme in Childhood Education. Daria Schnicke, alumna of the part-time Childhood Education degree programme, reports how engaging with Waldorf education has benefited her both personally and in her educational practice.

How have you benefited from engaging with Waldorf education?

Engaging with Waldorf education has helped me reflect on my views of different approaches in everyday educational practice. Above all, Waldorf education led me to critically question many aspects of our educational work, such as preschool work, and I find that in some areas Waldorf education offers better approaches for everyday educational practice. I also benefited greatly in my educational work from the new perspective on the child, or rather the anthroposophical view of the human being, because this new perspective has enabled me to notice more things, and notice them differently, in my colleagues at work and in the children, and to take a more holistic view of each individual person.

Why is engaging with the Waldorf education approach particularly exciting for students who have not yet had any contact with Waldorf education and do not intend to work in this field?

Engaging with Waldorf education is exciting because it takes a holistic view of the child and, through many different aspects such as the morning circle or storytelling hour, offers great insight into the educational work of Waldorf institutions. For me personally, it was above all the vivid contributions of my fellow students that brought Waldorf education closer to me in a practical sense and sparked my interest in working in a Waldorf educational institution as well.