Christof Wiechert
Christof was a Waldorf pupil in Den Haag, The Netherlands. He studied pedagogy and geography, and worked as a class teacher for 30 years at the Waldorf School in Den Haag. He was also a former leader of the Pedagogical section at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. He published several books including “Teaching – the Joy of Profession” and “Solving the Riddle of the Child” which are very popular in Waldorf circles all over the world. His Child Study sessions give not only remarkable and phenomenological insights but also practical advice to teachers and parents alike on how to deal sensitively with issues in children.
The wisdom of this experienced teacher energises all of us during the Dasara conference every year at Sloka. His understanding of children, his gentle humour, and vast knowledge are a huge draw for Waldorf teachers across the world.
Dr. Jost Schieren
Prof. Dr. Jost Schieren was born in 1963 in Duisburg, Germany. He studied Philosophy, Literature and History of Art in Bochum and Essen. He was a visiting student in Ann Arbor (Michigan, USA) and in 1997 he completed his Ph.D. in Philosophy. From 1996 to 2006 he worked as a High School teacher at Rudolf-Steiner-School in Dortmund and taught Philosophy and Literature. In 2004 he became a scientific assistant at the University of Paderborn, and since 2008 he has been Professor for School Pedagogy with a focus on Waldorf Education at Alanus University in Alfter, and the Dean of the educational department at the same place.
Wolfgang Koettker
Wolfgang Koettker M.Ed. from Sunbridge College, US, has been a Waldorf teacher for 40 years. From Germany via the USA he came to Norway where he has been instrumental in building up a Waldorf school. For the last 14 years, Wolfgang has been working at the Rudolf Steiner University College in Oslo. At the college, Wolfgang has lectured students who wish to become teachers, in Anthroposophy, Organisational Structures in School, Technology, and Chemistry, as well as Craft and Art subjects. Wolfgang Koettker and his wife Ellen Fjeld Koettker have been mentoring and visiting Sloka since 2003.
Ellen Koettker
Ellen Fjeld Kottker, MSEd, is a lecturer at the Rudolf Steiner University College in Oslo, Norway. She spent 23 years as a Waldorf school therapeutic teacher and Class Teacher. She is involved in international work connected to the Waldorf school movement, to the Hague Circle, to the European Council and the Pedagogical Section of the Anthroposophical Society. She is also a Member of the Educational Section in Dornach, Switzerland, and in Norway — a forum that researches and further develops Steiner Education at the national and international level.