Addressing the needs of the children

Student Nicolas Benedik is involved in Kinderhaus Luise Winnacker e.V.

Teacher training programmes in Germany generally consist of two phases: a university degree course and a subsequent preparatory service, known as a traineeship. Students can apply the knowledge they have learnt in practice through internships during their studies. Nicolas Benedik, a student teacher specialising in German studies and sports science, applied for an internship at Kinderhaus Luise Winnacker e.V. and gained "lasting" experience there, which he would like to integrate into his future working life as a prospective teacher.

The Luise Winnacker Children's Centre

Kinderhaus Luise Winnacker e.V. is a multi-award-winning, innovative educational project. In 1995, the 'Unternehmen-Zündfunke' was founded as part of the 'Kinderhaus Luise Winnacker' development association with the support of businessman Ernst-Otto Winnacker and the voluntary commitment of teacher Lieselotte Winnacker-Spitzl. To this day, it is an extracurricular learning centre for life and social skills. The concept is based on a fundamental attitude of valuing all children and their diverse potential, for which the association provides a variety of programmes. Nicolas Benedik first heard about the Kinderhaus from two lecturers from the University of Wuppertal, who held a weekend block seminar on site that focussed on physical education on school trips.

Applying for an internship

"When I had to do an internship for my studies, I applied to Winnackerhaus and worked there for a month," says Benedik. As the managing director, Kerstin Spitzl, was satisfied with his work, she offered him the opportunity to continue working for the organisation. "I stayed there because I liked the concept." One of the central concepts of the organisation is: acting instead of complaining. And the association also implements this on a small scale. Benedik explains: "If there are grievances in society, you don't have to point the finger, you have to tackle the problem. You quickly realise that you don't need much, because you can also start small. You don't always have to demonise the education system, but you can create a place where learning and trust can take place."

Experience and discover nature

The Luise Winnackerhaus is located in Sonnborn on the River Wupper and borders directly on a forest. Children, mostly between the ages of six and ten, are given a variety of opportunities to discover the world here. "Above all, we experience and discover nature," explains Benedik, "it's all about motor skills, games and sports, cycling, balancing and climbing." A fallen tree sometimes serves as a balancing bar, and children gain immense experience of nature with plants and animals in the local forest.
They usually have breakfast or cook together, as the organisation promotes healthy eating. For a cookery project, the project leaders go shopping with the children and explain on site what is cheap, regional and healthy. "We also want the children to take responsibility," explains Benedik, "i.e. when they play, they know that they have to tidy up afterwards or sweep our ball field. They regularly help clean our chicken coop. We have a small garden with our own vegetables and grow many things ourselves. The children are also responsible for the success of this and take on tasks." They even come into contact with a horse, ride and groom it and experience its closeness.
The club also offers projects during the holidays. Benedik explains: "For example, I am responsible for a football project with a colleague. We work together with Distelbeck primary school."

Experience, join in, try things out

As a rule, the children are picked up first and meet for breakfast together before the activities start. There is usually a joint activity for everyone, which can be a walk in the woods or a joint game, before the children split up again. The childcare ratio at the Luise Winnacker Haus is exceptionally high compared to the school. "We have two employees from the children's centre, a teacher from the school and so-called integration assistants and look after a group of seven children. This means we can split up and offer different programmes," explains Benedik and continues: "The Winnacker House is an extracurricular place of learning where there is no pressure to learn or to achieve grades. The focus is on experiencing, participating and trying things out. It is holistic, interdisciplinary and meaningful learning. It is more closely interlinked with practice, you don't just learn theoretical things." When the children build something in the workshop, they automatically apply maths and learn a lot about biology through plants and insects in the school's own garden. "At school, failure is often a bad thing," says the budding teacher, "but we see mistakes as an opportunity! You can and should make mistakes, because that's how you learn. Trying things out is particularly important, we don't have this narrowness in terms of subjects and the school's learning workload. If mistakes happen, it's no big deal."

Reflect on your own behaviour - consider the children's needs

Students who work in the association learn to reflect on their own behaviour. To this end, they write a report every quarter, which the management uses for reflection meetings. If there are any problems, students can contact the management at any time. "Due to our childcare ratio, it is of course easier to respond to the children than is possible at school," says the trainee teacher, adding, "We focus on the children's needs and ask questions: What are you interested in? What do you want to learn? Where are you curious? We then design individualised support." Strong relationships are very important at the children's centre. It's all about trust and appreciation. Many of the children come directly from schools that are in trouble and/or from difficult family situations. "We show them that they are heard and are there for them."

Relationship work and practical relevance

Winnackerhaus is in favour of reforming the education system and is calling for curricula to be revised and adapted to new social requirements, i.e. away from subject-based thinking. It wants to embed schools more strongly in social tasks and expand learning centres. For Nicolas Benedik, after working at the Luise Winnacker Children's House, it is clear that relationship work and practical relevance are the be-all and end-all for good learning. "If I can reach the children and they respect me, if they know that I am there for them and take them seriously, then education can achieve a great deal. I can also transfer that to school. Then education succeeds. What's more, learning needs practical relevance, which I can clearly experience here and which I sometimes miss in my theoretical university life. Thanks to the practical relevance, I can learn in an interdisciplinary way here."

Students who are interested in a job at the Winnackerhaus can register at this EMAIL info[at]unternehmen-zündfunke.de to apply .

Uwe Blass

Nicolas Benedik is studying German language and literature and sports science at the University of Wuppertal.