Our team

Tree of competencies

Showing and living diversity in Freinet pedagogy

For Célestin Freinet, the strength and knowledge of each individual in the group was an important part of successful learning. He recognized that learners enthusiastically share their knowledge with each other, listen to each other and communicate with joy.

In our association and in every learning group, we see our community as a tree with roots, branches, leaves and new shoots. In Freinet pedagogy, we call this the “tree of competencies”. Because every leaf (every individual) on the tree (the community) is colorful and diverse. In Freinet groups, the “tree of competencies” is hung up. Each leaf shows the skills that are present in the group and can be used.

You will be amazed at how many skills come together when you make the wealth of experience of all the people in a group or your individual skills visible in this way.

Our market

Get to know us on the skills market

We would like to introduce ourselves to you in the form of a “marketplace of skills”. Stroll through the market stalls and see which of our skills you would like to benefit from. Use the power of the group and let us grow together. Click through and be inspired. Get involved and join in.

Executive Board & Office

Claudia Hogerhuis

Office of the Cooperative for Freinet Pedagogy

As the daughter of a long-established Freinet teacher, Freinet pedagogy was instilled in me with my mother’s milk, so to speak. So far, I have worked as a musician, midwife and company supporter – and raised three sons on the side. I live in the Netherlands with my husband and our children. I work behind the scenes in the office of the Cooperative for Freinet Pedagogy. You’ve come to the right place if you have questions about the training program, membership or public relations. I love to creatively solve organizational challenges and am especially happy to answer seemingly unsolvable questions!

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Ulrike Waterkamp

  1. Chairperson, formerly (and still somewhat) at Waltrop Comprehensive School, trainer in Freinet pedagogy, website working group, theater educator, shadow theater, school development coach
I’ve been with them since 1986. And I am still enthusiastic about it. The Freinet pedagogy focuses on the joy of learning. As a comprehensive school teacher (German, pedagogy, drama) and also as a head teacher, I have drawn productively from this source. I am convinced that Freinet enriches and gradually changes every institution. We don’t talk around for long, we try out new things in practice and recognize what they are good for. We take a clear political stance: the wealth of education is there for everyone.
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Gisela Tamm

Vice Chair, retiree, elementary school teacher, game designer, host, choir director, longtime Freinet activist

I was a primary school teacher, invented many games during that time (“Who is Walli”, for example).), have been active in the Freinet cooperative for decades (as a member of the advisory board, chairwoman, symposium organizer, inventor of specialist days, meeting organizer…) and am now mainly active as a choir director of choirs, choir camps and the summer choir vacation in Brittany – always under the motto “Giving people the sound, everyone can sing and when singing in the community everyone can make their contribution and be happy.”
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Steph Seumer

Willkommenschule Bremen-Nord, Director of Freinet Professional Development, Trainer, Website Working Group, Public Relations Working Group, Theater Education, Permaculture, Member of the Board of Directors

I found my pedagogical home with Freinet pedagogy during my first further education course in 2008. This is also where I discovered my passion for theater. I am involved on the board, as head of Freinet training and in the homepage and public relations working groups. Since 2024, I have been working at the Willkommensschule Bremen-Nord, a school for newly arrived pupils. I am a founding representative on the school management team there. As a subject teacher, I mainly teach in mixed-grade learning groups in UNESCO and theater as well as in physics in the final classes. I am an enthusiastic theater performer, dancer, choir singer, garden designer, nature sports enthusiast, (bicycle) camper and improvisational talent.
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Jill-Marei Peeters

Teacher at the Freie Gesamtschule Facettenreich in Sevelen, Freinet consultant, member of the board of directors

I’ve come into contact with the Freinet approach in many different ways during my everyday school life. During the 9th session of the professional development program in 2023, I got to know the Cooperative and quickly realized how enriching the exchange with other Freinet educators is for me. For me, the Cooperative has become a place where I feel well taken care of, gain new inspiration for my educational work, and can continue to develop both professionally and personally. I particularly appreciate the openness, the shared reflection on school and learning, and the opportunity to learn from one another.

Because the cooperative and its vibrant community are close to my heart, I have also served as an alternate member of the board since the spring of 2026, and I want to help ensure that this special place remains active and welcoming in the future.

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Trainers and consultants

Knut Dembowski

Further education and training in Freinet pedagogy, musician and author
When I attended my first Freinet Week in 1996, my heart beat for this pedagogy and the people who live it, try it out and discuss it with commitment. The Freinets were not about “pure teaching”, but about a humane, lively school education. In one fell swoop, I had found a framework for my ideas and activities for making music together with children and young people at school. I am particularly keen on the technique of “groping experimentation”, which enables children to be aware of their own creative power. For me, this is a crucial democratic foundation.
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Sven Pauling

University of Oldenburg, Freinet renovation working group, organization of the annual “Freinet renovate” network meeting, Freinet trainers, school development consultancy

Freinet pedagogy guides me in my research and support of school development processes and my work with student teachers. I am happy to be contacted for school development consultations. What is important to me about Freinet pedagogy compared to other reform pedagogies is that it not only focuses on the self-organization of individual pupils, but also on the democratic self-organization of learning groups and the school. In addition to pedagogy, I sing in a choir and play the violin at Irish folk sessions.
Contact

Ulrike Waterkamp

Formerly (and still a bit) comprehensive school in Waltrop, further education and training in Freinet pedagogy, homepage working group, theater teacher, shadow theater, coach for school development
I’ve been with them since 1986. And I am still enthusiastic about it. The Freinet pedagogy focuses on the joy of learning. As a comprehensive school teacher (German, pedagogy, drama) and also as a head teacher, I have drawn productively from this source. I am convinced that Freinet enriches and gradually changes every institution. We don’t talk around for long, we try out new things in practice and recognize what they are good for. We take a clear political stance: the wealth of education is there for everyone.
Contact

Maria Gatz

“Inselkrabben” Daycare Center – Hiddensee Island, AG KiTa

With the pedagogical elements of Freinet pedagogy, I live and experience my vision of pedagogy. I succeed in demonstrating the diversity and beauty of development. Through my work on the board, I would like to contribute to making this still very topical pedagogy more present and the pedagogical possibilities alive. I am a colorful all-rounder with several years of experience as the manager of an inclusive daycare center with the Freinet concept in Leipzig. I am currently working as an educational specialist in a daycare center with 66 children aged from one year to fourth grade on the island of Hiddensee. I have a large circle of friends and acquaintances and dance biodanza in my free time. Here I experience a biocentric level of being human together. This complements my freethinking Posture

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Brigitta Kovermann

Qualified teacher, Willy Brandt comprehensive school teacher in Marl, Freinet pedagogy trainer, FIMEM international working group, deputy chairwoman of DEGEDE NRW, employee of the ZfL at TU Dortmund University

I have been active in the Freinet movement since 1980 – as a teacher, trainer and in international networking, including as President of FIMEM (1989-1994). The collaboration at the RIDEF meetings is still an important political and educational inspiration for me today.

The Freinet training course “Eagles don’t climb stairs” is particularly close to my heart, which I helped to design and supported as a lecturer until 2016. I have also researched and taught on this topic at TU Dortmund University, always with the aim of combining democratic learning in theory and practice.

Because: “The democracy of tomorrow is prepared by democracy at school.” (C. Freinet)

Contact

Stefan Posselt

Freie Landschule Döbeln (secondary school), inventor of ideas, further education and training in Freinet pedagogy
The Freinet training, symposia and various meetings have had a strong Freinet influence on me. At the newly founded Freie Landschule in Döbeln, I am one of the first learning guides for science and technology for mixed-age groups. I would like to contribute to bringing Freetian ideas more strongly into society and rethinking education. I am a “late-career” educator with experience in the entrepreneurial environment, an angler and “country bumpkin” in Central Saxony.
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Providers at meetings & online studios

Claudia Maria Ammann

Trainer, artist, game developer

Our family was able to anchor in a small original Freinet school without having to give up our spiritual freedom. Freinet and Belgium showed us new, broad horizons. I have been back in Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, since 1999. As a stone sculptor, I work in large formats and with granite – interactively, in public spaces, streets, prisons, schools etc.. My second passion is the fascinating structure of the multiplication table: https://www.quoai.net /ammann@quoai.net. I look for and find schools that are on the move but are not yet familiar with Freinet. I have been a member of the cooperative since 2022 and am happy about the contacts I have made.

Contact

Gisela Tamm

Pensioner, primary school teacher, game inventor, presenter, choir director, old Freinet activist
I was a primary school teacher, invented many games during that time (“Who is Walli”, for example).), have been active in the Freinet cooperative for decades (as a member of the advisory board, chairwoman, symposium organizer, inventor of specialist days, meeting organizer…) and am now mainly active as a choir director of choirs, choir camps and the summer choir vacation in Brittany – always under the motto “Giving people the sound, everyone can sing and when singing in the community everyone can make their contribution and be happy.”
Contact

Petra Vogt

FuV editor, organizer for Freinet meetings, provider of various activities in Bavaria
I came into contact with Freinet during my traineeship at a Bavarian Freinet meeting – and came back with bags full of materials, ideas and suggestions. Since then, I’ve tried to go to meetings as often as possible. I’m still on the trail of Freinet pedagogy and have been faithful to it ever since, wherever I’ve worked in the field of special needs education. I have a large garden where you can put up tents and ask me questions. And there’s a circular saw under the roof, so you can not only talk, but also do handicrafts. However, visitors shouldn’t be allergic to dogs or cats, as they live with us too.
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Tanja Bunzel

Trainer for non-violent communication (CNVC certified), primary school teacher, learning facilitator at the BONNEUM learning workshop
I am passionate about supporting change processes in schools and families towards a culture of conflict and respectful, participative living and learning together, as well as providing empathetic support for teachers and parents. At the time, I was a co-developer of Freinet further education and worked on the board for several years, and I continue to be a passionate Freinet educator in both my professional lives. Co-development of a large urban project on exploratory learning. Mother of two wonderful boys and enjoy cycling whenever possible.
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Contact persons for working groups

Dörte Rieck

Special education teacher, Schule unterm Regenbogen FÖS, Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, AG Public Relations
Over 10 years ago, I took part in the training course “Eagles don’t climb stairs”. It brought more order to my pedagogical work. By that I mean that things were given a name and became more accentuated and diverse. I was delighted and it was nice to see that more people think like this. Freinet pedagogy – for me, these are attitudes that determine how we interact with people – at school and elsewhere. I also have a hobby to thank the training for: lino printing. Otherwise, I like making pottery, walking and doing yoga. In the association, I work in the public relations and international affairs working groups.
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Ingrid Bähr

Faculty of Education University of Hamburg, AG Freinet Renovieren

I work at the University of Hamburg in teacher training in the field of sports didactics. Along the way, I first came into private contact with the Prinzhöfte School in Bassum (systemic Freinet pedagogy) and found it so inspiring that I attended the seventh round of further training. From then on, I felt the need to bring the rich experience of Freinet pedagogy closer together with what we try to teach our student teachers at university as open, constructivist forms of learning. That’s why I’m part of the “Freinet renovate” group, which is also how I came to work at Prinzhöfte School for 2 ¾ years. These experiences enrich my work at the university to this day.

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Matthias Heinrichs

Printing expert, School Printing Center Darmstadt
I was born in 1951 and learned the craft of typesetting and printing during my graphic design training at the University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt. I have been printing with children and young people for many years and it still fascinates me. The School Printing Center is a non-profit association that cultivates artistic, handcrafted printing in the tradition of Freinet’s pedagogy. We are interested in projects in which printing is used as a technique of free expression. Anyone who has ever set and printed a text knows how fascinating it is. We support anyone who wants to discover printing for themselves.
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