Where do you get your educational passion from?
“I get a huge boost of energy when I can contribute to someone’s personal development. I worked at a secondary school for fourteen years and thoroughly enjoyed it. There, I was truly challenged to keep developing myself and to deliver lessons that were varied and full of surprises. I’m delighted to bring this passion to my lectures at the Radboud Teacher Academy. Teaching about teaching is a skill in its own right and requires a fair amount of creativity. In my lecture on engaging teaching methods, I try to actively involve students in the lesson using a variety of teaching methods. For example, my lecture on active teaching methods includes many teaching activities designed for students to experience things for themselves. Recently, I gave a student a teaching activity that allows complex historical concepts such as ‘nationalism’ to be discussed in an active way. This student then adapted the teaching method and used it in his own teaching. That gives me a huge boost of energy!”
What teaching moment has always stayed with you?
“Not so long ago, I gave a lecture on the role of language in secondary school lessons. We got talking about the students’ experiences in the classroom. They were shocked by the level of language among their students. How can you teach them a complex historical concept if they don’t even know the meaning of the word ‘issue’? By looking together at how memory and conceptual development work, I was able to show my students that their role as teachers really matters. They can truly make a difference for the next generation. That was a great and educational teaching moment.”
What do you hope to pass on to students?
“That teaching is a wonderful profession in which you can continue to learn and develop throughout your life. Sometimes there is a perception in society of lazy lecturers who don't want to try anything new and just live from one holiday to the next. I really want to challenge that. Lecturers are hugely important for our future society, which is why it is vital that we equip students on our course with a wealth of knowledge, skills and a development-oriented mindset.”
What was your biggest teaching moment as a teacher?
“When I reflect on my own development as a lecturer, I see above all many small learning moments. An interaction with a student that makes me think, a lecture that doesn’t go quite to plan, a conversation with a colleague about a particular teaching method. Those kinds of small moments constantly prompt me to reflect and are part of my development process. You could see the environment in which this is possible as a key factor. In our department, there is a culture of learning in which showing vulnerability is valued. I have never encountered this way of working together before, and it makes it possible to turn every day into a learning moment.”
What would you like to try out again in your teaching?
“I’d like to look beyond the boundaries of our own study programme. Collaborating with other departments or with organisations outside the university seems to me to be hugely beneficial for both parties. For instance, we develop a lot of excellent teaching materials within our programme that could be useful for all lecturers at Radboud University. Conversely, I have previously collaborated with a researcher to deliver a teaching workshop to History lecturers. I’d certainly like to do that more often!”