Where do you find your educational drive?
From the relationship with students. In advance, I sometimes don’t look forward to teaching, especially if it concerns a large group and I don't know the students yet. In the autumn, for example, I teach many courses that sometimes include large lectures. When I start researching during the preparation, I often get excited about the subject. But when the period starts, I get to know the students and I feel like I build a relationship with them, that's when I really start to enjoy it. Even in a lecture to hundreds of students, it is fun when they actively participate and I notice that there is interaction
Which moment has always stayed with you?
Two moments. The first is a conversation with a master's thesis student when I had just begun supervising theses. It was a difficult process. She had done wonderful research, but she couldn't write it down. She constantly postponed it and always brought up external causes. I spoke to her about it and that was a tough conversation. A struggle for her, but also for me. It was the first time I had such a conversation with a student, and I found it difficult. In retrospect, I think we both grew because of that conversation. She learned to take responsibility for her thesis and I learned to let go of it.
The second moment is a meeting of the honours lab RE:PLACE, organised by Rozi Toth. Some colleagues were invited to experience what RE:PLACE was. We started the meeting with a check-in, outside in the sun. One of the students guided us - a small group of colleagues, from PhD to professor - through a short yoga exercise and then asked each of us to share what drives you. The peace and relaxation of the exercise brought inspiration and openness for the conversation afterwards. This whole meeting was my first introduction to other types of education. Until I participated, I had been working on sustainability pedagogy for young children at green childcare, but not yet on sustainability pedagogy for adults at university. I was enormously inspired during this meeting to approach my teaching in a different way.
Where do you find the inspiration for your education?
From different things. I draw a lot of inspiration from colleagues who teach in an innovative way. For example, I am a member of the SIG Sustainability, where there are great examples of courses, assignments and working methods to work with students on themes such as sustainability and everyone's personal and professional development and role in this.
I also find it inspiring to read about sustainability pedagogy in higher education at the moment. There are wonderful examples of education for the future to be found at Faculty for a Future.
And last and perhaps most inspiring, I like to visit practical examples of sustainability pedagogy and education. I would like to advise everyone to visit childcare or educational innovators outside the door, to see how beautiful and interdisciplinary education and upbringing can be. Childcare Struin, for example, takes toddlers on the road to parks in and around Nijmegen to gain unique nature experiences. At the School Garden Project in Bemmel, children learn language and arithmetic by taking care of their own vegetable garden and employees of BSO Vrijland clamber and climb with school children through nature reserves around Amersfoort where they discover the world together. In various schools that offer Agora education, young people learn in projects how complex and systemic the world works and what role they can play in it. I could go on and on.
Actually, as higher education, we are somewhat behind these innovators. We could do much more to break down the boundaries between disciplines and between higher education and society for the sake of real reflection and development. These visits show me what is possible and help me in my search for how I shape my education.
What is your favourite educational approach?
Going outside, literally! There is beautiful outdoor space on our campus and it is liberating for me to use it in my teaching. Literally getting out of the ivory tower and stepping into the world of which we are all a part.
Which tip do you have for lecturers?
Go outside! Try going outside with a group and coming up with an assignment for your course. Especially if we want to integrate sustainability education into our education, the outdoor space can help. If literally going outside doesn't fit within your education or sounds too extreme, you could also take this tip less literally and see "going outside" as trying to step outside your own discipline. This can be done by seeking collaboration with colleagues from another discipline or with projects in society.