Afbeelding
“I grew up in an international environment and had a bilingual education in Strasbourg in France. In retrospect, I realised that there were actually quite a few issues with the educational system I followed and it's one of the reasons I decided to get into international education. I want to fill these gaps and offer the future generation a different approach and pedagogy than the one I experienced. The advantage of this degree is that we not only learn different pedagogies and classroom management methods, but we also get to put it all into practice in international school classrooms. And the internships (what we actually refer to as teaching practice) also give us the chance to interact with the school environment. I am essentially already practicing for the job that I've chosen to pursue, giving me a huge advantage professionally as well as personally.”
Travel and teach
“Teaching practice takes place in each year of the study. You get placed in an international school somewhere in the world. It means you get to travel, discover and meet new people in a city or country you may never have gone to before. I'm now in my final year and I chose to go to Lisbon for my practice. I taught in a grade 4 classroom for three months and although it felt like a short period, I learned so much about the art of teaching and developed a strong bond with both my mentor and students. Living in Lisbon was nothing short of amazing: I met terrific people, visited gorgeous places, enjoyed the sunny weather, and got to teach at the same time. That’s the dream if you ask me. I now feel confident going into the professional world and feel I will be a great teacher for future generations, allowing me to make a difference in the world.”
At home abroad
“In my 4 years at ITEPS, I have lived in 6 different countries: the Netherlands for my studies, Portugal, Belgium, France, and Switzerland for my teaching practices and finally Norway for my exchange semester where I'm doing an elective in inclusive education. In addition to living in these places, I’ve gotten to travel from them to visit new and old friends which has led to bewildering fun times. I honestly don’t know any other course that allows you to travel and experience teaching as much as ITEPS – which is why I chose the course in the first place. Although Meppel is a small town, we have a strong sense of community through ITEPS and this has made my university experience enriching for both my professional and personal development.”
Find out more about the International Teacher Education for Primary Schools programme.