‘I teach pupils about technology and, in doing so, learn to slow down myself’
When Norman saw a call for hybrid teachers on an internal ASML channel, he immediately thought: ‘That’s right up my street’. Thanks to his voluntary work with the Scouts, he knew he was good with young people. He now has a few months’ experience as a hybrid teacher at a vocational school and has not only taught his pupils something, but has also gained new insights himself. ‘I’ve learnt to take a step back, explain things properly and check whether the other person understands. Don’t make assumptions.’
Every Monday afternoon, Norman is in the technical workshop at Sondervick College. Not with the whole class, but with a select group of pupils who are ahead of the rest and ready for a greater challenge. Together with technical teacher Mark Parren, he devised an assignment: to make a metal lampshade with their own house number plasma-cut into it. ‘They have to do everything themselves,’ he explains. ‘These students are given the individual parts and have to draw the design themselves and assemble the shade themselves.’
His years of experience in the business world help Norman to bridge the gap between the classroom and what the students will encounter in the real world. He shows his left index finger, which is slightly deformed. ‘The tip of this finger once got caught in a press brake, because my boss at the time wanted me to work quickly rather than safely. I explain to the students here: safety comes first!’
Learning from others
Learning goes both ways with Norman. During a lesson at the CNC press brake, he momentarily forgot a setting. Before he’d even realised it himself, a student pointed it out to him. ‘Sir, didn’t you say the same thing last week?’ Norman had to agree with him. ‘Even though they’re young, they can be very sharp,’ he says. ‘That’s a nice dynamic.’
That experience taught him something he also applies at work. When training new colleagues, he now goes through the steps more consciously. ‘I draw up a set of instructions and go through them with them. Do we understand each other properly? Are there any questions?’ That might sound obvious, but it isn’t. ‘You tend to make assumptions. Especially if you’ve been working somewhere for a long time.’
An extra challenge
Technology teacher Mark Parren is delighted with the support provided to hybrid teachers. ‘I’m really pleased that these pupils, who have so much potential, are now being given extra challenges. For me, that can sometimes be difficult in a full classroom; you want to help everyone – the pupils who need more support, the average performers and the high achievers. That’s not always possible.’ It did take a bit of time to find the right moment. ‘I’ve noticed that the business world and education have completely different timetables and dynamics. Teaching outside school hours or during a break? That’s almost impossible here in terms of the timetable, and I can’t explain it to the pupils. Fortunately, we’ve found a good way of doing things in this case. And Norman and I work well together; we click. He’s doing a great job.’
A sense of fulfilment
Norman has really got the hang of it now, he says. Last week, one of his students came up to him at the start of the lesson. ‘Sir, it’s great to see you back.’ Norman secretly enjoyed hearing that. ‘At that age, you just say what you think,’ he says. ‘Comments like that give me a sense of fulfilment.’ It also says something about what this brings him, outside the workshop and outside ASML. ‘For me, it’s the perfect combination; I’d love to continue with it.’
Hybrid tech teachers in the Brainport region
This story is part of a series on the added value of hybrid tech teachers for pupils, students, teachers, businesses and the Brainport region. These professionals from the business world bring real-world experience directly into the classroom. They share their knowledge and experience by teaching, developing educational modules or delivering guest lectures. This creates valuable links between education and the labour market and gives young people a better insight into the working world of tomorrow.
Hundreds of matches between education and the business community have already been made in the Brainport region. The ambition: at least 300 more matches by 2028.