Teaching as an international: 'This is what I want'

From architecture to education 

Adriana grew up bilingual in Washington D.C., with an American mother and a Colombian father. 'Teaching has always appealed to me, but the low salaries put me off. So, I chose another field: architecture.' Five years ago, she moved to the Netherlands because of her studies. She looked for a job as an architect, but that didn’t go to plan. 'My level of Dutch was not good enough. And I realised: the world of architecture may be nice, but it's not my passion.' That was when another thought occurred to her: wouldn’t a career in teaching be right up her street? Through the Talent100 programme of the Expat Spouses Initiative, she heard about Internationals voor de Klas. 'I knew immediately: this is it!' 

Diverse group 

She is taking part in the programme, which ran for the first time this academic year, with a group of seven students. 'Almost everyone does internships at secondary school, but I am the only one doing so at a secondary vocational education course (mbo) level. I really like that, because I experience a lot of freedom here.' All the students in the Internationals voor de Klas programme come from different backgrounds, also in terms of nationalities. 'From Afghanistan to France, and from China to Turkey. It's interesting to hear how different education is in all those different countries. We talk a lot about that.'  

Together, they also learn about the Dutch education system. That system is characterised, for example, by the informal interaction between teachers and students, as well as the independence and freedom of students. 'That is really different to the situation in the United States. Here, people aren’t afraid to say what they do or don’t want to do.’ The specific technical terms present another challenge. When Adriana teaches a maths lesson, for example, she is used to a different metric system. 'That's why I keep a spreadsheet to hand that shows the differences, for example, between inches and centimetres.' 

Connection with the students 

And that's not only thing that is quite complicated sometimes, as teaching itself is also challenging. 'When you see all those students for the first time, you think: okay, this is a really nerve-racking moment in my life. But fortunately, they're interested in who I am. And they don't bite’, she laughs. It is particularly in the Personality course that Adriana feels she can really connect with her students. 'When I teach that class, it's more of a conversation. I can then talk much more about their development, internship goals and give them good feedback.' Moreover, Adriana finds that her position can help foster empathy among students. 'People often talk about internationals or foreigners as if it's just a theory. But I’m standing there as a real person.’ Marjon also recognises the value in that. ‘Adriana provides a glimpse into a different culture. I think it's very important for students to learn more about how other countries look at the field of study. And to learn that from someone who works in the profession.' 

Beaming in front of the class 

Meanwhile, the first months of Adriana's internship at SintLucas have flown by. In that time, Marjon has seen her grow enormously. 'At first, she was a bit timid and didn't really know what she could do. Now, she comes in beaming and will soon give a masterclass in architecture to students. You can see she feels at home here.' The bond between them is different, therefore, from the classic teacher-student relationship. ‘Adriana is simply a mature woman who wants to go into teaching. So, it's up to me then to show how, what and where.' Adriana confirms. 'Marjon feels like a colleague to me.' 

Future in education 

When this school year is over, Adriana will start the lateral entry route to enter teaching, probably at a secondary school. The internship has confirmed for Adriana that teaching really is the right career path for her. Although it is not yet entirely clear to her exactly how. 'That's not a bad thing either', says Marjon. 'That's why I keep asking her questions about what she wants. We often talk about that.' Above all, Adriana still has time to find her niche. But there's one thing she knows for sure: 'From working in the education system and teaching, I know: this is where I belong. This is where I see my future.'