Discover teaching: ‘Take the leap!’
Nicky Boer is enrolled in the Educational Master’s Programme in Social Studies/Social Sciences at ICLON, the Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching. She talks about her experiences and shares tips for future teachers.
Why did you choose ICLON?
During my bachelor’s degree at Leiden University I heard about ICLON through friends. I’d always had the idea of teaching, but I first wanted to gain work experience. After seven years at an educational publisher, I decided to make the transition to teaching. ICLON’s lateral-entry route was perfect for getting started straight away.
How do you know whether an educational master’s or minor is the right fit?
I had great experiences with education both in primary and secondary school. I went to a Dalton secondary school, where there was lots of room for creative initiatives: dance, theatre, technology and video. That environment really suited me — and now I teach there myself. I visited and observed at several schools to get a feel for whether I could see myself teaching there. Taking time to explore your options is incredibly helpful before taking the plunge.
ICLON
During ICLON’s teacher training programme (Leiden University), you develop skills in areas such as communication, teaching and leadership. These skills are useful both in the classroom and beyond. ICLON offers several training routes to obtain a teaching qualification for secondary education.
How does ICLON prepare you for teaching?
At ICLON you learn not only how to teach, but also how to prepare lessons, how to apply pedagogical and didactic principles, and how to manage a classroom. My experience with literature research during my bachelor’s now helps me to translate academic knowledge into classroom practice. I also enjoy doing that: with my background I can really offer pupils greater depth. As a lateral-entry teacher you’re in front of the class straight away, and ICLON supports you with subject coaches and lesson observations.
How do you choose which subjects to teach?
For me it was quite straightforward to choose Social Studies and Citizenship, as these align well with my academic background and work experience. But your choice naturally depends on the route you take and whether you’ll be teaching immediately. As a lateral-entry teacher, your background must match the subjects you want to teach. It’s a good idea to check this in advance, for example with a study adviser from the teacher training programme or via the Onderwijsloket.
What tip would you give to students who are unsure about teaching?
Shadow teachers at as many schools as you can! Explore which type of education suits you and which age group you want to work with. If you’re interested in teaching: take the leap! It’s a challenging but incredibly rewarding profession. Every lesson is different, so you need to be flexible. Building strong relationships with your pupils makes the work immensely valuable.
Future plans?
I have no idea yet! But I can feel that I’m increasingly finding my way in teaching, so who knows what the future will bring!