Teacher Feature: Ms te Velde, Primary Teacher

Briefly describe your journey as a teacher.

Shortly after graduating high school, I moved to Rome. In Rome I worked as an au-pair for a Belgian family. I was teaching their children Dutch while I was learning Italian and improving my French. I enjoyed being around different cultures and the process of learning a (second/third) language was fascinating to me. However, back in the Netherlands I decided to study anthropology instead of teaching education. This has changed my perspective on cultural diversity even more but I missed a practical part in my studies.

I transferred to an international teacher education program in the Netherlands and during my time at this university I have had wonderful opportunities to teach all around the world. For internships I have been in schools in the Netherlands, Spain, India and Malaysia and in all of these places I fell in love with the diversity in international education.

I graduated in 2020 and was not able to move abroad due to COVID so I started working in a Dutch school. I enjoyed my time there and this was a wonderful place where I learned very much especially about how kids learn to read and SEN. But I missed working in a diverse environment. I am incredibly happy that I was able to make the decision to move to Slovenia and to start my international career at BISL.

Right after I started working here, I also started with my masters in International Teacher Education specialising in leadership and change. I am a person who loves learning, and I believe that you never finish learning. As part of my masters, I’ve looked into how we can train teachers to become more culturally responsive in the classroom by playing a discussion card game. I’m now in the final stages of writing up my thesis and hopefully in a few weeks I can say that I graduated.

Why did you decide to specialize in Primary education?

Secondary has never really been an option for me. I enjoy specialising in a certain topic however the children in primary are just so unique, funny and to be at the basis of their school career is a very special place.

It is fascinating to see how a student learns to read or the moment a student finally understands addition. These are concepts that are so simple for us adults but not for children, I love the challenge to think about how to make these concepts accessible for young children.

What makes BISL such a unique place to work?

The students are wonderful. In Year 2 they love learning, they are incredibly kind, and I can see that they will grow up to be wonderful human beings. Being part of that is amazing.

Another thing I really enjoy is the linguistic diversity. I enjoy learning languages and being around so many languages all day and seeing how students communicate is special.

Can you share a funny anecdote that happened to you at work recently?

They are funny all day, every day. It’s hard to describe one anecdote.

What is the best part of your day at BISL?

It is impossible to name just one because I feel very proud of this group of children. Next to teaching them (I especially enjoy teaching literacy), I really like the chats in between, especially in year 2 the children love to share everything with me as their teacher. You can see their personality reflected in those moments and the things they share. Building a community each year again is very special.

Another thing that I really enjoy, which doesn’t happen every day, are the final projects we do for for example topic. In the past weeks we learned about Roots (our own and those of plants) and we created a classroom museum to display our learning. Seeing the kids sharing their learning with friends, family and other students in school makes me incredibly proud.

Why is the experience of an international education important for a student?

Our world does not stop at our doorstep or the border of the country we live in. Understanding the world in depth allows the students to overcome differences, see similarities and I believe that it will make the students more compassionate of others. I strongly believe in the quote that students need mirrors (to see themselves reflected) and windows (to learn about unknown things) to expand their world view and I believe international schools and especially teachers are an essential component in that.

What's your favourite morning meal?

I’m really bad at eating breakfast. But if I would have time, I enjoy something like toast with avocado or eggs.

What's your favourite genre of music?

I listen to a wide variety of music. Some days it’s pop, other days folk, country or even hard rock. It very much depends of my mood. But I do enjoy listening to songs in various languages and not only in English.

What was the last destination you visited outside Slovenia?

Recently I went to Munich for a weekend to see Adele which was a lifelong dream of mine. My longer travel destination was Italy, it’s the place I always return to because I feel at home there.

What was your favourite book as a child?

Impossible to choose but there are some wonderful Dutch authors that deserve more recognition so I would go for ‘Pluk van de Petteflet’ from Annie M.G. Schmidt (I believe it’s translated).

What's your favourite memory from your school days?

I went to an amazing primary school that was very free, we always did plays, celebrated things together, we had various school animals, and it was truly an example of a school that knows how to build a community.

My favourite memory is probably that 10 years after I left my school, I saw one of my old teachers again. We talked and she suddenly gave me a card with a poem that I wrote for her years ago, she kept it all those years because it meant something to her as well. It just made me feel so seen and loved at that moment, something I wish I could do for my students as well.