Utrecht University students help secondary schools in the region
Utrecht University has begun an initiative to support secondary schools in the region. In the Student op School (Student at School) programme, Faculty of Science students assist secondary school teachers to reduce their workload, gain teaching experience - and earn a bit of extra cash. “It’s tough to teach a class of 30 students, but with Sophie’s help there is more room to give students individual attention.’
Lots of spare time
Sophie Groenewoud doesn’t have much else to do at the moment. She’s in her last year of the Bachelor's programme College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has passed all of our courses, but can’t start on her final internship because of the coronavirus pandemic. And the student life isn’t much to write home about. In fact, she’s temporarily traded her room in Utrecht for her parents’ home in Geffen, Brabant, because as she explains: “12 square meters doesn’t leave a lot of room to move around.”
The hours are flexible, the students are fun, and I’ve always enjoyed explaining things.
Having fun explaining science
Fortunately, Groenewoud has found a way to make herself useful. Since November 2020, she has supported Chemistry teacher Bob Lefeber in teaching his classes at the Vathorst College. She tutors students via Google Meet and joins classes (through an online connection) to help students when they get stuck. “It’s a great side job!”, she says with enthusiasm. “The hours are flexible, the students are fun, and I’ve always enjoyed explaining things. It wasn’t that long ago that I was doing my exams, and I had a lot of Chemistry courses for my Bachelor’s programme, so I know the subject.”
Raising the level of the class
For teacher Bob Lefeber, the student’s help was a godsend. His workload was already heavy, and it has only increased since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “Now that Sophie is here, it’s absolutely lightened my load”, he says with conviction. “It’s tough to teach a class of 30 students, but with her there there is more room to give students individual attention. And the students’ level has definitely improved. They ask better questions, and they seem more self-confident. That’s another advantage to gaining experience dealing with someone from outside the school.”
The trick is to find out where you as a teacher need help.
Updating lesson materials
Lefeber has since called on more students for support, which doesn’t necessarily involve tutoring or helping in the class. “Now I also have a student updating my lesson materials”, he explains. “I never had the time for that before. Once every two weeks, we meet to see if things are going in the right direction. There are so many options available. The trick is to find out where you as a teacher need help.”
As of 1 March, 2021, secondary schools can apply for Student at School with all subjects at all levels. All college (HBO) and university students are also welcome to participate. Look here for more more information and registration details (in Dutch).