I think that education is the foundation of a University and therefore very important. It is the key to the development of students. Good students hopefully become well informed and active citizens which can help to create a better world. In my teaching, I approach students with a combination of humour, showmanship and examples of daily life. In personal supervision, I reserve time to individually coach students in order to help them further in their academic development and career. For me, the opinion of the student is very important and therefore I am always open for any comments and improvements. My personal aim is to let people see that plants are very much not "boring".
Currently (2020) I am finalizing my promotional thesis and therefore my teaching output is less than normal.
I am currently involved in the following courses:
- Introduction into the Dutch Flora. Bachelor of biology course (but also open for other students and non-students) for which I am the coordinator and teacher. I founded this course together with Hans Persoon and Vijko Lukkien in 2010
In the past, together with Hans Persoon and Vijko Lukkien, I have developed a second year course on Nature conservation, Sustainability and Plant biodiversity for the Bachelor of Biology. The course started in 2012 and I was the course coordinator during 2013 to 2014. Currently, this course is coordinated by Rens Vaessen.
In addition, I have contributed to the following Utrecht University courses:
- Biodiversity and landscape. Third year Bachelor of Biology course for which I was a teacher on the Dutch Flora. Leading excursions in coastal, heath and moor vegetation. Development of the section about heath and moor ecology and management. (years 2017-2019)
- Evolution and Biodiversity. First years Bachelor of Biology course for which I was the teacher for the section on Plant diversity and evolution (years 2013-2019)
- Evolution 200. Second year course for the Bachelor of biology for which I was a teacher for the section on plant diversity and systematics. (years 2012-2016)
- Evolution 300. Third year Bachelor of biology course for which I was teacher for the section on plant systematics in practice. (years 2014-2018)
- Management of Natural Resources in context. First year Master of biology course in which I supervised student project groups and assess individual student work. (years 2014-2019)
- Plant biology (years 2007-2009)
- History and Philosophy of the Western Biological Sciences (years 2009-2011)
- Science Policy (years 2013-2019)
In 2016 I achieved the basic university teaching qualification ('BKO' in Dutch).
Involved in the following course(s)