Like crazy differentiation in the small school
Two teachers, two part-time directors and 39 children. How are things in one of the smallest schools in the Netherlands? "I have no doubts about our right to exist."
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
In the kitchen of the Looschool in Loo, Overijssel, there are 25 ice cream cones with fruit and whipped cream in it. 'Hooray', it says on a card. 'It's my birthday!' It's a treat from a senior student. “That's the advantage of being in a mini-school,” smiles Adinda Biekmann. "You can treat half the school and the whole team with 25 cones."
Let's start with the dry numbers: the Looschool has 39 students who are divided into two classes. A junior class from groups 1 to 4 and an upper secondary class from 5 to 8, two quato groups, the director calls it. The team consists of two teachers (one per class), two part-time class assistants and two directors who alternately do the honors for a few hours a day. There are also two classrooms with a space in between where upper and lower school students work together on projects or children can sit quietly. There is a vegetable cart - built by one of the children and his father - with vegetables from their own vegetable garden. “Typically a village school, isn't it,” laughs Biekmann. She opens the door to her classroom. Time for a new day.
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
Keelekeel
In the only office of the school, director Frank Machielsen is already having coffee. He looks back on the 2017-2018 school year. "It was really cool then." The year started with 26 children, the lower limit is 23 students for very sparsely populated areas, the Ministry of Education has decided. "For a moment there was talk of a merger with a somewhat larger school in a village next door, but to be honest, I never questioned our right to exist."
Young and old sit together, children from group 1 interact with children from group 4. I think that's wonderful to see, those little ones and those bigger ones together
Machielsen is therefore pleased that the Looschool, which has existed since 1912, could remain 'small but nice'. “The children here are used to taking care of each other,” he says. “Young and old are together, children from group 1 interact with children from group 4. I think it's wonderful to see those little ones and those older ones together. It is a kind of community. Just as the village of Loo is also a community where everyone greets each other. ”
Machielsen, like all the other team members, knows the name of each child, and which fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters belong to them - even the grandpas and grandmas are familiar faces. "We only have 22 parents here, because some families have several children at school." Does not mean that there is a parental deficit. “We don't have a caretaker, we are too small for that, but there are parents who sweep the schoolyard of their own accord when they see it necessary. There is also an app group with all parents. One text is enough and people are already showing up to help. That has something warm. ”
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
And of course a small school has its drawbacks. “From a formal point of view, I have little space and the team members have to rely on themselves,” says Machielsen. “They can interview fewer colleagues and collaborate less. And they are the face of the school, they are there every day. That is different at a large school: then the director takes on that role. ”
Whether that is bad? Yes and no, says Ylke Emons. She is a junior teacher and teaches children in groups 1 to 4 five days a week. “I really have to differentiate,” she says. “Much more than the average primary school teacher. But on the other hand, I have a lot of freedom, and it also gives me a lot of peace and overview to work at such a small school. ”
I have to differentiate a lot. Much more than the average primary school teacher. But on the other hand, I have a lot of freedom
This differentiation takes place in an organized manner. The children are not classified by group, but by level. For example, this Tuesday morning eight children are reading, four children are playing with the blocks, a few children are doing math or sitting at the computer, and a group has been taken aside by the teaching assistant, the indispensable helping hand for Emons. "It would be a lot without her." While she says that, she rubs a child's head. “Have you finished your task? Then you can join group 6. ”
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
On a board it is indicated per hour which tasks which group has, the children know exactly into which group they are assigned for which task (math, reading). “You start to think differently and organize things differently when you stand in front of a quato group,” says Emons. "You do less classroom teaching, especially at the start of the day and at the end. For the rest there is a lot of personal guidance."
She points to a girl who is reading. She could not keep up with two schools, it was too busy there and she received too little personal attention. “So nice: we don't offer special education and yet she is doing very well here. Precisely because we are so on the student. I sometimes wonder if there is a safer learning environment than here. "
Familiar
Whether she is not afraid that she will miss some children or certain developments? After all, you have to deal with different ages and levels than in an average class. Emons smiles. “We have a digital student tracking system in which we keep track of everything per student. And I can easily hand it over to Adinda after lower secondary school: she is my only direct full-time colleague. Together we keep a close eye on the development of each child for eight years. ”
The parents say it all too, when they trickle in to bring their offspring. “The teachers are very close to the children,” says Rick Oudenampsen, who has two children in the lower years of this school, and one in the upper years. “The children who are struggling get extra attention. And the children all know each other. Recently I saw a superstructure lift a heavy bag from a substructure. Isn't that beautiful? "
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
However, it can also be a disadvantage, that familiarity. Because yes: the children will one day have to enter the adult world. It starts at secondary school, a few villages away. Where not everyone knows each other. Bram, student in group 7, is aware of this. “It's nice that you know everyone by name, but it will take some getting used to when we go to the larger school. Then all of a sudden you have all other teachers and masters too. We only have two teachers here
school. They are great fun, but sometimes it is a bit boring. ”
It's nice that you know everyone by name, but it will take some getting used to when we go to the bigger school. Then suddenly you have all other teachers and masters too. We only have two teachers at this school
Director Machielsen does not necessarily see this as a problem. “The step to secondary school is big for every child. And here children are already very much faced with age differences. Here is an eight-year-old student with a twelve-year-old student in the classroom. We work through groups. ”
For example, upper secondary teacher Biekmann has linked her students with lower secondary students. Every student has their own 'buddy'. To learn. Together. For example, a number of children in the lower years work with the upper classes with reading comprehension. How is that for the teachers among themselves, do they also learn from each other? Biekmann admits: she sometimes misses direct colleagues. "Ylke and I are both relatively young, sometimes you want advice from someone who has more experience or who looks at things differently."
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
The management of the Looschool is also aware of this. That is why the 'Samenscholen' project was set up to stimulate cooperation in the region. Several times a year, employees of the Looschool meet with colleagues from the other two schools within this school community. To exchange experiences, share tips and knowledge. Biekmann: “I noticed that I needed that. Especially because Ylke and I are so busy running our own classes and the school. Normally you divide Sinterklaas, Christmas, Easter and other activities such as the sports day among the team members. But then again, we have relatively few team members… ”That is why an event manager will come next school year for a few hours a week to take care of the organization of parties and tasks. "To take some pressure off the boiler."
Normally you divide Sinterklaas, Christmas, Easter and other activities such as the sports day among the team members. But yes, we have quite a few team members…
In the meantime, Biekmann gets up to work for the Nieuwsbconcept board. While the class talks about what first aid stands for, Tijs, an eighth grader, sits in the interspace with Saar from the basement. Saar plays a language game on the computer, the headphones cover half of her narrow head. She has to drag the correct letter to the correct image. Tijs is wrong. Whenever she gets too difficult, she wants to let go of the mouse. Like: I don't know anymore. Tijs then nods encouragingly. "Come on, Saar, take the mouse, you can do it yourself." And Saar takes the mouse. Click. Click. Click. Tijs was right. She can.
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
The smallest
After 255 years, the curtain has fallen for the smallest school in the Netherlands, with seven children. Primary school Genne, in the Overijssel community of Zwartwaterland, had to close its doors this year. In fact, there was already talk of closure last year, but as an exception the school was allowed to continue for one more year. The Ministry of Education has set 23 pupils as a 'lower limit': if a school has fewer pupils, it must close. According to the national government, small schools are vulnerable and the costs per pupil are relatively high. But it is not that these schools are completely left to their own devices. Schools with fewer than 145 pupils receive the so-called small school allowance. The cabinet is allocating 20 million euros annually for this.
This article can be found in the September issue of the Education Journal.
