Graduation student is looking forward to better times
A second generation of final exam students will hear today whether they have obtained their diploma in corona time. Mentors proudly share how their classes have weathered the crisis.
Picture: Fred van Diem
(Image: Fred van Diem)
They had to give up quite a bit
Florentine Krijnen. French teacher and mentor 6 havo and vwo at the Vrije School in Zutphen.
“It's a close-knit group. The tribe class has been together for six years and I've had them for three years. I have grown together with them, just as they have grown together. They have been taught at school throughout the school year. But it is also the group that experienced the lockdown in the pre-exam year. That was so searching then. Pupils put their schoolwork on the back burner, they thought: that will take three weeks, we'll catch up on that later. It turned out to be much longer. During the past school year they have felt that they were expected to know or be able to do things that they did not know or could do well. As a result, they made the first test week worse. It made them insecure and they also wondered aloud whether school was doing enough. As a mentor, I listened to them. I understood their emotions and insecurities. But I also knew that school tried to move along as best it could. They are victims of a situation that nobody could do anything about and they felt that powerlessness.
They had to give up quite a bit: the foreign art trip and the presentations of the final projects in front of a live audience. Even good students became insecure about all those uncertainties. What can we expect with the final exam, will we be compensated enough? In the end, I have the impression that they go out into the world with confidence. It gets better, they feel. By the time they start college, the world will look different again. They have tremendous power. I see a lot of positive energy, which also does me good and makes me proud. Students have learned to help and motivate each other. They eventually performed the final papers for each other and an online audience. They encouraged each other and celebrated the successes together. No one can take that away from them. As a final exam stunt, they made a test street with a big wink to corona and had a party. I interacted with them in a different way than before with mentor classes. For the first time I was in the class whatsapp group. On Saturday afternoon I texted during exam time to ask how it went. The lines have become shorter and that feels good.”
(Image: Fred van Diem)
I wanted to give them all the support
Michael Govaarts. Gym teacher and mentor of 5 havo at the Dr. Moller College in Waalwijk. In Maikel's class, 11 out of 19 have now passed. The other students use the second period or have resits
“Just like last school year, I'm going to bring all my mentor students their grade lists on my racing bike this year. That is something that corona has delivered: more involvement with each other and a more human approach. It is special for students that a teacher suddenly shows up on their doorstep at home. I am a fanatic mountain biker, I rode a stage race with Erik Dekker in South Africa, so this is a nice training round.
I've never put so much energy into a mentoring class as I did this year. This corona time is not a fun time, but it is interesting, because educational. I am sharper and more alert than other years. I want to get the best out of the students, always, but especially in this time. I wanted to give them all the support. I have nineteen students. The school has chosen to make the mentor classes smaller. And that is especially important at this time. It has been a tough year for some students. They struggled with learning disabilities and did not have much confidence in their exam. Fortunately, the graduating classes came to school as soon as the weather was allowed. They were taught in a theater and a sports hall. Because they were at school, we could talk to them more easily. That is much better than online.
Last year my class passed 100 percent, partly due to the relaxed circumstances. This year students are allowed to put a thumb on a low grade outside the core subject. This rule has given some students hope again. I motivate them to the end. They deserve it, because this is the group that missed many lessons in 4 havo, where they lay the foundation for the exam. Their whole rhythm was shattered, some stayed longer in their beds. They have had to completely regroup. Despite the learning delay, they had to keep their faith. That was tough for some. Also for their parents. Some were at home in a conflict situation. Parents felt that their child had to work harder and students sometimes couldn't afford it. This group of students has overcome a huge hurdle by picking up the thread again. They are resilient. That will definitely help them in whatever they do next.”
(Image: Fred van Diem)
'They have suffered quite a bit'
Martin Van Hoeve. Dutch teacher and mentor 6 vwo Alkwin Kollege Uithoorn. In Martine's class, 18 of the 20 students passed.
“I know my mentor students very well, most of them I've had since the fourth. During the mentoring hours I was mainly busy asking how are you? I also talked to them about happiness and what life is really about. Then they thought for a moment: there you have Martine again, but in the end they find it interesting. During such a corona year, in which they have suffered quite a bit, that brings something different. Normally we go on a trip and there is a huge gala, but this time everything was cancelled. They also found it very difficult when they had to go back to quarantine and sit at home alone, while everyone else was at school together.
Fortunately, the graduating classes were able to go to school. I saw them physically for almost the entire school year. Because only 5 havo and 6 vwo were there, it was nice and quiet at school. It created an intimate atmosphere. This gave the students the feeling that they were in a somewhat privileged position. I invited two former students to my mentor class to talk about their first year of study and when they told me how dramatic it was to take online classes all day and not meet anyone at all, it really hit my students. They realized they weren't so bad. They also went secretly to party.
I was a bit concerned about their concentration. They have had shorter class hours for two years because of corona. Would it still be possible to work on an exam for that long? I gave them a survival kit as a goodbye with a bracelet and a personal saying. For the rest of your life you have to do it with yourself. Try to be your own best friend. I gave them that message. I gave a pep talk about the importance of friendship over money and fame and I showed a wonderful Ted Talk from Youtube. After a few minutes you could hear a pin drop. I think in this class friendships are forged for life. That's a good post-corona basis. I will miss them. I'll ask them: Guys, let me know how you're doing."
This article appears in the July issue of the Education Magazine. AObmembers receive the magazine on the mat every month.
