'You are never finished, not even as an instructor'
Education expert René van Kralingen wrote a didactic handbook for instructors and support staff in vocational education. "As an instructor you are not only 'boss' of the practice room or studio. You are part of an education team."
Image: Rob Niemantsverdriet
The metal worker demonstrating the welding machine, the whizkid which helps with programming or the source of information in the laboratory. “Instructors are a familiar face in the practice room,” says René van Kralingen from Rotterdam, who is a regular at home in vocational education as a former teacher and trainer.
“I am thinking of the professional at the flat bench, who knows everything about the machines and who is a fixed value for students as a point of contact. Because instructors usually come from the profession themselves, they know the latest tricks of the trade. That gives them prestige among students, sometimes even more than teachers. ”
Why should you as an instructor read a didactic-pedagogical handbook?
“Some instructors will say: I stand by the band saw and always give my instruction like that. Then I see it as my task to explain that there is no one way, that there are more forms, that you can sometimes approach things smarter and more effectively. Instructors don't have to become skilled didactics, which is not my intention at all. They do not need to know 'social constructivism', but they do need to know, for example, how you can get students to work together or how to discuss learning objectives.
As an instructor you are not only 'boss' of the practice room or studio. You are part of an education team. All members of such a team speak a common language. As an instructor you must also be able to understand them. Compare it to a hospital: in a team you have nurses in addition to specialists. Very different functions, but you walk across the room together and you understand each other. ”
Is the teaching method different for instructors than for teachers?
“Instructors supervise much more. They do not give long lessons, but short instructions. The didactics in this book are geared to that role. How quickly do you come to the rescue when a student raises his hand? How long do you let someone try it for themselves first? How do you teach students independence? How do you observe? But also: how do you keep a professional distance? Some instructors, especially the younger ones, are so close to students that it can get too amicable. Look, I always say, You must feel like you're wearing a uniform. You represent your school, your education. You are in office. ”
What other pitfalls do your instructors warn against?
“Instructors sometimes don't immediately realize they are working at a school. You thought that everything revolved around your professional knowledge, but then suddenly all adolescents appear to be pouring into the classroom. With earplugs in, with their quirks and interests. You are no longer in your old work circle, but in a school circle. And there are other skills involved. Some instructors are overconfident and take too much credit. But I also see the opposite: that supporters make themselves too small. Then I say: You are full employees with the necessary baggage, you are a voice in the team. Don't let yourself be beep, profile yourself. The teacher is the ward doctor, who directs it. But all those other hands on the bed are also indispensable. "
What message do you want to convey?
“You are never finished, not even as an instructor. You have to work on yourself, look in the mirror regularly and wonder if you are doing it right. Ask others for feedback. You did not start working in vocational education purely because you can program or cook so well, but because you want to teach students something. And if you work with people, you have to delve into human science. I also say that to managers. Instructors are not paid heavily, appreciate them by investing in their training. ”
Is that appreciation still a point of attention?
“In general, I do have my doubts about how salaries are distributed in education. I was talking to someone from special education this morning. He works with a difficult target group. Something unexpected happens every day. When I see how much less such a person earns compared to a lecturer at a university of applied sciences ... Or a manager who earns much more than someone who stands in front of the class every day. Perhaps the old socialist in me is speaking here, but I find that crooked. ”
