MBO teacher Paula van Manen: 'Everything was turned upside down'
The rigorous implementation of a personalized educational concept at an MBO school for pedagogical training puts the team to the test. Teacher and 'learning coach' Paula van Manen wrote a book about it: a personal story full of wonderful anecdotes.
Picture: Fred van Diem
It all started with an inspiration meeting. Between boxes of pizzas, the team members, responsible for the pedagogical training courses at a large ROC, heard the manager talk for the first time that evening about her quest for a new educational concept. After a brainstorming session, the walls were covered with mind map sheets with ideas and thoughts. In retrospect, that meeting in the spring of 2016 was the starting shot for a radical change in education.
Mbo teacher Paula van Manen describes in her book 'When will we get lessons again?' how the introduction of an educational reform puts the team and students to the test. Just over a year after the pizza session, the time has come. The first and second-year groups no longer receive classroom instruction, but 'personalized education'. Flexible learning, more customization, that is the slogans.
I am certainly not against educational reforms. But if you are going to introduce a different concept, you have to think about it carefully.
There are still many questions about the development of the concept and its practical implementation. One thing is clear: everything will be different. Students work more independently, determine their own study pace, commute between different classrooms and organize their break times themselves. Lecturers are suddenly called learning coach and classrooms become learning plazas. Every day starts and ends with a 'How are you doing?' Round: everyone indicates their state of mind with an emoticon. The innovation seems to be inspired by the hip, but also criticized Swedish 'tailor-made' concept Kunskapsskolan, although that name is not mentioned in the book.
“I am certainly not an opponent of educational innovation,” says Van Manen. "But if you are going to introduce a different concept, you have to think about it carefully." She still remembers the conditions for a successful educational reform from her studies in educational sciences a long time ago. “Create sufficient support, include your team in the decision. Thorough preparation with a fully detailed implementation plan and taking sufficient time for this. A gradual introduction, initially with a limited group of students. None of the conditions have been met with us. Everything was turned upside down. Four hundred students had to deal with it simultaneously. You can verify that this causes the necessary problems. "
Didactics
In her book, Van Manen describes how teachers try to get a grip on the new education. They always run into new problems and obstacles. For example, they have to sign dozens of learning objectives and sub-learning objectives for students, but it is not clear how they should assess them. If those goals have been achieved, students may request their exam. But some colleagues already have students request their exam while learning objectives are still open. “And then students come to get a story, which is logical: why am I not allowed to start my exams yet, while someone else allows students to? Then explain that. "
With the introduction of personalized education, its own function has also changed. From now on, teachers of the practice-oriented subjects will go through life as learning coaches. “As a teacher I was mainly concerned with knowledge transfer and didactics. As a coach I am now much more coaching. I just got another job. You have to prepare your staff very well for such a change. ”
As a teacher I was mainly concerned with knowledge transfer and didactics. As a coach I am now guiding much more. I just got another job.
The book covers a period of three school years: the preparation year, the first year after introduction and the second. After the struggles in the first year of implementation, a number of adjustments will be made in the summer of 2018. For example, there must be more space for workshops that deepen the educational offer. Lecturers - pardon: learning coaches - would offer them based on their own expertise, but this is not getting off the ground due to lack of time. In new learning plazas, several groups work simultaneously on different assignments, which is noisy with many students. A part where students can achieve learning goals in a creative way, with a poster, vlog or photo series, has now disappeared from view.
The result of the changes is that students can hardly hide behind their laptops, says Van Manen. The 'personalized' vocational training has become a form of laptop education. And what worries her most: many students are delayed. In particular, students who received classroom instruction in their first year are making themselves heard. “We just want lessons again”, the call sounds.
“It would have been very wise to thoroughly evaluate the first year and implement improvements from there,” says Van Manen. “That's not what I've seen happen. Some things were thrown overboard and new things introduced, again without proper preparation. There are also good sides to education. But unfortunately I see enough students who are in danger of drowning. ”
There are also good sides to education. But unfortunately I see enough students who are in danger of drowning.
In the meantime, the employees, some fifty in number, have to settle for a rather tight staff space at the start of the second year. The team undergoes all changes unmoved. Frustration is often not spoken out loud. When the manager who introduced the educational innovation quickly leaves for a new challenge, employees are left in amazement. “I thought it was strange that she left so quickly. Only a few weeks later, when I surveyed colleagues one-on-one, it turned out that I was not alone at all with my thoughts. ” That may be partly the culture in the team, she thinks. But there is also a practical explanation. “There is no time to worry about it. The workload is extremely high. Everyone is preoccupied with the issues of the day. ”
Juvenile books
Van Manen (51), born and raised in Zoetermeer, has now been working in secondary vocational education at rocs in various parts of the country for over twenty years. She accumulated a school career: MAVO, MBO, HBO and university, where she studied remedial education and educational sciences. In 1989, after the transition from MBO to HBO, she set up a special student committee that addressed unnecessary overlaps and managed to persuade HBO programs to introduce exemptions.
Not long afterwards she fought against the “anti-social” personal contribution that her university of applied sciences asked for all kinds of basic facilities on top of the tuition fees. She went to court, hoisted on the shield by the National Student Union. She was rejected and then appealed to the Supreme Court - also in vain. Van Manen ended up in the spotlight of national media. “I'm not doing this for myself. Also by other universities of applied sciences, personal contributions are still made compulsory ”, she motivated her fighting spirit in Trouw in 1992.
Based on the same motivation, Van Manen, who previously wrote a series of children's books about the experiences of a young gymnast, decided about a year ago that she wanted to write down her experiences with educational innovation. “The introduction of a new educational concept is extremely interesting to experience,” says the educationalist. The result has been in the shops since October: a personal story full of wonderful anecdotes. “Is it an objective book? No, it never is when you write an experience book. It is my truth, as I experienced it. I get back from several colleagues who have read my book that they find it recognizable. Especially from the people who have experienced the whole process from the start. ”
This interest transcends the interest of one school. It is a socially relevant topic.
She said she informed her team manager, the sector director and a board member about her plans last autumn. Nobody has seen the text beforehand. Van Manen has deliberately chosen not to mention the name and location of the institution - the school is known to the editors. It's about the case, she says. She also doesn't want to cause bad publicity to the school. Still, she takes into account that not everyone at school will thank her for the book.
“I have taken that into account. This interest transcends the importance of one school. It is a socially relevant topic. I hope other schools can learn from my experience and benefit from it. And what is a great motivation for me personally: I hope to improve the situation for students. ”
