Working at the HWC

‘It took me a while to realise I wanted to become a teacher. I first completed a bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, but just working in a lab or with chemistry didn't give me enough satisfaction, as I missed a social element. At some point, I realised that the Master's in Science Education was actually the right path for me, because of the social aspect of teaching. And it turned out to be true!

During my studies, I was assigned an internship at the Hermann Wesselink College. I had a very pleasant internship period. It was nerve-wracking, of course: I was completely new to education and had no prior work experience. But during my internship, everything fell into place. This was certainly also thanks to the good guidance from my internship supervisor who guided me through the process step by step. In addition, I received a lot of peer supervision from the school supervisors, where experiences could be shared and where I could learn from others. The school supervisors are teachers themselves at the HWC, which meant I quickly got to know more people.

I primarily get a lot of energy from interacting with the pupils. Chemistry can sometimes be experienced as a difficult subject, and that's why I enjoy it when I can help them to truly understand something. At the same time, I think it's important to talk about other things besides just chemistry. The longer you know pupils, the more you discover about each other and build a bond. That feels good. That, for me, is also the beauty of teaching: it's often about more than just the subject you teach. Because I am still relatively young myself, I also recognise a lot of what pupils experience in their personal lives and I find it easy to connect with them. This, hopefully, then contributes to a positive and safe learning environment for pupils.

Once I've gained more experience in teaching, I'd like to delve further into the role of a confidential counsellor in the future. I know that you can retrain in all sorts of areas at the Hermann Wesselink College, so there are bound to be opportunities to learn more about this too!’

‘When I was looking at schools where I might want to work four years ago, I quickly came across the website of the Hermann Wesselink College. I immediately thought: this feels right. That feeling was reinforced when I visited for the first time: the school breathes a very open and positive atmosphere. You can sense that as soon as you walk in, as the entire new building breathes space and light.

The atmosphere is obviously not solely about aesthetics, but primarily about how everyone interacts with each other, both staff and students. It’s very easy to connect with colleagues – I made friends quickly. Everyone is also very helpful. If you say: I have a bit too much on my plate right now, then everyone is willing to help you. You're never on your own; we do everything together. You see that everywhere in the school. I think that’s something unique.

I've started working in the media centre. Previously in my career, I worked in the library. That was also enjoyable, but in the media centre I had a much more encouraging role. In the library, people often have an idea of what they're looking for; in the media centre, the challenge is to recommend books to students that suit them and are beneficial. Ultimately, I want students to read more and with more enjoyment. When that happens, it's very satisfying.

After working in the library for a year, I also became a mentor, making me the first point of contact for the pupils in a class. This led me to discover that I actually really enjoyed being in front of a class. When I mentioned this, the school was very supportive and asked, ’Which subject do you want to teach?" My heart was set on English teaching – I just find it a very important language. So, that's what I'm working on now!’

‘Actually, the Hermann Wesselink College has been my whole life. I was a pupil here, and my wife and our two sons were too. I only worked at two other schools for two years, but when a vacancy came up at the Hermann Wesselink College in 1986, I didn't have to think twice. I had very good memories of the school, it was within cycling distance, and I received a financially attractive offer. Now, in 2026, I will retire contentedly.

Working for the same employer for forty years, that's actually not really of this time anymore. But in my career, I've been able to take on many different tasks and see all aspects of the school. For example, I was the project leader for the new building, where the HWC has been located since 2021. Until then, I was responsible for the maintenance and renovation of the old building, which was also an extensive task. In addition, I was the head of the junior department and chairman of the MR (Parent-Teacher Association). So, I was actually a kind of job hopper, but within one organisation.

My favourite moment of the working day is the morning assembly with the pupils. That used to be a standard part of the day, stemming from our school's Christian background, but I've always continued to do it. There's room for that. We then discuss themes such as living together respectfully and being considerate of one another. At that moment, you are most in touch with the pupils and can make a real difference. What I find most rewarding is that every year there are children who, at the end of the year, say: thanks for those discussions, that was beneficial.

There's always relatively a lot of space for discussions at the Hermann Wesselink College. Did you know we have an 80-minute timetable? This means it's less crowded in lessons and there's peace and quiet to talk about things other than economics, or to explain something again. That peace and quiet does both the teachers and the pupils good. Furthermore, I find it remarkable that our school is so incredibly well organised. We can offer tailored support for every pupil, for example in the form of extra help or extra time in the timetable – even though we have 1900 pupils!’

‘A dull office job is not for me – give me variety instead! As a teaching assistant and mentor at the Hermann Wesselink College, no two days are the same. My main task is covering lessons for teachers who are off sick. In the morning, I receive a lesson plan with instructions on what needs to be covered. This can be anything: for example, maths, Dutch, or my favourite – PE. In addition, I sometimes help out in other teachers’ lessons, supervise exams, or assist the caretaker or the library staff.

I've done several other things before this: I first completed sports academy, and then ran an after-school care centre in Amsterdam Noord for a while. After that, I tried working as an account manager for a bit, but I soon discovered that I can't sit behind a desk. The variety I have now as an education assistant is ideal. I've had this great range of tasks for two years now. For the past year, I've also had a VMBO-T mentor class on top of that. Of course, there are a few rascals among them, but generally the pupils are very relaxed!

In any case, I've never regretted applying to the HWC for a second. It's an incredibly pleasant school, and the bond between colleagues is very convivial. If you're busy sometimes, someone will lend a hand; we work here with each other and for each other. Because of that, the daily goings-on run smoothly, even though not everything always goes as you expect.

The most beautiful moments in my job are the small things, for example, a nice chat with pupils in the corridor. Or how you manage to engage pupils with just a small amount of information. Improvising when I'm covering lessons can sometimes be challenging, but it's also enjoyable – at least I know my work never gets dull. This is also due to the size of the school – you interact with so many different colleagues and pupils that your conversations are always varied.’