Chaja Deen is an education and youth care adviser at the Netherlands Youth Institute. Anja Verwoerdt is an education adviser and educational psychologist. They wrote their book to help schools look at issues such as poverty, discrimination, performance pressure and the influence of social media differently. In this context, working together with the educational community surrounding the school is crucial.
The tyranny of the day reigns at school
“The tyranny of the day reigns at school,” Deen says in the podcast. “Everything happening in the world also finds its way into your school. How do you deal with that effectively and think at the end of the day: I did the right things at school today?” Schools need room to take a step back and reflect on important questions, according to Deen. “What kind of school are we? What do we want to focus on, given the students we have at our school? I don’t think that always happens.” The key is that school should be a pleasant place for both students and teachers, where you can develop.
Team strength
Deen emphasizes the role of ‘team strength’. “As a team, do you have the confidence that you can make a difference for students? As a student, do you have the confidence that you can learn and develop yourself at school? And as a community, do you have the confidence that you can contribute to what happens at school?” She gives the example of a student who finds it difficult to show what he can do at school, but who demonstrates leadership on the football field. “You could bring the outside world into the school a little more.” Verwoerdt adds: “Open the school gates a little wider.”
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