Daisy Mertens, who works in primary education and is a member of the Education Council, particularly emphasised asking open questions during a triangle conversation. This is not always easy, partly because the information you have as a teacher about a student often leads to impressions that you (unconsciously) try to confirm. Learn to listen and speak ‘without judgement’, was her recommendation.
Her student Nuhaila (12) said that she is very happy with the triangle conversation, which her parents can also attend, because it makes it much easier to talk about school.
Choosing a secondary school interactively
Annette Diender, an education professional at Samenwerking rondom Onderwijs, facilitates interactive meetings at schools where parents and students are present together to discuss choosing a school and the transition from primary to secondary education. She argued in favour of abandoning the familiar format in which the school mainly provides information. Using games and other activities generates a great deal of positive energy and leads to intensive conversations between the partners in the triangle, in which everyone truly feels involved and invited to participate.
Triangle conversation
Nancy van Riet-Bunte and Hanneke de Jong, deputy head and team coordinator for the upper years of HAVO at Dominicus College in Nijmegen, respectively, have already made considerable progress with the triangle conversation.
They explained how a process within the school unfolds when you want to start working on this. The school started on a small scale, first experimenting in year 4 of HAVO, and from there began involving the entire school. They advised taking plenty of time for this. The school also chooses this format because they have noticed that it enables them to better monitor and support not only students’ academic results, but especially their social-emotional development.
This was confirmed by students Julian and Hugo (both in year 5 of VWO). They even indicated that the triangle conversations could last a little longer. In their view, it is especially important that students feel they have the space in these conversations to say what is on their minds; if the time pressure is too great, there is a risk that they will still not speak up.
Dominicus College has various documents on its website about setting up and organising triangle conversations. Read more about it here.
Taking an extra step
Lucelle Comvalius, a teacher at the VMBO department of Christelijk College Groevenbeek, was the final speaker. She emphasised the great importance of working together with parents, something that initially takes time but ultimately only saves time. Sometimes it requires ‘taking an extra step’. The parents of her students sometimes have many concerns or experience pressure from their work situation, making it difficult for them to come to school. In those cases, it is important to look for creative solutions, Lucelle argued, and she shared examples of these. It is important to realise that it is not always easy for parents to be a pedagogical partner to the school; there is a coaching programme that can support them in this. You must also continue to have good discussions with students and parents about the choice of VMBO, Lucelle said. As an ambassador for this programme, she is happy to share links to a poster campaign and a video.
Various parts of this webinar can be watched again here.