Teacher in his own study programme
Even when he was working as an orthopaedic shoe technician, Gido knew he wanted to go into teaching one day. The plan was to gain ten or fifteen years of practical experience first, and then move into the classroom. It happened much sooner than he had anticipated: Fontys asked him to come and teach in his study programme. Alongside his practical job, Gido spent one day a week teaching future orthopaedic shoemakers.
When a teaching instructor left at Fontys, Gido was asked to take on that role. He was immediately enthusiastic. “I could get stuck into practical work and mentor students directly.”
Back to Zeeland
The job was a good fit, but as Gido and his wife now had a little daughter, they wanted to live closer to their families in Zeeland. “And then there was HZ, with a role very similar to the one I’d been doing, only for technical subjects. That was pure coincidence,” laughs Gido. He’s thoroughly enjoying himself at the JRCZ. “I’m actually doing all the best bits of teaching now. I mentor the students, I have a more relaxed rapport with them and we just have a lot of fun.”
Gido meets with his fellow teaching staff once every three weeks. As everyone manages their own labs, they don’t see each other constantly, but they know how to find one another. “We all have our own specialities and it’s nice that we can help each other out. At first, we were a bit like separate islands, but we’re becoming more and more of a team. At the end of the day, we sometimes try to grab a quick cup of coffee together.”
Every day is different
“Every day here is literally different.” Gido clearly enjoys it. “One day it’s super structured, the next I expect a quiet day and it turns out completely differently.” There are also differences throughout the year: “In the first semester there are lots of practical assignments, so all the students are with me. In the second semester there are hardly any practical assignments from the course, but then there are lots of minor subjects.”
