Jim Franssen obtained his degree in Pedagogical Sciences more than 10 years ago. During his studies, he noticed that he missed working with children. This motivated him to gain practical experience during an internship. "I enjoyed this so much that I decided to follow the teacher training course at Thomas More University College in addition to my master's degree. After obtaining his degree, Franssen started as a teacher at Thomas More University College, where he still works. He is now a team leader and is responsible for the teachers.
During his Pedagogical Sciences studies, Franssen learned a lot about how to look at children and understand their behaviour. "But you are mainly busy explaining behaviour and writing plans to help children. I missed working with children," he says. In the second year, he started volunteering at a primary school to gain practical experience. He then did an internship with a behavioural expert in his third year, where he learned more about the complex development of children. "I enjoyed this so much that I decided to follow the teacher training college in addition to my master's degree. This allowed me to gain both pedagogical knowledge and practical teaching experience."
Combination of Pedagogical Sciences and teacher training college
Franssen discovered he felt much more at home in education than academia. He wanted to learn more about children and continue working in the educational environment. After completing the teacher training college, he started as a research lecturer at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. He taught this subject for over seven years before starting as a team leader of the teachers. Because of his knowledge of pedagogical sciences, Franssen can develop effective teaching strategies in this position that focus on developing the child and promoting learning processes. "The combination of my background in pedagogical sciences and the teacher training college offered me the opportunity to understand the depth of the child and actually to contribute to their development in the classroom," he explains enthusiastically. "It also enables me, as a team leader, to think about pedagogical and didactic issues together with teacher training college instructors."
Problem-based education as a basis for leadership
Although Franssen did not become a pedagogue, his study of educational sciences is handy in his current role as team leader. In this role, he is involved in stimulating responsibility within his team. He applies an approach that is inspired by problem-based education (PBL). This is also the educational system in which he was taught at Erasmus University. PBL means students learn by working in small groups to solve complex problems. "How I apply this within my team comes down to encouraging my team to come up with a joint problem before we come up with solutions. I believe that if everyone feels involved in a joint problem, they are more willing to contribute to the solution," Franssen explains. The ability to think analytically also comes in handy in his current role. "My analytical skills help me to conduct conversations effectively and to get to the heart of issues."
Bridging the gap between theory and practice
Franssen believes it is essential to integrate practical experiences into education. "I want students to learn from real situations instead of just from books. This allows them to connect theory and practice better," he explains. "One example is giving lectures at primary schools, where students can observe teachers. In this way, students learn the theory and experience how it works in practice. Franssen also encourages various assessment methods to bridge the gap between theory and practice. For example, consider replacing traditional tests with assignments in which students are filmed in practice and receive feedback from their mentors. "This ensures that the evaluation is in line with the reality of education."
Personal development
Franssen believes that continuing to grow and develop personally is very important, as well as within his role. “Effective leadership goes beyond just taking courses; it is also about self-insight and developing personal skills. “Getting an MBA is not really in the pipeline, but I think staying busy with myself is important for my personal development.” That is why Franssen himself tries to remain active in education. He still stands in front of the class now and then. This helps him understand the current challenges of students and teachers and improve his teaching practices. Through a combination of different experiences, Franssen can effectively inspire his team and contribute to developing high-quality education.
