Coordinators:
Harrie Poulssen
Bert Thole
Ria Posthumus
all from the International Office KPZ Pabo.
Katholieke Pabo Zwolle
Ten Oeverstraat 68
8012 EW Zwolle
+31 (0)38 4217425
info@kpz.nl
Universtity:
The Pabo is a rather small but excellent university in the Netherlands. According to that fact, the courses were demanding and the amount of paperwork seemed to be never ending.
Insights into the Dutch language, culture and the Dutch education system were really intresting and showed us the variety of such a small country.
Chances like the ´project week´where we got to know Amsterdam and Den Haag or the ´interactum sportsday´where we saw how Dutch students behave in a competition.
The International Class, composed of different nationalities like Turkey, Basque Country, Catalonia, Spain, Poland and Austria. Spending the daily routine at the university was valuable for everyone to extend our knowledge of other countries and cultures. Unfortunately, we did not get in touch with the real Dutch students because there were no courses we attented together.
Courses:
English language :1ects
Culture and Society 1/2 : both 2ects
Pedagogics 1/2 ped 1: 3 ects, ped 2 :2 ects
Dutch language 1/2 dut 1 :2 ects , dut 2: 1 ects
Coaching/ Counselling and tutorship 1/2 cct 1: 1 ects, cct 2: 2 ects
Drama and music :both 1 ects
Project week :1 ects
Research 1/2 res 1 :3 ects, res 2 :2 ects
Teaching Practice 6 :ects
In total: 30 ECTS
Registration process:
First you have to apply with a letter of motivation. Afterwards you get a mail from Ria or Bert with a invitation for a conversation via skype. This is compulsory for your registration progress. This conversation is about your current situation- studying, pre- knowledge about teaching and some private facts. It is rather easy-going and not that strict as I expected. A lot of information are given by the coordinators, so a pen and a piece of paper might be helpful to take notes.
Housing situation:
My roommates and I, we decided not to live in a students`home so we rented a little house nearby Zwolle via Air BnB. This is a good solution if you want to have your privacy. On the other hand you have to rely on the car or the train which takes about ten minutes to get to the city center. The puplic transport is rather expensive in the Netherlands so you have to think in detail before making the decision not living in the center.
However, if we needed a place to sleep after a night in town, friends were always there to share their bed with us.
Financial situation:
Apart from aliments, the daily life costs are 10% more expensive than in Austria. Public transport, fuel and eating in a restaurant are the most expensive goods.
If you think carefully on what to spend your money, you can live quite cheap in the Netherlands.
Teaching practice:
The best part of studying at the KPZ Pabo.
I was lucky being sent to a very good school- the Jenaplanschool in Heerde. It was a bit outside the city.It took us about 30 minutesto get there by bus but it was totally worth it to travel there every week/ day. The travel expenses were paid by the KPZ, so we got the money (ca. 290€) back.
The main teacher of the class where I was teaching was an experienced woman who knew exactly what she was doing and she gave us the opportunity to expand our knowlege in many ways. I taught together with a Catalan girl and we got along very well. I learned from her and the other way round.
The pupils from group 7 and 8 ( family class from the Jenaplan concept, age from 10 to 12 years) were very pleased when we taught them. We had the chance to take part in the school musical and we contributed a Catalan and an Austrain dance to the program.
This should be done after going abroad:
After the Erasmus semeter aboroad, several things have to be done. Unfortunately a lot of bureaucracy is involved. If you requested for a subvention by the government (Stipendium/scholarship) you have to bring the transcript of records which has to be signed and stamped by your home university. Otherwise you have to pay back the top-up or worst case the scholarship will be cancelled.
Another way to get money for your semester abroad is the OEAD bureau in your province. There you have to bring documents from the home and the guest university. Of course stamped and signed.
In my case, we have to to write an entry in this E-book to gather and exchange our experiences during our stay abroad. People who want to participate in the Erasmus adventure can get a close insight into this while reading through these entries.
Tipps:
Do not be afraid of the weather in the Netherlands! It can change very quickly so you should always have an umbrella or a rain coat with you.
Make friends! Not only those from the Erasmus program but also with the people from the city. Inhabitants from there can show you many unknown and undiscovered places and you get easily in touch with the culture.
Travel! Traveling in the Netherlands is easy and if you get a groupticket (facebookpage) it is really cheap. In this way you can explore the main cities like Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, Groningen or Rotterdam.
Don´t expect too much from others. It is always you to make the Erasmus experience the best time of your life.
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