From lecture hall to classroom

‘From when I was young, I always said I wanted to become a teacher,’ says Kevin Beckers, who will be starting work at a secondary school after the summer. ‘This was still my passion after completing my master’s in biology at the University of Antwerp, which is why I chose, without much deliberation, to pursue the educational master’s.’

From twenty-somethings to fifty-somethings

He completed that programme last year. ‘But I can still call up many wonderful memories. I always enjoyed sitting in lectures together and striving towards the same goal. The diversity of individuals there also appealed to me enormously. There were people in their twenties heading straight for a career in education, but also career-changers of 55 and over who, after many years, had chosen the profession.’

There were, of course, also slightly less enjoyable moments. ‘Those were the moments when many assignment deadlines coincided, as happened in the second semester. There was a bit of stress then, but the sense of satisfaction was all the greater when it all came together.’

Getting pupils on board

After completing his teacher training, Beckers spent a few months in the classroom. He then chose a position with the Regional Landscape Kempen en Maasland. ‘But I’ve decided to make the move back into education from September. I’ll be teaching geography and religious studies. These aren’t the subjects that were originally part of my teaching profile, so I still have a lot of ground to cover there. The expectation is that the following school year I’ll be able to teach biology, chemistry, and natural sciences. That is my great passion.’

What does he hope to achieve in his teaching role? ‘That I can win over pupils who initially have absolutely no interest in the subject I’m teaching. Doing your best to engage those pupils and then actually pulling it off gives you a fantastic feeling.’

If you feel your heart lies in education, don’t hesitate to give it a try — that is the message he wants to pass on to students considering teacher training. ‘There’s no harm in trying. And if it turns out not to be for you, there are plenty of other options. If it does prove to be the right choice, then you have a wonderful job in which you can talk with pupils, negotiate with them, connect with them beyond the subject matter, and help shape them into fully-rounded adults after secondary school.’