I am a practical example for my students

Not every student in the Netherlands can say their teacher has been nominated as vocational teacher of the year. But at both Summa Healthcare & Welfare and Summa Automotive, they can. Last week, we highlighted teacher Bart Bouwmans of Summa Automotive. Today, it's Ingrid van Veen's turn at Summa Healthcare & Welfare. These two have made it into the national top ten!

“I wish everyone an Ingrid; someone who makes a difference for you!” That’s what Geertje Leuverman (22) from Eindhoven says. She’s studying to become a teaching assistant at Summa and has nominated her English teacher, Ingrid van Veen, for Teacher of the Year 2024 in secondary vocational education.

How wonderful it is that she trains teaching assistants with her passion, creativity, humor, and dedication. She sets us on the right path through self-reflection: how do I become the best version of myself without losing myself? Her approach will soon spread like wildfire throughout education through us as teaching assistants! That's how you make a difference, right?

Students enjoy her classes. Geertje is especially enthusiastic about Ingrid's interactive approach. "No cramming vocabulary or boring grammar exercises, but creative language learning! For example, we had to solve a murder case, challenging us to think outside the box. We then had to present our theories to the class in English. Or we played a homemade board game where, when we got to certain subjects, we had to talk about a topic in English for a minute. You're unconsciously learning the language. It's really fun!"

Ingrid is also a strong pedagogical and didactic expert. She champions her students and is a true listener. Besides English, she's also a mentor and teaches other subjects related to the Teaching Assistant program, such as supervision and organization. "She sees you as a person. A one-on-one conversation with her always yields results. Not from a place of 'it'll be alright.' No, she's always very clear; that's truly valuable. And she adapts to the student in front of her. If you're struggling, she'll give you a shoulder to cry on. Need a pep talk or a kick up the backside? That's fine too, and you get that!"