February 11, 2021
Teacher Maaike: 'Not good at math, but good at street dance'
Maaike van Danzig is a teacher of group 6/7 at CBS Het Baken in Harderwijk. She works at a school with a diverse population including families who are not well off. 'I like it when I can make a greater difference.'
Het Baken is located in a neighborhood with a mix of social housing and owner-occupied homes. The student tooandpopulation is very diverse.”At our school are all levels of society “represented,” says Maaike. “Children of dual-income families, from broken homes, children with an immigrant background. I think that's really nice. Especially because I can mean more to some children. than just being a teacher."
You can't see anything in the children
As in every school, Het Baken also has children from families with little money. “During the lockdown I had more contact with vulnerable families with financial problems, whether or not as a result of the corona crisis. It's quite difficult to spot financial worries. You usually don't see it in the children. You notice it especially in the stories that children in the classroom narrate After the weekend or vacation. They didn't do anything fun over the weekend and didn't go on vacation. They often wear the same clothes. But we see it especially in the not being able to paying the voluntary parental contribution or the school trip. Fortunately to go all the children just come along, the school will take care of that."
Also good for parents
When children can discover and pursue their passion, it can make a huge difference, both at home and in the classroom. Maaike has a good example: “One of our students played football on the schoolyard the stars from the sky but was Not a member of a football club. He exhibited quite challenging behavior in class. We were convinced his behavior would improve if he joined a club. But the family isn't well off. Our Internal Supervisor is an intermediary for the Youth Fund and arranged for him to join a football club.We see an immediate improvement in his behavior. He takes on challenges and encourages other boys. At the club, he learns to work together, to form a team, and to go for it. He has now a sports mentality and that helps him enormouslyIt also has a positive effect on the parents. They, too, report that their world is expanding. They join sports clubs, connect with other parents, and accompany groups of children to competitions. They feel valued."
Participation is good for children
"It has so much added value that children can participate through the Youth Fund. They discover that they may not be good at math, but they are good at street dance. And I am convinced that it also contributes to their cognitive development." and social development. Just look at the example I gave about that little boy playing football. It makes on all fronts difference when children can participate.”
Read more stories
