Michael Nocella (1988) studying

chemistry at Illinois State

University explores Dutch schools
and student life during his stay at
NHL University in Leeuwarden,
The Netherlands.
Michael Nocella
In this book he looks back at his
school experiences and he
explores parts of the Dutch social
culture.

Parts of his findings are compiled

in his first book Terra Incognita,
from suburbs to Frisia.

More than a diary, less than a

clash of civilizations. KNEE HIGH AND STILL GROWING

from Frisia to suburbs

Editing House Ter Verpoozing, Peize (NL)

ISBN / EAN 978-90-73064-07-2
knee high and still growing

from Frisia to suburbs

Michael Nocella
Editing house: Ter Verpoozing
ISBN: 978-90-73064-07-2
NUR 500

© M. K. Nocella
first print 2010

Photo cover: Gerard Stout

Cover design and photos: Gerard Stout
Print: NHL University, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
Financial support of NHL University of Applied Sciences www.nhl.nl
All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced without written permission of the editor
and the author Michael Nocella mknocel@ilstu.edu
Exitus acta probat

Ovid
Dedicated to the International Students living at the Kanaalstraat Residence of
NHL University Leeuwarden, and to the Students and Faculty of the
Montessori School in Groningen (The Netherlands)

Knee high and still growing, continues where Terra Incognita (2009) stopped.
Details on page 89.
Introduction

Harmlessly concealed within the thin camouflage of invitations are

opportunities. Acting as the fuel for fulfillment, they get the car
started down the road. With the first green light reply, a
spontaneous chain reaction sets off yielding them to appear at the
turning of nearly every corner, as they go and pass like mile
markers on the highway. Acceptance accelerates one into a higher
gear: the next phase in their life. Where and when we choose to
exit or hop back on creates a significant impact upon personal
development.
Nearly held back by the fear of the unknown, my journey got
started in a similar manner, although getting the ball rolling wasn’t
easy. Leaving the comforts of the tranquil sheltered Chicago
suburbs and the ease of habitual routine seemed daunting.
Questions and terrors danced about my thoughts, but they were
merely illusions plagued by the conventional beliefs engrained by
media and society. Uttering, “yes” turned out to be the best
decision. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Despite the
fact that even throughout it there were a fair share of mental
roadblocks and detours that offset the course with
discouragement, persevering proved to be better in the long run.
Finding out how little we know about others and ourselves
fosters curiosity. As Terra Incognita: From suburbs to Frisia* explored
the initial two months of uncharted territory within my knowledge
of others, and myself, Knee High and Still Growing: From Frisia to
suburbs takes a look at the last month of my stay in the
Netherlands. This follows the transition phase, as I take a step
forward to find some answers with respect to identity and
education.

Summary of educational findings: page 72.

Appendix Page: 88.

7
 3/31

Dressing up always comes at the sacrifice of comfort.

Cardiovascular activities are therefore not recommended when
wearing dress shoes. They lack cushioning. So, it is fair to say that
running with them can be about as hazardous to one’s health as
running with scissors. In this case, the impact attacks the shins
instead of clumsiness resulting in an unintentional impaling of the
chest. Miraculously, despite my feeble physique, I’m still in good
enough shape to keep up with an elderly woman on a rickety bike.
As she pedaled towards the city center, I worked up a sweat
jogging to the train station. During the time that our paths crossed,
we held quite a conversation. She spoke all Dutch and I spoke all
English. Don’t ask me how, but it worked. All in all, my journey
was about three-kilometers in length. Perhaps this is the cause of
my inflamed injury on my right shin, although it may have
aggravated a previously obtained one too. Either way, the swelling
continues.

Zernike Montessori Groningen

Prior to this, I taught two basic chemistry lessons at the Zernike

Montessori School in Groningen. When the curtains unfold there
is no place to hide away with stage fright. There is only one shot at
the leading role and it’s on opening night. First impressions are
8
everything. Make them count and they will leave the crowd
begging for an encore presentation. So, assume the role and play
the part in the production. Either way, the teacher acts as both the
director and the lead. However, our personal actions define us
through the perceptions of others. Thus, it is important to be
regarded as a respectable image as well. Attire is one such avenue
outside of Broadway in acquiring such status.
Only in fairy tales does a frog turn into a prince. Hence, the hero
can’t be dressed as the village idiot. A teacher needs to suit up to fit
the role. Respect the students. A t-shirt, tattered jeans, and worn
out sneakers says I’m here on a lunch break from painting my
house. Students shouldn’t be second fiddle. These two classes were
supposed to be on the more difficult side to manage, but things
went really well. Granted, I modified a few of my behaviors from
the previous lesson. Having four supervisors, including myself,
within the classroom helps a ton too. Yet, each individual is his or
her harshest critic. So, despite how well things went, there is still a
lot of room for improvement. When I returned to Leeuwarden,
after class, I checked my email. In the few unread messages
received was one from Bas. After today, he felt confident enough
offering me the opportunity to teach up to five more lessons in
addition to those I’m currently obligated to do. That’s like finding
a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Today’s experience:
awesome.
Before dinner, I ran into Dominick. We talked a little bit about
his wildlife conservation work. Being generally fascinated with
animals, I asked him if he could take me in the field if I by chance
made it to the Philippines. It’d be a fun “take your kid to work
day”. After all, he is the father of Kanaalstraat residents, so I
deserve some sort of compensation for good behavior.
At the dinner table, I learned that last night I missed quite a bit
during my sleep. Apparently, Ana temporarily lost her keys, Won
met a cute Dutch girl, and Rany sprained her ankle.

9
4/1

As I ventured to Groningen this morning, I received the company

of a train buddy. This came after passing through Buitenpost. Her
name was Joanna. At first, I played it off well after she started
talking to me in Dutch. I’m glad people continue to do this off the
bat. It means I’m not coming across as an American anymore.
That’s not to say I’m not proud of being an American; I just like
the feeling of being accepted amongst the general population as a
fellow member of the community.
All in all, my lessons went well. Today, I got to teach for the
teachers Wiemer and for JJ (Jan Jurjen). Two classes per day
seemed to be a healthy amount for now. Any more in a day may be
too overwhelming. The first class went very smooth. We had
enough time to get through everything fairly comfortably. Actually,
as I recall, that class got done the quickest out of all of them. Once
all the materials are established for a lesson, they get easier every
time. It becomes natural and only minor adjustments are necessary
thereafter. Up until this point, all the classes I’ve been teaching
have been HAVO/ATHENEUM*. However, the second lesson today
was VMBO/ HAVO*. The kids were great, but they require more
time to take in material. Having a language barrier doesn’t help the
pace either. Yet, it does expand their abilities and they managed
quite well. As long as you can keep them from getting frustrated,
they won’t quit. If they do, it may be nearly impossible to get them
back into focus. The same goes for teachers. Sometimes the easiest
solution is to act on fleeting passions. However, pulling out hair
just leads to premature baldness. So, save your scalp and your
relations. After all, they’re just kids. They don’t know better when
they get rowdy, even though they probably should; they just want
to have fun.
Upon finishing the lessons, JJ and Bas showed me their curious
contraceptive case used for sex education. Let’s just say if I
displayed some of the gadgets inside at a US high school, I’d be
arrested on several counts. Needless to say, some subjects are very
liberal here, but I think it’s great that they just put everything out in
the open.
Speaking of criminal offenses, being posted on the FBI’s
notorious “Most Wanted List” hardly holds the prestige of the
Dean’s selection. Not to mention, having a personal portrait on a
10
dartboard is not one of the desires of a country’s leader… let alone
a teacher. Classrooms are communities rather than dictatorships.
Collectively, the students and their teacher should strive to become
something much greater than a group of individuals. With a
common cause and purpose of learning, teachers may act as the
familial connection that unifies those within their walls. Each pupil
plays a role that makes a significant contribution to the level of
success they obtained by a class. Therefore, they should all be
valued and held in equal regard.

sex education is not a crime

Then, JJ, Bas, and I headed out to enjoy the beautiful weather.
First, we headed to their homes, which were ironically three doors
apart, to see if there would be a bike I could use. Unfortunately, we
found none. Despite that disappointment, I received a grand tour
of both of their homes. JJ’s place had an open comfortable
atmosphere. Being a surfer typically yields a pretty chill attitude.
Even his front porch had a surfboard for a bench. In the
Netherlands, windsurfers know the Columbia Gorge in Oregon.
They actually refer to it as “THE gorge”. I found that pretty

11
amazing, especially since I could make him jealous by the fact that
I have windsurfed there.
On the other hand, the house of a soon to be married couple
holds an entirely different image. That would be Bas’s house. His
wedding will be on April 18th. Since both have solid careers in the
making, cleaning time gets sacrificed. We entered on what he
claimed to be one of the more chaotic appearances. Christmas
cards were still taped to one of the doors. Mom does the exact
same thing. It just goes to show, no matter how far you may think
you are from home; pieces still show up here and there.
Due to the fact that we couldn’t find a bike for me, I got to
experience another aspect of the Dutch culture: backseat biking. If
you thought backseat drivers in cars were critics, beware of
passengers on bikes. Metal backseats are hardly relaxing. I never
thought my butt could fall asleep or cramp up, but today disproved
that preconceived notion. On top of that, speed bumps are awful. I
think you get the idea. Lazy Boy needs to introduce a comfortable
alternative. Even a makeshift cushion could have saved some
discomfort. Part of the problem may have also been the broken
spokes on the back tire. I am not claiming responsibility for that.
Despite the padding problem, I thoroughly enjoyed not having to
drive. Being courted around like a king feels pretty good, plus I got
a panoramic view of Groningen.
Our bike tour took us to the center of Groningen. After parking
the bikes, we stopped at De Kostery. It was an inviting café right
beside the Martini Tower. Sitting on the terrace, Bas and I enjoyed
hot chocolate, while JJ sipped coffee. When the bill came, I
couldn’t resist the opportunity to pay.

12
4/2

Stumbling upon serendipity is like finding a dollar bill on the

sidewalk. Even better is to catch a glimpse of the subtle shimmer
of a two-euro coin in the sunlight. Unfortunately, I did not get the
opportunity to mimic the role of John Cusack and write down my
phone number on the coin to test chance with a beautiful woman.
I just found it on my way to school. Later, I would give it to a
student to help fund their cultural experience: “Africa Day”.
Again, teaching went well. This time, in Margit’s class, we also
skipped out on one of the activities. However, this allowed me to
elaborate on certain sections. It’s better to cover items slowly if the
students understand it easier than to breeze through the material.
The lesson may only be a bonus, but why not make it beneficial as
well? I have my last class of second year high schoolers on
Monday. Time to finish strong, or as we said in swimming: “finish
to the wall!” Hopefully, it’s not a brick wall.
Once a teacher is recognized as a leader, the basic principles of
economics apply. Time is money and the same applies to
education. However, in order to guide aimlessly wandering
consumers of knowledge through the school year, teachers need to
develop a scheduled budget for material acquisition that recognizes
the difference between attainable and beneficial goals. Yet, the
solutions are not always as simple as the selections provided during
holiday sales or will objectives necessarily be completed exactly as
planned on the timeline. Students control the demand, along with
their needs and wants from the subject through their participation
and content mastery. Thus, it is important to acknowledge short-
term goals outside of long-term ones.
In taking a greater interest in observing students, teachers can
account for what areas time can be saved or spent. Dealing day-by-
day allows for flexibility. Also, as always, the interest from using
credit comes back to bite teachers in the butt by requiring frequent
visits to material covered in the past. Thus, although it may seem
to be in the students’ best interest to cover concepts quickly
because it is attainable, it is not always beneficial.
After the lesson, Bas and I chilled for a while. He’s been a great
supporter. I’m glad he’s been able to make all of my lessons. Then,
with a call from his fiancé, we were able to leave. Before we could
swap the bike for the car and head back to Leeuwarden, we
13
stopped at his house. I got to ride shotgun with his fiancé, Judith,
while he biked back. She’s a sweetheart. Between the car ride and
juice box break at their house, there wasn’t as much time as I
would have liked to get to know her better. Bas just got his driver’s
license. So, I had the pleasure of joining him on his first trip to
Leeuwarden from Groningen in this fashion.
Once we got to Leeuwarden, after a brief lunch, I headed to see
Gerard. He showed up about a half hour later. As it was our last
meeting for his Classroom Management course, Gerard wanted us
to take over as much of the lesson as possible. I took white board
duty and compared a lot of things we had learned to my recent
teaching experiences. That eventually led us to explore what
aspects of our experience we will take back to our home countries
and what we miss most. In addition to that, at the conclusion of
the lesson we found out this was the first time that Gerard had
offered such a course for international students. Being a guinea pig
actually paid off because it appeared to be a great success. For
future semesters, we told him to try to keep the class under six
though. Anymore than that could drown out the personal touch.

Stadium of SC HEERENVEEN

14
 Within five minutes of returning to Kanaalstraat, Katri and Bori
yelled up to me that they had an extra ticket to a SC HEERENVEEN
game! What an opportunity, I thought, to get to go to a game for
free. Despite the fact that Heerenveen’s women’s team wasn’t on
the favorable side of the standings, I excitedly took advantage of
this cultural experience. Plus, a free ticket to the greatest stadium in
the area is quite awesome. Of course, I had to get fries with
mayonnaise during the game. Their odd token system, five euros
for three tokens, forced me to get them twice. This is due to the
fact that fries were only one token. I kept the third for my
scrapbook. However, in the process of obtaining tokens, I
encountered a batch of immature teenagers that mocked my old
world incompetence. People can be very impatient when it comes
to food. Stupid technology. Sometimes it is truly a major hindrance
to society.
Aside from that, I can’t believe how gorgeous it was today. We
had sunlight throughout most of the game, which we would lose to
SC AZ Alkmaar 4-0. No one would have known that we were just
in the beginning of spring. For once, precipitation wasn’t the cool
condensation accumulating on my face.

15
4/3

Closed-mindedness is the sapling of ignorance. Confirming beliefs

can only be achieved through comparison. Branch out past your
comfort zone or leave. Open thy eyes to the light or forever
prevent photosynthesis. All too often, students shy away in the
shadows of insecurity. This mindset is even evident amongst post-
secondary education students.
At our workshop at the LIONS Congress* in Utrecht, Ciska and I
experienced this abomination firsthand, although it did not show
until after the introduction ceremony. There we had an interactive
activity that struck me. We threw about a hundred balls of yarn
across the auditorium. Even sitting in the back we caught some
action. Yet, we didn’t have the same fate as the unfortunate souls
tangled in a massive knitting spider web. Each intertwined line of
fabric symbolized the link between teachers and students. It was an
awesome warm-up demonstration to get us pumped for the day to
come. Then it started. However, we weren’t until the second round
of workshops, so we observed during the initial round.

Utrecht’s city center

As far as topics were concerned, we didn’t get our first choice.

We wanted to sit-in on a presentation from a student who had
16
done their student teaching in a youth prison. That would have
quite a profound impact on one’s life. Instead, we went to one
about why we should use labs/demonstrations in the classroom. It
really had the potential to be something great, but it turned out to
mostly be a disappointment. All of it was conducted in Dutch,
even our small group activity. Needless to say, I wasn’t dragged
into conversation that much. Partially that was my fault for letting
my discomfort take control, but they also didn’t go the extra step
to inquire about my opinion. Despite their disbelief, I understood
most of what was going on throughout it.
During their presentation, most of the activity was discussion
centered. However, I tend to not dominate discussion when it
comes to working with peers. There is a lot of psychology behind
it, but I’d rather not share. Therefore, Ciska dominated most of the
debate from our side of the experience spectrum. When you can’t
speak a language very well, you learn how to pick up on body
language. Thus, even though she also spoke in Dutch, I knew she
was bringing a lot of interesting counter perspectives into the
conversation. The others seemed to feel intimidated by this, so
they held strong to their beliefs and tried to push her ideas to the
side.
Then, when we got into small groups, again the talking was all in
Dutch. Though I craved lunch and also combated dehydration, I
got the gist of almost everything. In addition, they sat slightly apart
from me. Now, I don’t expect to be waited on hand and foot, but a
little attention would have been nice. When they did inquire about
my opinion, it was more just to confirm their beliefs. They also
seemed to value the textbook more than teaching techniques. One
even stated it to be the “Bible of chemistry”. Yes, the knowledge
within may be the gospel, but without a preacher how can it reach
students? Without a postman (or woman), mail would not get
delivered. Students should value the book, but not use it as a
crutch.
Breaking down the fences of insecurity is a vital step in helping
students ease out of their comfort zone. Past providers of
protection now act as mental blocks that inhibit innovation and
productivity. Students know not beyond the confines of their past
experiences. Anything beyond the stereotypical comforts of a
future involving a two-story house surrounded by a white picket
fence frequently fosters fear. Pupils are often blind to their own
17
abilities and what others can bring to the table. Show the students
that there is more to learning than what a pair of withered books
and dusty chalkboards portray. Their minds are the real tools
within the classroom. When they are conditioned to completely
rely on the book for thought, they’ll turn off their thinking caps. If
the hammer is taken from the toolbox, a screwdriver just won’t do
for pounding nails. As a teacher, offer a guiding hand and lay out
the expectations for the course early on to obtain their trust. By
being the main support for student comprehension and assisting
them in adopting a worldlier outlook on life, along with education,
and the possibilities are limitless.
After the workshop on lab activities, we were sent to the cafeteria
for lunch. There, Ciska and I joined up with Marco and Tiemen
from the NHL University. They too were presenting at the LIONS
Congress*. On a labtop, they briefly showed us a segment of their
act. They synced music to their PowerPoint. See even chemistry
has a nice ring to it. As far as the food was concerned, for once, a
free lunch actually turned out to be filling and have heightened
quality. The goody bag also had a chocolate bar for later.

lab facility at Utrecht university

18
 Then came our workshop. In attendance were the three stooges
of singular sight, which were the three boys in the group that
presented in the workshop we attended. Additionally, only one
student expressed interest in studying/teaching abroad. Why not
do some self-searching before settling down? People have the rest
of their lives to be tied down to an occupation. Why not feel a little
bit of freedom first? The light will flicker for now, but eventually
it’ll stay on. Despite the lack of certainty in the room, our
presentation seemed to go well. A lot of people participated by the
end and perhaps started thinking about other options before they
graduate. On top of that, I always gauge progress by how much
Gerard smiles. I didn’t see a frown, so that had to have been a
good sign. We also caught the attention of the physics teacher
from the NHL University. He approached me after we finished to
ask more questions about the American system. Lord knows I did
the best I could to answer. Going off of my personal experience
sometimes frightens me.
On the way back to Leeuwarden, we crammed into the bus and
the train. Nice days seem to mean that people leave work early. At
least the precious sunlight makes everyone perk up. In the train, I
saw yet another bombshell blonde. Daydreaming damsels in
distress are my specialty. Chivalry is not dead. Sir Gareth taught me
well. I’m always willing to offer a seat, smile, or in this case, my
sweatshirt. At first, she tried to nap with her head against the
window. Nothing softened its hard surface. When she rose, I
inquired about my sweatshirt as a pillow. Shot down, she at least
smiled and said it was a good idea. So, she used hers instead. I later
found out she lived in Heerenveen and got a sweet wave goodbye.
I could deal with being the shorter member of the partnership, as
long as it meant that I had easy access to SC Heerenveen games for
the rest of my life.
Throughout the ride, I also noticed that some people just say the
most random things… myself included. However, this time my
unconventional tendencies were not in the limelight. Our own train
conductor stole it from me. When we passed through Zwolle, he
announced that the train would be headed for Leeuwarden. At the
conclusion of the announcement, he acknowledged the potential
difficulty of passengers to understand him. He claimed to have a
cookie in his mouth during the speech. Too much information?

19
4/4

Monday Night Football has to quit hogging the concept of “instant

replay”. Life yearns for redos. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Yet, most will never experience them. In many cases, we could
have acted better had we the tools to do so. Hindsight is twenty-
twenty. So, we live with regrets… woulda, coulda, shoulda done
this or that. I’m guilty of it too. As soon as I catch up with the
genie from Aladdin, I’ll be able to change three wrongs into rights.
One of which would be devoting more time with those around me.
Time is of precious value for a perfectionist, but work shouldn’t be
held as a priority over friends to the extent that I’ve let it consume
my life. That’s probably one of my biggest challenges. Lately, I’ve
become somewhat short-tempered with a lot of work coming to a
conclusion. Hence, in times such as those, we tend to take all our
accumulated stress out on those closest to us. Maybe we believe
that they can handle it better than others. Either way, that doesn’t
make it right, so I don’t like that side of myself.

In the morning, I ran a few errands. First I had to inspect a flat

tire on the rear of my bike. Hopefully, it just needs to be pumped.
After that, I got down to business. My shopping list consisted of
groceries and a highly recommended book: “I always get my sin.”
It comically explores English expressions that are commonly
20
misused by the Dutch. Then, I headed to the grocery store.
Tonight, we had an international barbecue and we each had to
purchase our slice of meat. I really need to chillax about money
because I spent a good ten minutes trying to find the best deal.
That led me to a single chicken breast, but it would do.
Originally, we planned on an outdoor event at Hanne’s.
However, the weather does not always permit such luxuries. So, we
brought the great outdoors inside. The kitchen was a systematically
functioning chaos. Close to twenty people joined our festivities.
Thus, I got to see Agne from Lithuania. I hadn’t seen her since the
introduction week and it was great to reunite. In addition to her,
Bruno from Italy and Laetitia from Belgium were among the few
other strangers to Kanaalstraat, although not everyone was able to
make it. By the time all was said and done, we had quite a colorful
presentation. All that was missing from home was corn on the cob
and potato salad. With the large amount of people in attendance, I
tried to divvy up time floating between everyone. It worked pretty
well, but there’s never enough time.
Then came time to work on emails, assignments, and editing. As
far as assignments are concerned, I think dividing a well-written
paper into paragraph chapters is purposeless. What is the point of
using transitions if there’s always going to be a page break? I’m
sorry. Little things just set me off lately. I need the Easter break,
but I know just like Thanksgiving break marks the end nearing for
fall semester, this will be the marker of the upcoming conclusion
of my trip. I’m not ready, nor do I want, to see it end.
Later on, we also had a few visitors. Shahzad came first. He just
got two stitches either today or yesterday from cutting his finger all
the way down to the bone with a can opener. His wait at the
hospital was three hours. Thus, my argument against a national
healthcare system in the US remains. Imagine if his leg needed to
be amputated or a poisonous snake bit him. It could have taken
ages. Granted, life-threatening conditions may have received
immediate attention, but it does leave room for abusing the system.
Katri came next. She showed me a few more paintings that she had
recently made. As she searches the innermost sections of her soul,
her paintings become more complex. Therefore, all three were
much harder to decipher than those previously seen. That’s the
beauty of getting beneath the surface.

21
4/5

Fitting three continents into an automobile is possible. North

America, Europe, and Asia all made it into a compact hatchback
for a road trip today. At the party last night that Rossana, Ana, and
Rany woke me up at one in the morning for, Agne and Vaida
invited Won and I to attend an adventure with them. Thanks to
Andrei, our Russian tour guide and a mutual contact of theirs, we
made it through a variety of scenic locations in Friesland.
Just outside of Heerenveen, an upper-class area in Friesland
dazzled us. Weezer knows not of this Beverly Hills. It’s called
Oranjewoud. There was a lot more architectural creativity and
newer homes. In addition to that, many have fairly large yards or
horse stables. In fact, we actually found a furry little friend within
the confines of a fence. A baby horse came straight up to the edge
and allowed us to pet her at the expense of a few photographs.
Their publicity stunt worked well because we fell in love with
them. They’re such beautiful animals. Visiting here definitely gave
my intentions to retire in Austria a run for its money. Then we
moved on to stroll through the woods. That led us to an old
concrete observation tower. It had been rebuilt following WWII and
stood about forty meters high. Although Agne appeared to be
afraid of heights, we climbed up anyway. The top gave us a breath
taking view of southern Friesland. However, this was merely the
beginning of our jam-packed day.
When we got through inhaling fresh air, from what seemed to be
the highest point in Friesland, we pressed onward. With little
knowledge of which destination was next, Andrei built up our
excitement by provoking curiosity. As we got out of the
countryside and into a more densely populated area, we found our
next stop: Sneek. I’ll have to check, but I think this is number
seven or eight that I’ve visited out of the eleven Frisian cities.
There, we stopped by a historical gateway in the center of the city.
Others were enjoying the day too. They passed by on boats. For
once, I got to see heavy boat traffic and some bridges rise. Summer
is on the way.
Next, his internal navigator led us to Rijs. There we explored the
beachfront along a lake. We may have had great weather, but it was
hardly warm enough to swim. Being close to lunchtime, we also
found it to be a comfortable spot to enjoy a picnic. During our
22
time there, we saw kite surfers, wind surfers, and lots of couples
with dogs. Won even got playfully attacked by a Yorkshire Terrier,
which proceeded to shower his face with kisses. With the wind
softly blowing, ripples rather than waves provided a soothing
serenade for a relaxing meal.
Next, we headed to a familiar sight: the Red Cliff* monument
near to Stavoren. I had previously been there with my Places of
Memory course, but it had been under treacherous weather
conditions. Along with that, we took a look at the beach there.
This was on IJsselmeer, the dammed in portion of the sea that has
turned into fresh water. I took advantage of the ability to skip
stones. Soon thereafter, everyone else joined me. Our record for
most skips ended up somewhere between five and seven.
However, all that physical activity wore us out, so we sprawled out
on the nearby rock peninsula sun bathing. When Andrei saw us
nearly falling asleep, he started acting silly to steal our attention
from the sun. First, he showed off his strength by stretching across
two rocks isolated in the water apart from the peninsula. Then,
when we faded again, he pretended to drop his keys in between
two rocks and asked for help. Gullible is my middle name second
to Kristofer, so I fell for the bait. After sticking my entire arm into
the abyss, he finally told us the truth about his keys. They had been
in his pocket the whole time.
Now that we had the keys, we could move on to our final hot
spot. That took us to Potten. This town also had a lake. Originally,
he thought we might take out one of the rowboats, but by our time
of arrival the rental shop had closed. At least it gave us a good idea
for something to do in the future. With the sun setting, it marked
the conclusion of our trip and a signal to head back to
Leeuwarden.
Ana told me a little bit about her plans for our May holiday.
She’d be heading back to Portugal to visit family. At this time
they’d also be having a traditional village festival too. They do the
whole bull-run and everything. It sounded pretty sweet. If I had to
do the bull-run, I’d certainly be the one to trip. That’d put a whole
new meaning to flat as a pancake.

23
4/6

Showers are the portals to brilliance. Go figure, that’s where all my

thinking occurs. Thus, all my thoughts go right down the drain. No
wonder I didn’t claim the “easy button” or the “pop top” first.
Kudos to those entrepreneurs that made daily life a lot less
complicated. Yet, much like my aquatic pagoda of Zen, they too
probably had a suitable surrounding for discovery. The same
applies to education. Within the classroom, numerous factors can
throw off the ying and yang, which can create several distractions.
In fact, depending upon the classroom ecology and layout, a
classroom can just as easily feel like a prison, as a threshold to
growth. Hence, having an environment conducive to work helps
keep students focused.
Such thoughts bring me back to my days at Palatine High School,
where I was already aspiring to be an international heartthrob and
trophy husband: one down and one to go. Outside of the given
discomforts of the common classroom; the irregular trends in
temperature mismanagement and prevailing pain provided by poor
posture induced by a stiff seat; I could not help but notice the
difference in focus and comfort I found among classrooms of
varying layouts. At the time, I strongly preferred the classrooms in
the “new wing” to those more centrally located. Their big claim to
fame for me: natural lighting.

24
 Feeling like a lab rat is one thing I’d prefer to avoid. In the
absence of windows, the classroom is no better than a group-sized
cubicle. Artificially lit, the fuzzy fluorescence persists until
daydreams dominate. Eyes wander aimlessly through the
monotonous maze of desks with futile hopes of establishing a
connection with the outside world. Soon the focus shifts from
education to escape, thereby leaving crawling up the walls as the
most logical option. Fortunately, my temporary students and I had
nothing to fear being in the realm of picture windows.
Speaking of experimental subjects, I taught my last group of 2nd
grade HAVO/ ATHENEUM* high school students (ages 13-14):
section 2F. They usually belong to Wiemer, but he let me have
them just this once. Originally, I had planned to finish everything
on the agenda and then some, but as a teacher one must be
flexible. So, we adjusted our game plan and it worked out quite
nicely. Instead of doing an extended section on acids and bases in
the body, I briefly touched upon it and replaced the rest with a
demonstration. Destroying a penny for the sake of science is a
beautiful thing. I used it to portray the horrible effects of stomach
juice loose in the body. That puts a whole new meaning to dying
on the inside. When the lesson was over, I again received applause
from the students. So far, I’m seven for seven. Wiemer then gave
me some great feedback. I’ve still got to watch out for competing
volume-wise with the students. Even if it’s not an anger volume, it
still needs to vary to catch their attention. After that, Bas and I
tried to figure out what my potential five lessons on acids and
bases would be for the 3rd graders (ages 14-15). They hadn’t
experienced any of it last year, so we decided to modify the current
lesson. Eventually, we came to the conclusion to leave all activities
except the more biological aspects. Since the students would be
older, there would be a theoretical component added on to the
lesson. So, we intended to incorporate the definitions of Arrhenius,
Brønsted-Lowry, and Lewis acids and bases.
However, along with the other activities, that would just be too
much to fit into a single lesson with an adequate understanding for
students. Hence, we cut it down to just cover the Brønsted-Lowry
definition. Working with protons seems to be the easiest fashion to
teach it when solely dealing with pH. Had we been working with
dissociations, things would have been much different. Our activity
25
dealt with creating a neutralization curve from measuring the pH
change when slowly combining two stock solutions: one acid and
one base. It took us a while to work with the two that we were
using. Labs dealing with self-diluted molarities and old materials
can often skew results. Yet, it all came together nicely in the end.
Thank goodness they had plenty of pH paper squares in the
storage room.
In between scrambling to find the right mixture for the future
experiment during its trial runs, Bas invited me not only to attend
his wedding, but also to a city tour of Groningen with many of the
international guests as well! Who would have thought? Needless to
say, I’m pretty psyched about it. I knew I should have brought a
three-piece suit overseas. Rats! How am I supposed to impress his
nieces without it? Anyway, since it’ll be late at night, he offered to
have me stay at the hotel with the rest of the guests if it can be
arranged. If not, I may miss out on a kroket sandwich at quarter
past midnight. That would be murder.
On my way out, I wished Bas well and revealed my intentions to
visit family in Germany for Easter. With this news, he gave only
one request: that I return some past possessions. So, I guess I’ll be
bringing stroopwafels to Germany and Bas’s parents’ bikes* back to
the Netherlands.

26
4/7

Nothing says “love struck” more than the painful collision

between one’s face and a light pole. Those of us with Pinocchio
noses suffer greatest at the hands of such infatuation, although I
prefer to think of mine as more of an impact pillow. I met this fate
after being spooked by Rossana on the way to class early this
afternoon. Since she was on bike, I walked at the edge of the
sidewalk while we talked. It wasn’t one of my brightest ideas.
Shortly thereafter, Cupid’s arrow found its mark square on my
bottom. As if perfectly following the script of a cheesy romantic
comedy, I walked right into the pole of “puppy love”. That’s one
way to bring a smile to a fair lady’s face. It even made the day of an
elderly gentleman. He said something to the effect of “good luck”
in Dutch. At my rate, I’ll need a lot of it.
Without any immediate brain damage, outside of a tarnished ego,
we continued on our journey to class. However, instead of being
held back by my lack of speedy transportation, this time we tried
something typical “Dutch”. I drove the bike and she rode on the
back. Last time, I did this with Ana and it resulted in an epic
failure. Yet, Rossana has a much smaller bike, so it was more
compatible with my build. Thus, although we had a few wobbles,
we made it safely to class.
Today, we had our last batch of presentations. I went second to
last. To spice up the PowerPoint, I decided to close with the “only
in America” jokes. Finally, spam and useless forwarded emails
served a purpose. Rossana drew a picture for me while I presented
as well. Listening to an endless barrage of monologues, no matter
how interactive they are with the audience, can be extremely
draining for students.
At the conclusion of the lesson, I found Gerard in the lobby of
the building. We planned to make a few videos for him to use for
writing articles and also to document some of the trends I’ve
picked up on for education*. Afterwards, we headed back to the
NHL and found another empty classroom.
When we were finished, Gerard was kind enough to drop me
back off at Kanaalstraat. Not having a bike really takes a toll on
time efficiency. Once dinnertime rolled around, I met up with
most of our group. The only ones missing were Ana and Rossana.
They partook in a one-day part-time job. It involved stuffing
27
envelopes and separating brochures for advertisements. We could
tell how much fun they had or lack thereof when they returned.
Their hands were black and they looked extremely fatigued. The
closest comparable struggle, outside of streetlights, I would have
today would be laundry.
On that note, forget all the principles of sharing drilled in to your
brain from preschool. Laundry machines should be an exception.
People never play nice when it comes to cleaning. Someone
neglected to put an “out of order” sign on one of the free
machines. Since all the good ones were taken, I fell into the trap.
Once I realized it had been unplugged, it was too late. Dirty water,
barely visible at the bottom of the interior, engulfed my whites. I
panicked, crammed them into the next available machine, and
flushed it with an unnecessary amount of detergent. As I waited
intently for the uncertain outcome, I couldn’t help but periodically
check on the progress. Thankfully, on my last trip down, I found
all my laundry in tact and no monkey business. Looking at the
brighter side of life will keep someone singing in the rain. Life’s no
musical, but there’s no sense in letting the little things get you
down. They are plights of the perfectionist that ultimately lead to
disappointment. High expectations are great, but the willingness to
acknowledge faults, which in the eyes of an optimist are better
presented as areas of improvement, proves to yield far more
positive outcomes. Shrug off the dismal drizzle and rise up into the
clouds before lightning strikes.
On one such occasion, I almost let student behavior rain on my
parade. As it was an interactive lesson supplemented by a lab, all
students were required to wear a lab coat and goggles. Since they
were shared amongst all students and teachers, they were received
on a first come first serve basis from the rear of the classroom.
Due to this, many of the coats also suffered from the expected
wear and tear developed over time from old age, chemicals, and
above all else personal artwork. Blindly grabbing one from the
rack, luck gave me the coat with a delightful pubescent depiction
of a female full frontal. Pleasantly plump bosoms seemed quite
hard to hide in a room full of raging hormones. Flush in the face
and at a loss for words, I finally understood how it would feel to
lose a towel on the beach. Being zapped by the initial shock kept
me in check though as the storm clouds started to form above my
head.
28
 Before I had the chance to act on such an awkward circumstance,
an innocent blonde guided my decision-making. Barely holding her
composure, she claimed the two-dimensional pornography as her
own creation. After uncomfortably commending her on such a
talented display of the human anatomy, I came to a surprising
realization. With her light-hearted attitude, it would hardly make
sense to discipline her for such meaningless actions. If their
intentions were meant in jest, than mine should be too. Thus, we
all shared a good laugh over it. Quite frankly, I am fairly certain
that even my attitude and general response came as just as big of a
surprise to them as it did to me. However, lightening up that day
made a huge difference in the initial and overall cooperation of the
class. Acting in the opposite fashion more likely than not would
have changed that into a complete catastrophe.
Despite all the chaos of what seemed to be getting off on the
wrong foot, today provided a valuable lesson. In addition to
breaking out of my strictly professional shell, I discovered one of
the many strategies to surviving the ever-changing forecast of the
classroom environment. Learn to laugh at yourself and roll with
the punches. Each serves as a test that through enduring makes an
educator stronger. After all, students just want to see if you are
worth accepting into their familial group.
29
4/8

Lip-syncing and shower singing are conventional ways for the

average Joe to feel the exhilarating aspect of being an “American
Idol” without the humiliation of judgment. Won and I part-took in
this as well. We butchered lyrics all morning long. As long as
Simon Cowell is out of earshot, then I guess we’re safe.
In the early afternoon, I met with my Places of Memory teacher
to discuss my final term paper. He enjoyed the comparison
between the Super Bowl and the Elfstedentocht, but my paper lacked
a sufficient conclusion. That’s what happens when you try and
plow out a term paper in two days. Switching topics five times
doesn’t help matters either.
When I finished my meeting, I went to the canteen to grab a bite
to eat for the road. As I browsed the selections, I sought
something warm. Allowing my senses to guide me, I reached them
within seconds. Yet, the kroketten were missing. Then the cook
rushed out with a fresh pan. The heavenly smell of deep fried
goodness consumed me in a euphoric trance. Wafting, he
encouraged me to take one. They know me all too well at the
cafeteria.
Aside from that, I ought to know better than to bring corny jokes
to the Netherlands. They belong in Illinois. At the conclusion of
dinner, Katri said, “I’m finished.” Jumping at the perfect
opportunity to play off her words, I replied, “Yes, you are
Finnish.” Nobody joined me with laughter.

30
4/9

Tiny tots in their “terrible twos” aren’t so treacherous. Kids aren’t

scathed by the faults of society. Therefore, their corresponding
innocence can brighten even the dreariest days. On the train to
Schiphol, I experienced this towards the end of my journey. As the
little rascal trotted down the isle to exit the train, he used both my
arm and the opposite armrest to launch himself into the air.
Successfully achieving liftoff and landing, he looked back at me
grinning from ear to ear. Temporarily, the serious surroundings
were softened with a smile.

Schiphol airport

Since I planned to dodge rush hour and figured in the potential

of extraneous circumstantial train delays, I got to my gate nearly
five hours early because everything went so smoothly. During that
time, I snacked on a few apples and caught up on world news
courtesy of CNN. The most intriguing topics were involving
North Korea and pirates off the coast of Somalia. For some
reason, when I hear these, my mind almost always relates it to films

31
and television. In this case, I thought of MASH and Blackhawk
Down. I need to quit that.
On the plane, I had the middle seat. Usually, I sit by the window,
so I was a little apprehensive and hoped no one would have the
seats on either side of me. It worked out for the best though that
they were taken. To my right sat Ingrid, and to my left sat Maxim.
He slept for the entire flight, while Ingrid and I got better
acquainted. We talked a little bit on and off about study abroad and
our backgrounds. During down time, I had the chance to reflect
on classroom management and discipline, as those seem to be my
biggest challenges at this time.
When the first shots are fired, with bullets hissing by, the most
obvious choice is to duck for cover. Yet, that still neglects to
provide a solution for future bombardment at the failing frontlines.
Also, taking the opposite course of action may not lead to an
anticipated victory either. Blindly throwing a grenade in the general
direction of the attack always comes with consequences. Collateral
damage manages to sneak its way in whenever possible. Thus, it is
important that commanders choose their battles and
corresponding strategies wisely. Every incident is different and
circumstantial. In the midst of the haze of spitballs and paper
airplanes, it can be hard for teachers to hold their composure.
Also, the two easiest solutions seem to be exploding at the entire
classroom or shying underneath a desk.
However, turning the cheek to disturbances gives students
control and prevents progress in the classroom. Prior to teaching, I
experienced some of the resulting consequences of this in a few
classrooms throughout my observation period. One visit sticks out
in particular. In later sections, this visit will be referred to as
classroom one. It dealt with the notion of being liked by all
students. Realistically, this is an impossible endeavor. Additionally,
in so doing, pupils are more likely to perceive a teacher as a peer
opposed to an instructor. Due to this, teachers find it harder to
speak up and gather attention in the classroom. This becomes very
apparent to students as well. So, they lock onto such weaknesses in
character like homing missiles until complete control is gained.
In this case, hesitating to pull the trigger and take charge came
back to haunt the teacher. Their sweet nature had already become
routine enough for students to take full advantage of it. Thus,
although several activities were outlined for that day, no more than
32
half of them were completed because so much time was spent
trying to successfully gain the attention of the entire class. Their
primary technique seemed to be soft shushing and inaudibly asking
the class for their undivided attention from the front of the
classroom. Despite this effort, not all of the possible measures
were taken.
Likewise, on the opposite end of the spectrum, exploding
frequently causes a clash between students and teachers. Regardless
of the circumstances, peers always side together. Therefore, the
teachers are usually caught defending themselves. In this case and
most others, going out with guns blazing will come back to one’s
detriment. Showing off lets the opposition forces know the
strength of one’s arsenal. At that point, all they have to do is match
it or one up it to win. So, hold off on the artillery until the situation
gets completely out of hand. Then bring on the cavalry with any
available reinforcements.

Opposed to classroom one, classroom two’s visit held interesting

results as well from a flip side perspective. At the slightest
occurrence of disruption, the teacher would bellow “ladies and
gentlemen” with all the air capacity in their lungs. The louder they
became, the louder the students responded. The teacher’s temper
33
became the students’ source of glee. A simple off task conversation
became a competition completely controlled by the class. Within
minutes of the escalation, they had won.
In the past two examples, the major technique explored had been
volume level. Classroom one is a classic example of great
composure on behalf of the teacher. They did not let the students
push them to their limits, which prevented the class’s ability to
make a game out of the situation. Escalation only makes things
worse. Thus, speaking softly sometimes provides a hint to students
as to how loud they actually are at the time, but if implemented
from outside the circle of students, they will rarely notice the
efforts. Hence, it is important to walk straight into the “hot zone”.
Body language speaks louder than words. By walking into an
ambush of students, it tells the student body a lot about the
confidence of a teacher. For them, taking on such an instructor is
far too challenging and burdensome.
In contrast to that, aside from tone variance, there are a number
of other techniques available to discipline and control the class. In
broader terms, this involves dealing with students on a one-on-one
basis. This keeps innocent bystanders from being caught in the
crossfire and could pose a valuable addition to both classrooms
outlined above. Along with that, such problems usually can be
prevented with the proper perception tools. Noticing ticks of
disinterest mean that there is only a matter of time before it
develops on a greater scale. Irregular student behavior provides
great tips as well. Using both of these as starting points helps
tremendously. Then the resistance can be penetrated at its focal
point. Isolate the individual and deal with them in person. It may
be subtle, but it’s certainly effective. Also, when dealing with
students individually, it keeps teachers from becoming the enemy
of the masses. They will still be seen as part of the group, instead
of an outsider.
For example, out of sheer hopelessness, I saw another teacher
suffer at the hands of such actions. Throughout the entire lesson,
they struggled to retain mere seconds of undivided focus. At the
conclusion of the period, they blatantly attacked all the students for
their disrespectful behavior. Even students permitted to leave early
to catch buses were forced to stay until the teacher finished their
rant. At that point, any allies that would have remained amongst
the students were lost. Pockets of distracted students ruined it for
34
the rest of their peers. However, students will band together before
they side with the teacher. Hence, although this teacher tried to
make an example of a few by punishing the whole, it came to their
detriment. When I extended my hand to the teacher at the
conclusion of the lesson as an offering of thanks, their attitude
towards the students had alluded that they had already given up on
them. In their eyes the pupils were no more than a band of
troublemakers. Nothing could be done to change that. With no
desire to change behavior as a teacher, they too have shut their
eyes and ears to learning.
As teachers seem to be out in the open, it is hard to escape the
line of fire. Know personal boundaries and lay out firm borders
and guidelines for students. Tactical maneuvers reap the greatest
reward. Catch the problems early and act accordingly when
behaviors persist. Complete the objective with no casualties. So,
tread softly and take caution. Suffering at the hands of defeat
always leads to bittersweet treaties that relinquish power to
unforgiving forces.
Naturally, the fasten seatbelt sign came on with impeccable
timing. Although my flight to Germany was ending, I’ll have to
buckle up for the adventures that await my return. Right outside
the terminal, I found Axel and Walli in point blank view. I couldn’t
have missed them. When we got to their house it still looked
familiar from my last visit over ten years ago. We then enjoyed the
company of one another and chatted for at least an hour and a
half. Surprisingly, most of it was in German. I guess I did learn
something in high school. When studying abroad, it’s always nice
to see family, especially those you don’t get a chance to see too
often. They’re such great hosts too. I even got a chocolate on my
pillow.

35
4/10 – 4/14

Speaking one’s familial tongue after two years of hardly speaking it

is like shifting gears in a manual transmission car without a clutch.
If I do it too quickly or often, my engine dies. However, as I ease
into it, it’ll slowly come back. Not to mention, having only high
school knowledge doesn’t help fluency much either, but I am
learning. At least, I’m glad I’ve been in an environment where I
must speak a language other than English. Regardless, it’s
important to stay true to one’s roots, but also make an effort to
immerse oneself in the culture of the country they are visiting.
So long Harvard and Yale. See you in another life because my
marks just won’t cut it in your graduate program. This news came
to me via email after breakfast. It regarded a grade on a recent term
paper. Let’s just say, I’ve never been so proud of a 6/10 on a
paper. Some people are just thick skulled. Even a supersonic
collision with a dictionary wouldn’t yield comprehension of the
definition of “scientific research”. Here’s a news flash for all the
blasphemous scholars out there: naturalistic observation is at the
core of and the foundation for the scientific method. Had I used
citations from speculated statistics, as desired, the paper wouldn’t
have been mine, but rather somebody else’s. This is despite the fact
that I got my intentions approved, which was to be based solely off
my personal research. Thus, I rest my case that grades are arbitrary
forms of measurement.
Let’s just face it; if everyone were either a Democrat or a
Republican, we would all be kidding ourselves. Not all issues are
black or white; there is a circumstantial gray area. Something
similar can be said for answers given by students. They are neither
right nor wrong when students lack the information and tools
necessary to solve the problems at hand. Hence, students should
not suffer at the hands of shame for the response not directly
sought out by the instructor that is so often deemed without
hesitation completely “incorrect”. Extract such misconceptions
engrained into their mindsets. Teachers cannot change their
students’ pasts. That is why we work with the gifts given in the
present to impact the future.

36
4/15

At half past twelve, Axel, Walli, and I headed for the airport.
Although this morning was very cool outside, the weather had
improved dramatically to the point that I was sweating practically
the entire journey to the airport. However, we got to there with
few obstacles impeding our progress. Thus, having a long time
being that traffic hadn’t been so bad, we decided to take advantage
of the time that we had together and get a drink and small snack at
a café outside of security clearance.
When we finished, I headed through the gate. Half of my body
tried to pull me back to Germany, while the other tugged towards
my unfinished business and experience of a lifetime. In accordance
with that, I’m starting to consider teaching abroad for a while or
permanently once I get a master’s degree or perhaps a doctorate in
education.
On the plane, I didn’t have anybody sitting next to me.
Altogether, it was only about a third full. I knew I should have just
sat by that girl kiddy corner from me. Anyway, the countryside is
much different in Germany compared to the Netherlands,
especially in the southern portion, as we were in close proximity to
the mountains. Yet, we headed in the opposite direction from the
rolling hills littered with small wooden framework houses
(Fachwerkhäuser) surrounding Munich led to the forbidden path to
the Austrian Alps. This also made crossing over the border quite
obvious as well. I started seeing lots of windmills. I knew it was
only a matter of time before we would be arriving in Schiphol.
Once we had landed, I got on a train to Zwolle. That’d be my
connection point for Leeuwarden. On the train, I called Walli and
mom to let them know I was okay. In Zwolle, I missed my train.
Of course, mishaps with public transportation, despite my veteran
status, still follow me and thereby pop up every now and then.
Back in Leeuwarden, everyone seemed excited to see me and I
them as well. At dinner, Ana told me to finish her dish. I can’t
seem to escape the courtesy casserole. Then, I retrieved my bed
from Rossana. Her mom had come over from Italy for the
weekend and since I was gone, I was more than happy to let her
borrow it. Upon return, she had even washed every single possible
sheet and cloth on the bed. I’d have been fine with just getting it
back, but that was premium service.
37
4/16

Teaching fibrillation onset by a kink in the scheduling chain called

holiday breaks disturbs the natural force noted well by Yoda. With
this disruption, escapes the relative ease of instruction established
with routine. Throughout the lesson today, on top of the
previously noted, I realized a year in age makes a world of
difference in behavior. I should have known this from my own
experience heading back from college to visit high school seniors.
As students progress throughout the years, they tend to lose their
immaturity and sense of selfishness. Conduct tends to become
more respectful, but we often lose our enthusiasm for simplicity
and dwell on our shortcomings. Yet, these are not always the case.
Age fifteen seems to be one of the trickiest ages. Students are
afraid of embracing their uniqueness as they strive to search for a
comfortable group setting to compensate for all of the change
occurring in their lives. Thus, obtaining participation on a grander
scale may appear difficult at times.

In addition to that, the class I taught had a wide ability range.

Some performed tasks before I got done giving instructions, while
others lagged behind and needed a guiding hand. Along with that,
38
part of this may have been due to the fact that several students
were even repeating the grade. Hence, simple tasks seem to be a
waste of time to them since they appeared to feel as if they were
merely going through the motions. However, we got through
everything even in the slight time crunch without any serious
struggles for control.
Overall, I felt pretty good about the lesson. On the upside, I did
not raise my voice to get attention, allowed students to socialize
during transitions and work independently, used the board well,
and commended students for their cooperation and answers. In
addition to that, being that the students were a year older than
those from the past weeks put me in a nice position to incorporate
a little more theory into the lesson. During that portion, I also
recovered nicely from a “whoops!” So, the students didn’t know
that we made a slight goof in the demonstration because I showed
it twice with a worthy reasoning behind it. With respect to the
areas that need work, realizing that kids even as little as one year
apart are drastically different really struck me. Something else I
could work on as well was to call on more people even if the same
person always raises his or her hand.
After the lesson, JJ and I went up to the teacher’s lounge. While
he got Bas’s wedding gift put together, I spoke a mixture of
German, English, and Dutch with other teachers. My grammar and
speech will be so out of whack when I return to the States with
this mind-boggling “dialect”. Another teacher seemed somewhat
sad that I’d be leaving early because she wanted me to speak to her
class about some of the differences between the US and the
Netherlands.
When I returned to Leeuwarden, I plowed away on work. It
never seems to end. Along with that, somehow distractions are
impossible to escape in international housing. Someone next door
scratched on the walls for almost half an hour straight. I’m not
sure if they’re remodeling, but it definitely sounded like stripping
paint. All I know is that if renovations are taking place for gratis, I
want a piece of the pie.
Similarly, Sanket came in our room later as well. I’ve been
commissioned as an English grammar editor. As a scientist, I
hardly expected that to occur. Yet if they’re willing to pick up some
of my bad habits, then that’s ok I guess because I like helping
whenever I can.
39
4/17

Life is only suffering because we make it so. If only everybody

reached post-conventional thought, myself included, the world
would be a better place. Alas, utopias only exist in dreams and
there could never be good without the bad. Speaking of dreams,
they almost led me to miss my train. Thanks to Won’s alarm clock,
I got saved from that horror. Having mom as my fail safe for all
those teenage years finally came back to haunt me in her absence.
Other than that, lessons went extremely well today. Henk was
very appreciative. Yet, none of this would have happened if they
hadn’t of been open to the idea. So, I should be thanking them. He
left early in the second lesson though. For that lesson, we started
20 minutes into the period due to a hockey tournament that made
the students late and still got done with plenty of time. I did find it
annoying, however, that another teacher came in to talk to the lab
assistant. They stood right in front of the blackboard too.
Eventually, he got the hint to leave since I went on lecturing,
although it still irked me that I had to compete with them for
volume instead of the students. They, on the other hand, actually
started telling each other to be quiet. Wiemer’s advice to not use
my volume of voice so much in the classroom has paid off
tremendously. In addition to that, when Henk left, I had the class
all to myself for basically thirty minutes. Taking it on all by myself
didn’t seem so daunting after that.
After teaching, I stopped by Bas’s house. There, I not only
received the wedding invitation, but had the opportunity to meet
his parents before the big day. While there, I discussed my lessons
with Bas, and went over more areas to try and explore or improve.
I also gave my contribution to the wedding dinner and city tour: 20
euros. That’s not bad at all for dinner, dancing, and damsels.
As I entered the train back home to Leeuwarden, I ran into the
guy I met about a month and a half ago that worked at the prison
in Groningen. He was on the train last time when there was a fight
after we had dinner at Gerard’s. What a small world. Well, I guess
when you use the same line of railroad long enough, you are bound
to become familiar with the regulars. On our previous encounter,
he gave us a website to check out for walking to the Wadden
Islands. This time, he told me the dynamics of the sea, how to
become a guide, and good times of the year to do it.
40
 When I returned, Katri came in fairly early to call me down for
dinner. The girls had soccer training tonight, so they usually eat a
little bit beforehand.

Train Groningen - Leeuwarden

With time running short, I need to take advantage of

opportunities to do some things that I haven’t had the chance to
do. As mentioned, the girls (Bori, Rossana, Ana, and Katri) go to
play soccer on Fridays. Having yet to play soccer here, I asked if I
could tag along. At first, I figured I’d just be watching, but they let
me join them. Joining them to watch the SC Heerenveen game
probably helped since I had established a connection then. Water is
definitely my element. That became clearly evident tonight.

41
4/18

Stealing internet is not a crime, it’s a way of life. For those of us

living as white mice in the international research and development
sector of Leeuwarden, irregular independent variables are not
strangers. We’ve been struggling with our connection from the
start and have been forced to intercept signals from afar. In a
feeble attempt to make a semi-working arrangement into a full-
time working process, we were given individual passwords to log
on. Aside from making our speed faster, with this they could also
monitor the activities of tenants as well. Yet, the passwords and
login names don’t seem to match. So, we have been brought back
to square one: no internet. If we have any questions or concerns,
we can email them about it.
Despite that ongoing adventure, I found some luck in the hands
of chance on the way to Groningen. Out the window I saw a
lapwing. They’re protected birds here, but mean a lot to die hard
Frisians. Tradition holds that the first to spot a lapwing’s egg in the
spring gets to receive a handshake and prize from the queen. Now,
it’s only a handshake with a minister to the queen. However, being
the first is quite the honor. Therefore, many Frisians search for
them every spring, but with this large amount of people creates
potential hazards for the environment. So, it leads to a clash
between government regulations and preserving culture.

42
 When I got to Groningen, I headed straight for JJ’s. He and his
brother, Durk, had been windsurfing all morning and were just
about to grab a bite to eat. Feeling a bit hungry and not expecting
to have much dinner at the wedding, I joined them for dunch (a
meal timed between lunch and dinner). We had southwestern chili
wrapped in tortillas.
To get to the wedding, Bas picked up Judith with a horse and
carriage. From the city of Groningen, they rode all 12 kilometers to
Eelde: romance is not dead. On top of that, their dance was almost
professional in nature. Both learned ballroom dancing and were
really talented. There’s no need for dancing at my wedding now
because it will never be as good as theirs. In addition to that,
before the floor was open to the rest of us, a few past students
from Bas’s ballroom class performed. Their routine was flawless
and masterfully conducted. Again, this further discouraged me
from attempting shaking it down; that is, if I found a partner.
Speaking of which, I spotted a fair lady talking to Bas that
appeared to be my age. Once I finished my drink, I mustered up
the strength to make myself noticeable. Fearlessly, I trotted over.
Yet, a smooth introduction turned into an abrupt and awkward
adieu. This ensued after I asked how she knew Bas. She replied,
“well, my boyfriend…” Ciao baby. As I looked for the right time
to leave, JJ questioningly signaled with the camera and I
immediately waved him off: code red bail out. When I returned,
Arno asked who needed to be “taken care of”. He’s a tough little
guy, but I told him it wouldn’t be necessary. There are plenty o’
fish in the sea.
After the final call for dances, we all enjoyed a speech from
Judith and Bas. They also announced the availability of kroket
sandwiches for the road. I couldn’t resist, so I grabbed two. From
there, we bid the newlyweds farewell.
However, our night did not end there. We proceeded to go to an
establishment for gym teachers and teaching alumni, as well as a
piano bar. As a result, we were out strolling the streets of
Groningen until 5 A.M.

43
4/19

Dealing with the title of “single” is fairly simple: pretend you

aren’t. One technique is to give material objects sentimental value.
For JJ, it is his windsurfing board. She always sits in the passenger
seat of his car. However, today I had the honor and privilege to
borrow her rightful seat. Together, we headed back to Leeuwarden
at 11 A.M. That didn’t give us much time to recover from last
night. I had to drop off my clothes before returning to Groningen
for the city tour for the international guests of the wedding.
In conjunction with that, it began at four o’clock starting from
Martini Tower. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Due to
her knowledge, I learned a lot more about Groningen than I
thought I ever would. We even walked along the streets that are
now in the place of the past city wall. This route led us near to the
initial meeting place of Bas and Judith. They met eight years ago, as
of their wedding day, at a tango studio in the red light district. That
tidbit made me laugh because it sounded like a risqué musical in
the making. Hence, I’m pretty sure it’ll be the plot of my next
book. As the true story told though, Bas and Judith were students
at the time. Yet, since his partner was ill, he needed a substitute.
His eyes found the young and attractive Judith. Inquiring about
one dance led him into an everlasting romance.
During the tour, I also got acquainted with some of the guests
from Uruguay. I had the pleasure of meeting Gilda, the daughter,
first. We talked on and off between each destination, which slowly
let us get to know a little about each other. For dinner, our entire
group went to a Greek restaurant.
When dinner finished, I walked to the train station with Gilda,
her mother. Gilda and her mother were staying near to Groningen,
so they broke apart from us at the station. I received Gilda’s
business card with a phone number and email. Too bad she’s
twenty-eight, but at least it gives me a place to stay in South
America.

44
4/20

Giving a kid a bite of birthday cake before it’s their birthday is

almost as bad as getting a chance to teach two years before student
teaching. The thrill and excitement of such an adventure has left
me wanting more, but alas all good things must come to an end.
The reality of today being my last lessons has yet to sink in. Along
with that, just because Friday went so smoothly didn’t mean today
would be a piece of cake either.

Count to ten

Although today went very well, there were some speed bumps
throughout the classes. Most of these were encountered during the
first lesson, which was one I took over from Bas. He still had paid
vacation for his wedding. Thankfully from my learning
experiences, I was better equipped to modify my behaviors as a
student teacher in times of dire need. With the observational
strategies learned through classroom visits ticks became easier to
spot. For instance, today I encountered a power struggle with a
student. They had been in and out of their seat so much; the first
two conclusions that came to mind were ants in his pants or an
overactive bladder. This one took a couple of deep breaths and a
little creativity to deal with, but eventually a solution came to mind.
45
Calling his bluff, I politely called him to the front of the class.
Clearly to have such enthusiasm to be bouncing up and down, he
had to have known the material backwards and forwards… not.
So, I gave him a shot at power. He would take my spot at the
blackboard, writing down the answers of his classmates as they
shouted them out to him. After filling out one column, I
commended him on his efforts with a class-wide applause and
asked him to return to his seat. He hardly spoke from then on out.
Apparently, overthrowing someone from power is a lot more fun
than actually having it?
Wait, it gets better. Later on I also spotted a student wearing
headphones in the back right corner. Rather than exploding or
ignoring his disrespectful classroom conduct, I discreetly exploited
his behavior with a simple statement: “I see you like music young
man.” Taking a step towards him with a slapstick grin painted
across my face, I stared until I received a response. Stammering, he
barely uttered a few incoherent mumbles and a “no… not that
much” before putting them away for good. In those thirty seconds,
there was no yelling, all expectations were clearly understood, and
the comment was directed at the source: problem solved.
Another student wasn’t feeling well, so I had to make sure she
was okay during one of the periods of independent work. Yet, that
was about all I could do since I wasn’t the true teacher, so she slept
the entire period. At the end of the lesson, I also wondered why
the pH of a solution being neutralized during my demonstration
changed so quickly. When the bell rang I got my answer. A student
brought to my attention that I had put the pH paper in the wrong
beaker, which held the base I had been adding. Oops! Oh well, at
least they were discreet about it by doing it after class, but it also
would have been nice to show them the true effects as well. Again,
I need to work on not worrying about time so much.

46
4/21

Bartering still infiltrates modern day market economies. I heard

about this last night and more so early this afternoon. Though this
may sound palatable, it has its detriments. Throughout his stay,
Mustafa has encountered difficulties in transferring money from
his university in Turkey’s account to here. Thus, paying monthly
rents as well as buying food has caused him to budget wisely.
Eventually, the situation led him to seek the help of our housing
company for some supplemental aid. Initially, they intended to pay
him 200 food stamps worth one euro each. By the end, his job was
cut short and he only received 50. The fact that they were only
valid at one, more expensive, grocery store didn’t help much either.
That baffled me because that still neglects his ability to pay rent. A
more beneficial solution may have been to deduct money off the
rental payment, but everyone’s a critic.
Initially, this morning I headed to the copy shop to drop off
some work, although that didn’t take too long.

windmill experience

47
 I had my meeting with my Dutch Language and Culture teacher.
We were to discuss my stay in the Netherlands and above all the
“three truly Dutch experiences” that I had written about for our
final assignment. Of course, I had nothing but good things to say.
That always makes for a wonderful conversation. So, he seemed to
be beaming the entire time. It’s always good to know that
someone’s had a great experience in your home country. In
addition to that, we talked about the excitement of mom and dad
coming as well as some of my other favorite experiences here (i.e.
working at the windmill, my weekend in IJsselmuiden, and getting
acquainted with the other international students). I have no
complaints and no regrets. It’s truly been a learning experience.
Apparently, a reporter was searching for me to discuss aspects of
my experience abroad. Ironically, I ran into them on their way out
from the building as I was heading in. We had a nice chat about my
experience and then I handed over a copy of the book. Then I
called one more reporter and gave a similar run down.* Once that
was finished, our landlord stopped by Kanaalstraat to help me
work out the kinks with the internet access. It appears they just
gave me the wrong password, so now everything’s back to normal.
Aside from that, the ten-minute rule should now apply to
laundry. A beautiful principle once used for leaving swim practice
in the absence of a coach, I now propose to modify for punishing
inappropriate clothes cleansing. Selfishness shall not be tolerated in
our family at Kanaalstraat. All usable machines were taken. Two of
them were by Rossana: no worries there. The other five were
barely filled and most likely were used by the same person.
Although their cycle was done, they left the clothes in there for
half the night. When Rossana had finished at least she was nice
enough to notify me, so I could get mine done without having the
machines stolen again.

48
4/22

Traveling in rush hour is like trying to fit an elephant in the front

seat of a car. With each station leading up to Schiphol, the pressure
in our balloon of a train car slowly increased. The additional mass
to volume ratio created with the overwhelming entry of passengers
forced me into the reject section of the car: right by the door.
Despite the isolation, it made my exit much smoother.
Mom and dad were to meet me at the Starbucks by the ticket
kiosk. Upon arrival, I didn’t see mom and dad so I thought I’d get
ahead of the game and purchase tickets for the ride to Leeuwarden.
Plus, the line looked treacherous, which meant either buy now or
never. When I got done, I waited for a good half an hour for mom
and dad. Getting nervous with the train departure nearing, I tried
mom’s cell phone: nothing. What had happened? I soon got my
answer. They had been waiting just as long as I at the other
Starbucks. How could there have possibly been another? Schiphol
didn’t even seem large enough for the necessity, although
Starbucks can be a little over the top.

heading for Schiphol

Unfortunately, due to our delay in meeting, greetings were kept

simple because we had to scoot to make the train. We made it on
49
time for that, but back in Leeuwarden, we missed out on checking
in at the boat at one. So, we had to wait until four to do so. Hence,
we first dropped off the luggage at my room. With a vast
abundance in time, I decided to begin with as much of a tour of
Leeuwarden as possible. Throughout the entire duration, it became
a hybrid version of what we did with ESN (European Student
Network) and also what Ciska and Kirsten showed me too. On the
initial round, we traveled through the city center and sought for a
suitable location for lunch. Towards the end of the central street,
we stopped at a corner snack restaurant. There, I introduced mom
and dad to Frikadel Speciaal and fries with mayonnaise: fantastic.
However, we had to make a pause in our introduction because I
had to be back at Kanaalstraat to meet another person from the
local newspapers. They would be taking a photograph. When their
correspondent arrived, they asked to do the photo in the living
room with a few friends. Ana and Won were the lucky winners,
since they were the only ones home during prime time for classes.
However, Won and I both agreed that the living room may not
have been the most aesthetically pleasing area, but that’s what they
wanted. So, we went with it. Hopefully, it turns out nice.
Afterwards, mom, dad, and I got to meet Marien (Chris’s wife).
She gave us a grand tour of the Johanna Laetitia, the canal boat
mom and dad would be staying on for the upcoming week. During
this time, she went over all the safety precautions, explained the
terms of agreement, and shared some excitement for their visit. I’ll
never regret having interviewed Chris the owner of that boat for
that school project. And found out about this lodging. Their family
truly has been great.
For the concluding tour, mom, dad, and I went past Oldehove
and Zaailand. Then, I treated them to De Dikke van Dale, which is
quite possibly the greatest restaurant in Leeuwarden. A fair price
with unbelievable food is unbeatable. Again, mom continued to be
camera crazy as she had been throughout the day. There are more
pictures of dad and I now than all the years combined leading up
to this trip. Finally, we stopped at the grocery store to stock up for
breakfasts and lunches in the days to come. It’s going to be very
busy.

50
4/23

Preparing for a press conference is more nerve racking than

waiting intently behind the blocks for a race. This is especially true
for perfectionists. I always wish to do everything right and well.
Hence, all symptoms and side effects are enhanced. Palms sweat,
knees become weak, and the heart begins to race. I can imagine the
only other occasion to provoke these feelings would be to propose.
Therefore, to combat this corresponding stress, I stuck a note in
my shoe that stated, “relax”. Though passive by nature, that
seemed to help a lot.

Michael Nocella & Willem Smink

Likewise, six degrees of separation is a thing of the past.

According to Gerard, only three handshakes separate Queen
Beatrix and myself. Today, I came one step closer with my
introduction with Willem Smink, the president of the NHL. It was
greatly appreciated that he took time out of his schedule to accept
my publication. This occurred in the lounge beside the cafeteria. In
addition to that, at my book press conference, I handed over the
second “first copy” to Frits Pals. He had traveled with his wife all
the way from Delfzijl to see this presentation. What an honor.
Apparently, a good impression was made on my first school visit.
51
Others that came a long way were Kirsten and Ciska. I couldn’t
believe both came. Their presence was icing on the cake. Along
with that, some members of the international family came too.
This included Pablo, David, Bori, and Katri. Two random older
students entering the teacher education program also appeared. We
definitely had a lot more guests than I thought we would. When
coupled with quality of the speech given by Willem Smink, things
went a lot smoother than I had anticipated.

Frits Pals, Fivel College Delfzijl

Similarly, I just seemed to be in the right place at the right time

this morning. This allowed me to run into two more people from
the past: Douwe Anema from Dockinga College in Ferwerd and
one of the student teachers I met at the Zernike Montessori School
in Groningen. Since my time is slowly winding down, seeing them
proved nice because it allowed me to officially say goodbye, or
shall I say “until next time”.
After we finally made it out of the building without seeing
anyone, mom, dad, and I worked our way back to the boat. Then
we all changed into more comfortable clothes. Then, lunch became
the most important part of our agenda. Having liked the snack
stand from yesterday, I decided to expand their cultural cuisine
intake by getting kroketten today. From there, we walked to the
52
Cambuur Stadium and did some grocery shopping. I made a point
of grabbing a pack of stroopwafels. However, introducing them to
sweet heavenly goodness may have been deadly.
On our walk, we picked up a copy of the Leeuwarder Courant to
check out the article they had written about my stay in the
Netherlands. Won and my picture were blown up in one of the
middle sections. Later, I told him about it and both he and Ana
bought a copy to keep. When he turned to the desired page, he
erupted in laughter. It echoed throughout the entire train station
and brought even more attention on us. We may be world famous
in Leeuwarden, but we’d like to keep that on the down low.
At six, Sanne picked up the parents and I just outside of
Kanaalstraat. With Butterfingers, and Mountain Dew from the
States for Sanne, and a hearty appetite, we headed over to his
house for dinner. His cats were entertaining as always. As mom
and Sanne peeled potatoes for the stamppot, the cats tried to steal
the shavings. After a James Bond move, stealthily making its way
underneath Sanne’s chair, one successfully retrieved a few. To
conclude our evening and meal, we enjoyed a slice of sweet Frisian
bread. Then, he was kind enough to drive us back as far as
Kanaalstraat.
In addition to that, on this night I also had to bid Hanne farewell.
She leaves at the end of the week, and I’ll be gone to Noord
Holland for the remainder of her stay. Yet, I can’t do goodbyes. In
fact, it appears that I try and avoid them. When Hanne knocked on
our door, I thought it was solely those that typically knock on my
door when there is a party. After a long day of walking and talking,
I was in no mood for nightlife. Plus, most people knock at the
door for Won and not myself. So, I ignored the uncontrolled sleep
depriving and figured if they wanted him that bad he had to be
woken up from the commotion to get the door himself. Yet,
everybody knows what assuming does, so you can only guess how
wrong I was. Also, when it comes to adieus, I still never know
what to say or how to say it.

53
4/24

Godzilla’s powers have been relinquished over to a bunch of

tourists, including myself. Fortunately, this transfer did not lead to
improper use or destruction. Yet, towering over the tallest people
in the world never seemed so simple. Only at Madurodam in Den
Haag is this possible. We headed there by train after having
breakfast on the boat with Ciska. It’s basically a miniature maze
that gives a guided tour of the Netherlands. It’d be a great place to
hit upon arriving to the country. I had previously heard about it
from the Bethels before I left the United States and what an
awesome suggestion it was. Thanks to Ciska, that possibility
became a reality. We did the first ¾ of the massive fun land before
getting lunch at a café within the complex. Then, we finished up
and headed to the train station via tram.

Houses of Parliament in The Hague (Den Haag)

On our train ride, Dad caught the sights on the upper deck, while
mom and I slept for most of the train ride. Therefore, he was the
lucky one because it’s a nice time of year to take a train in this part
of the Netherlands.
54
 tulip fields forever

He had the privilege of seeing vast and beautiful tulip fields.

Even though the train was deemed “express” the ride was still an
hour and a half from Ciska’s family in Heerhugowaard.
Once we hit the first stop in Alkmaar, we only had two stops left
until we were at our final destination. Edith, Ciska’s mother, picked
us up at the station in Heerhugowaard. Her father, Tom, greeted
us at their home. Their beautiful house had an exquisite garden
that set a tranquil ambiance perfect for lounging around on the
finest spring days in Holland. Thus, appetizers were served there as
a warm-up under a canopy. As far as socialization was concerned,
the funniest thing about listening to parents talk is when they share
child-rearing stories. The starting points are always the same. If
possible, baby pictures are always brought out. Then, stories
progress throughout childhood and we all end up laughing about
all of these embarrassing moments that I’d probably rather forget
before knowing them.
For dinner, we had a hodgepodge of dishes. All of them were
fantastic, especially the herring and baked vegetable wrapped in
ham. Mom liked the dessert plate. Cookies and stroopwafels sat on it.
Dad is really shocked that no one has brought them to the United
States. Perhaps that could be our family business.

55
4/25

Continental breakfasts seemed to have originated in Europe. I’m

quite fond of them now that I’ve experienced them in the
Netherlands, Germany, and Austria. With minimal differences
among them, I hope to find them elsewhere in travels later in life
to other countries throughout Europe as well. Ours contained the
typical meat, cheese, and rolls, but also very common Dutch
elements: hagelslag and beschuit en muisjes. Hagelslag is similar to
chocolate sprinkles and a beschuit en muisjes is a rough biscuit with a
sugarcoated seed for a topping. The latter of the two is more
commonly eaten with celebration of a child’s birth.

beschuit met muisjes

In order to work off all of the calories we just consumed, we had

to find an adequate form of exercise. On our excursion, we found
a couple of places to do just that. The first came within the first ten
minutes of the drive. Near to Heerhugowaard, we spotted a
magnificent tulip field. Having no fences to block our pathway, we
pulled off to the side of the road and decided to have a closer look.
Every flower seemed to be in full bloom. Their hybrid yellow and
56
red hue consumed the field in a sea of vibrant color. Yet, although
we could have stayed there all day absorbing their comforting
presence, we had to move on to the next stop. Our sights were set
on Kolhorn, a small village not too far away, but beforehand we
paused to have a look at the locks in a channel. With it being such
a nice day, we had high hopes for a boat to pass through. Despite
the fact that one came up, it decided to dock instead of proceed.
Tom was an engineer and had previously worked with the
infamous “Delta Works” project tackled by the top engineers
throughout the entire Netherlands to combat the encroaching sea.
Thus, he took some time to explain the dynamics of the station.
At Kolhorn, walking seemed to be the main activity. Each step
got us further acquainted with the quaint Dutch village. Indeed it
was very tiny, but also very beautiful. Edith had her fiftieth
birthday party there. So, she knew the most about the town and
served as our tour guide. At the conclusion of her tour, we ate at a
café that was located where the sea used to be. Had that been the
case, it would have been impossible for me to get strawberry cake
and Fanta there.
Anytime someone wants to go to a city here, it’s better to go by
bus, train, or bike. Public or perspiration transportation rules over
automobiles. Hence, we took the bus right by their house to
Alkmaar. Having not eaten too much and already being midday, we
all enjoyed a lunch in the city center outside the historic cheese
factory/museum. To go along with this, Alkmaar is the cheese
capitol of the Netherlands. I thought I had escaped any trace of
Packer fans, but I seemed to be in the Green Bay of the
Netherlands. Now all they need are those ridiculous cheese wedge
hats that make Wisconsin folk stick out like sore thumbs.
We yearned to learn more about this wonderful historic city. A
boat tour awaited us. However, it did not start for a half an hour.
So, we did a small loop around the center of the city. The route
took us safely through cobble stone streets and ended just on the
other side of the red light district. I’m surprised mom and dad
seemed okay as we walked through it, especially since they were
busier than other red light districts I’ve seen. Anyway, thankfully,
we didn’t see any of our neighbors, so we headed straight to the
boat afterwards. It would lead us throughout the central ring of
canals that surrounded the city. In addition to that, the tour got us
out of our seats: literally. Aside from the dazzling 16th and 17th
57
century gables, we had to be aware of the extremely low bridges.
Fortunately, everyone made it out unharmed, but I think dad may
have less hair now when we got on the boat. Another nice aspect
of the tour was that they gave it both in Dutch and English.
Therefore, we could understand more of what they were talking
about. Afterwards, we took another stroll throughout some other
hot spots incapable for the boat to cover such as the city hall, fish
market, and the flower boat. By the time all was said and done, we
had to run to the bus.
At Ciska’s parent’s home, we joined them for one last meal
before heading back to Leeuwarden. Her dad insisted that I try a
seasonal beer made by Grolsch: Lente Bok (Spring Buck). It had a
crisp bitter taste that complimented the cheese and crackers quite
well before our main course of lasagna.
After saying goodbye to Ciska’s parents, we took the bus for two
hours back to Leeuwarden. As soon as I sat down, I finally realized
how difficult and tiring sight seeing can be without sunglasses.
Squinting hurts. Once we reached the afsluitdijk, we waved
goodbye to the tulip fields and the province of Noord Holland as
we returned yet again to good ole Friesland.

58
4/26

Leisurely days are best spent on the water. Seeing as the

Netherlands, and Friesland in particular, is notorious for vast
canals and bodies of water in general, where better to spend them?
Melchior, an advisor from the NHL University, made this dream
come true. He had a boat in a town just outside of Leeuwarden on
the way to Sneek called Warten. However, no trains run there, nor
was it advantageous to take a bus. So, out of the kindness in his
heart, he picked us up from the boat mom and dad are staying on.

Within no time, we were at the docks. There, his wife, Anne-

Marie, greeted us. She had been expecting us at that time, and after
a brief introduction, we boarded the Wartena, which was named
after the boat his grandfather lost his life on during World War II.
Before we knew it, we were already in open water. Our trail sent us
circling through a national park and areas filled with summer
cottages. It seemed like a nice place to enjoy hot days in June and
July since it appeared to be secluded from any major cities and
highways. One farm that we passed actually could only be accessed
by boat. That’d be an expensive, but peaceful way to live. About a
third of the way into our journey, Melchior told me to take the
59
helm. As a green horn for a first mate, I felt honored in receiving
the promotion to skipper for most of the trip.
Despite how dangerous that may have sounded, I took necessary
measures for safety and navigational assistance. For example,
Anne-Marie brought out finger food in the middle of our tour.
Hence, I had mom or dad hand me food so that I could keep my
eye on the water and boats surrounding us, especially since the
greater majority of the traveling was spent in narrow canals or
waterways. When we finished, Melchior took over again to park
the boat and we headed back to Leeuwarden.
Yet, dinner still needed to be accomplished. A few boats down
from our temporary home, we could easily find a pancake ship. Of
course, mom and dad couldn’t leave the Netherlands without
experiencing a true “Dutch” pancake. Dad and I thought we
picked a pancake from the menu. The additional salad caught our
eye for a healthier option. It turned out that it was an actual meal
opposed to a pancake, but we still got some of mom’s so
everything turned out great anyway.

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4/27

Questing for a fresh baker’s dozen can be difficult at seven in the

morning. Mondays are rough. I understand that, but what goes
better with the finest cheese producing country in the world other
than fresh rolls from the oven? That’s right, nothing. Despite
striving to achieve perfection, I learned that today’s deeds should
have been performed yesterday. After visiting two potential
suppliers, Albert Heijn and a local bakery, I discovered they clearly
do not open until after eight. Through the window of the bakery, I
had seen a worker. With a smile and thumbs up I tried to signal at
whether or not they were open. Sadly, he shook his head in
rejection. Even the sky cried with me, as I returned to the boat,
defeated by my failure.

Aside from that, everything else went quite splendidly this

morning. We made it with plenty of time in Harlingen to make the
boat crossing to Terschelling at a quarter till ten. Its name was the
MS Friesland. This one-way cruise was the slower of two options.
Thus, although very comfortable, it took two hours to reach
Terschelling. That’s where a good deck of cards comes into play.
Retrieving mine from my backpack prompted a solid game of
Rummy 500 that lasted until fifteen minutes prior to our arrival.
Had we quit at 500, I would have won. Then, tiredness from the
61
night before set in and it was all downhill from there. Little by little
dad caught up and eventually overtook me for the grand prize:
bragging rights. I’ll get him next time.
Upon exiting the ship, instincts took over. With a long voyage
and a smaller breakfast this morning, hunger set in quickly. Snack
stands right off the pier came to our rescue. That led us to stop at
the Aike van Aike Vishandel. Up until this point, mom and dad had
yet to experience the greatness of Kibbeling. So, we each got our
own basket. That would be enough of a solid meal to hold us over
until dinner.

From there, we walked to the lighthouse in the center of town.

Aside from the architecture, Terschelling differed greatly from the
rest of the Netherlands. For instance, typically, towns are easier to
trek through because the ground across the Dutch mainland is
extremely flat, but on the islands, that is not always the case.
Hence, getting to the central square where the lighthouse sat gave
us a neat variation from the norm as far as layout was concerned.
This was especially true and seen from our next destination: the
highest point on the island. On one side the town slowly stepped
into the sea with the set of tiered streets and buildings, while the
opposite side gazed into the dunes and beaches rolling towards the
sea. Its beauty drew us closer, so after catching a panoramic view
of the island, we headed in that direction. At that point, we realized
62
how extensive the island could be without a bike. So, we stayed
within certain parameters trotting around taking photos until we
saw the first wave of storms coming.
With a spring in our step, we tried to outrun it by walking in the
complete opposite direction. Alas, Mother Nature always wins and
we got nailed with pea sized hail. Yet, again we couldn’t go too far
because walking the entire island would be impossible in one day.
Plus, we had a deadline for the boat back to the mainland. So, we
went around the bend just outside the harbor and walked back to
the center of the village of West-Terschelling. Halfway there, wave
number two of storms commenced with a powerful rain. Even
with jackets and a flimsy umbrella, it was too much. A hotel in the
distance became our refuge. We stood outside it for shelter no
longer than ten minutes and then the rain ceased.
After grabbing a small ice cream cone, we were able to walk
around for another half hour or so with no sign of precipitation.
However, the Gods enjoyed playing games with us today. Thus,
wave three came out of nowhere. Although it wasn’t as severe as
the others, it prompted us to stop at the Koffiehuis het Wakend Oog
until the sun returned. Like clockwork, its shining grace came as
soon as we finished our drinks. By this time though, time was
working against us and we had to slowly make our way back to the
boat. We made sure to take the fast boat back to Harlingen. It took
less than half the time of the other boat.
Back at Kanaalstraat, Ali prepared us a wonderful traditional
Turkish meal in his room. He was too afraid to have mom see our
communal kitchen because the cleanliness didn’t suit his standards.
Yet, the small room actually made for a comfortable environment
and he did a lot to enhance the atmosphere. For example, this
included the formal table setting and a couple of candles. Usually
you don’t have much to work with in student housing, but we’ve
always tried to make it work. Let’s just put it this way, only on
Thanksgiving and at home-cooked meals have I ever left a meal
this satisfied. I never imagined that restaurant quality presentation
could be possible in Kanaalstraat student housing, but he
somehow did it. On top of that, he gave mom a beautiful miniature
kerchief used by Turkish women while dancing. Being a dancer,
she found it to be really neat. It’s very easy to tell which people
give to the world more than they take from it and that’s something
to be admired.
63
4/28

Spending a night on a canal boat puts a whole new meaning to

sleeping like a baby. The soft serenade of water along with a
comfortable mattress makes for the right combination. Thus, I
found it to be no problem waking up this morning. Swiftly sitting
upright at the sound of my alarm, I quickly cracked opened the
door and wished mom a happy birthday. However, I couldn’t
linger around for any morning celebrations because I had to head
to Kanaalstraat. I’d figured that I’d be checking out, but no one
showed up after waiting a half an hour later than what I thought
was the intended meeting time. At least I was able to drop off the
rest of the stuff to Ciska, despite waking her.
Then, I scurried back to the boat to pick up mom and dad
because we were to catch a train to Groningen. With them here,
I’ve really been able to use my korting (discount) card to its full
potential. Saving 40% on expensive train fares is a great feeling.
Bas and Judith’s welcomed us with open arms. Being early birds,
they invited us in while they got ready.
Shortly thereafter, Bas and Judith were ready for our lunch date.
So, out in the rain we went. With one umbrella and a set of thin
windbreakers, we battled it all the to the other side of town. There,
just outside of the old city wall, we found the Groningen pancake
ship. Now came time for dad and I to get our orders correct.
Throughout the entire meal, we had a nice chat. With no surprise,
most of it revolved around study abroad and teaching. Can you
guess why? Towards the end, Bas rushed to the bathroom.
However, I thought he was paying, so I followed for an epic tab
talk. Due to this improper lead, I actually came across as having
suave skills, which worked out in our favor. Thus, we got the
payment over with early and no one had to fight about it or run the
risk of going “Dutch”. So it felt good to give something back in
the greatest form: food.
Later on in Peize, we enjoyed another day of relaxation: a
comfortable environment for the future rich and famous. Speaking
of which, Gerard and I had our picture taken by the Dagblad van het
Noorden. It is a newspaper that covers the provinces of Groningen,
Friesland, and Drenthe. The official article comes out on May 1st.
Other than that, dinner seemed to have four or five courses.
During which, we ate a heart-shaped potato that Meta had found
64
earlier. She referred to it as the “lucky love” potato. I guess that
means Cupid has moved on from out dated bows and arrows to
culinary courtship. Anyway, Mom really enjoyed the goat’s cheese
with a drop of honey warmed over a salad. Finally, she’s reaping
the benefits of trying new foods.

Dagblad van het Noorden

As always, the hardest words to say were “goodbye”. Although

that may have been so, the knowledge that we’ll keep contact
reassured us. Yet, coming face to face with the reality of this fairy
tale of a dream coming to an end is still frightening.

65
4/29

Eventually, it came time for me to leave. Despite that, I couldn’t

go unless I visited the roof of Kanaalstraat. I have never been in
shape for acrobatics, but somehow I was still walking thereafter.
On the highest point of the roof, I received a beautiful view of
Leeuwarden’s nighttime skyline: a panoramic glimpse forever
remembered.
Bidding my international friends farewell, hugs and kisses went all
around, as the final bell tolled at Kanaalstraat. I knew the fact that
I would be leaving would hit me sooner or later, but I never
thought it’d hit me like a ton of bricks.

Leeuwarder Courant

66
67
4/30

Much like every Christmas Eve, on Queen’s Night I could hardly

sleep anticipating the excitement of the day to come. Instead of
listening for Reindeer trotting on the rooftop, I tossed and turned
at the slightest sound of what I hoped to be Ajax fans and the
Family of Orange outside the boat. Initially, I pictured most
people, young, old, and everything in between, in a similar
predicament. They too should have been eager to bust out clothes
with sentimental value equal to that of a tattered holiday sweater.
Only in this case, another image came to mind. Deep in the closet
they’d search, behind all that is worn to church, to find an old
orange t-shirt. In addition to that, lately, I’ve been receiving more
visits than when Santa Claus comes to town, although I’m too old
and brittle to have people sit on my lap.
After I finished buying my tickets to Zwolle, mom and I decided
to explore Leeuwarden’s city center festivities with the extra time
we had. Anticipating a sea of Tropicana orange juice, we felt a little
out of place as most people were dressed in typical daily attire.
Now I just think everyone told us to dress in such a way so the
locals could pinpoint all the tourists. However, nothing could have
prepared us for the image of the vast street-wide market, live
music, and party before us. It’d be as if the Taste of Chicago were
combined with a citywide garage sale and a dab of Independence
Day: simply magnificent.
With time against us, we could only do a small stretch of the
endless resale agora before returning to the boat. As we waited for
Chris and his family to check us out, I threw orange tulips to boats
passing by. Bon voyage! Shortly after two or three boats passed,
Chris, Marien, and Ids arrived. They checked us out and then
drove our luggage to the train station.
Originally, mom, dad, and I planned to go to Apeldoorn. It was
the fiftieth anniversary of Queen’s Day, so that’s where her and the
rest of the royal family would make an appearance: an opportunity
almost impossible to pass up. However, as a last second decision
we felt it’d be better to spend more time with Kirsten and Niels
before we left the Netherlands. Much to our surprise, when they
received us in Zwolle, they relayed startling news involving a
tragedy in Apeldoorn. An attack had been made on the royal family
that also resulted in collateral damage. At that point, mom and dad
68
were counting their blessings that we made the decision not to go
there, while I, on the other hand, was overcome with worry.
Outside of the majority of my friends that ventured to Amsterdam,
some also sought the sight of nobility and tradition in Apeldoorn.
Who knew if they had been among the injured or killed? I could
only hope that destiny had kept them out of harm’s way.
When we got to Kampen/IJsselmuiden, Kirsten gave us two
tours of their street markets. The vastness still mystified me. We
occasionally had garage sales throughout my childhood, but
nothing this organized.
Despite the tragic events that cast a shadow upon the day, I was
glad to see Kampen and IJsselmuiden still lighting up the streets in
a dazzling display of unity. It came as a wonderful conclusion to a
life-changing trip. The ends finally justified the means, as this
“unofficial” graduation celebration marked the accomplishments
of the journey.
Our street side band built up a solid beat until the first signs of
night. Upon which, the lamp parade took over marching to their
drum almost on par with the conclusion of “Sweet Home
Chicago”: ironic, cliché, and ever so perfectly placed. Their single-
file procession strode past homes and countrymen: families,
friends and the like. The torches swayed with the curves of the
cobblestone streets and continued across the bridge separating the
sister cities until slowly fading out of sight.

69
Goodbye from Germany

All good things come to an end, but greater things are always to
come. Just as mom and I had done on Queen’s Day in
Leeuwarden, for our last day with family in Germany, a final visit
to the center of Munich was in order; it was relxing to stroll
through different sectors of the city. During that time, we stopped
in a church that was built by a philanthropist. For not being too
old, it still mimicked the exquisite architecture of the historical
churches built hundreds of years ago. Earlier, Katri from Finland
and I had made it a mission to visit the heart of every Dutch town:
their churches. We did so on bike rides around the Frisian
countryside. They not only served as student-tourist hotspots, but
also showed progress as checkpoints along our adventures.
Although I intended to bid Europe adieu from Germany, the ritual
still held sentimental worth. This time, however, it marked the end
of one journey and the beginning of another on a scale greater than
kilometers.

An ocean in between

When I step on the plane tomorrow, I leave a lot behind: friends,

family, and parts of me that I’ve changed through maturity and
experience. An ocean may separate us, but our spirits will always
70
be with one another. These are times I’ll miss, but rejoice through
writing and future visits. All in all, I’m very different, but very
much myself. I’ll be a stranger to those that knew me as the naïve
boy that left from the sheltered Chicago suburbs, but a man to
those that understand me as the young man that emerged from the
Dutch countryside. I’ll finally experience a bittersweet fit for the
typical three-kiss greeting and goodbye. It’d be a nice custom to
bring back to the US.
Alas, just like a handshake with the right and the reception of a
diploma with the left, it was done. I’d graduated. Although it felt
like I had left my entire life behind me, the fear of an uncertain
future hardly held up against the excitement of new adventures to
come. Whether it’s a boat headed out to sea or the last glimpsed
candle held on the horizon and blown out at dusk, in time, light
will shine in front of footsteps making a new path apparent. Illinois
farmers have a saying suitable for the occasion. With respect to
corn, they often say it should be “knee high by the fourth of July”.
Well, their adage may transcend agriculture. Through the midst of
the fireworks of accomplishment I cannot lose sight of the fact
that I’m knee high and still growing.

71
Summary

While spending three and a half months observing and teaching

within the Dutch school system, I sought to answer a set of pre-
determined questions. The following answers pertain solely to my
personal experience, findings, and insights collected from visits to
eleven schools located in the Northern Netherlands. Therefore, in
noting trends understood from a personal perspective such
findings may or may not be validated by the experience of others.

1. What are the dominant factors that teachers use to decide what to do in their
classrooms in the Netherlands?

When it comes to a teacher’s classroom, the average psychologist

would agree that several factors contribute to behavior. They may
be conscious or unconscious. In addition, some are readily
adjustable and others are not. Some sit on the sidelines, playing a
minor role, while others are an integral component in the
classroom. Although slight variations exist among different
schools, there is not enough circumstantial evidence to doubt the
significance of general trends across all high schools. For instance,
the government controls them all. These influences may be harder
to notice, but others are more distinctly visible. For example they
each have a particular format, track students based on ability, and
adapt to the desires of students.
First and foremost, the government always has something to say.
Although teachers would like to assume nearly complete freedom
of reign within their classroom, the government’s voice is in the
back of their heads. Thus, their power and influence is often
underestimated. In the government’s eyes, students deserve equal
opportunities regardless of socioeconomic status, creed, gender, or
ethnicity. Regulation is necessary to establish balance and fairness.
However, by setting standards for all students, it imposes
limitations in curriculum thereby diminishing flexibility and
preventing certain students from excelling or causing others to fail.
Teachers may not realize it, but they fall into the trap of “teaching
to the test”. Hence, teachers may not be able to build on the
strengths and desires of students. Learning is enhanced by interest,
so motivating disinterested students can be an exhausting struggle.

72
These battles transfer the hands of control to students and at that
point all hope is lost.
Along with that, the format of a school can play a significant role
in how a teacher behaves in the classroom. In the Netherlands,
there are four main types of schools: religious, Montessori,
traditional, and free. All are funded equally by the government and
are required to accept students regardless of their location within
the country. Yet, some schools do have applications and entry
standards, but it pertains more to assuring the same ideology
between students and school. Thus, each type of school caters to
different types of students. Although their rituals and methodology
may vary, the goals and function are very much the same: promote
learning.
As far as the most common types of schools are concerned, they
remain traditional and religious. Basically, religious schools are
public schools that are associated with a particular Christian faith.
In fact, students can opt out of religious studies by parental
request. In addition, students are not required to wear uniforms
and there are no extra tuition fees. They do, however, begin each
day with a short prayer. Aside from that, very few other barriers
exist between the traditional and religious schools. Classroom
layouts are adjusted based on subject and building age. In newer
buildings, classrooms are becoming more open. Commonly, typical
classrooms are knocking down their walls so that classrooms exist
harmoniously among one another. This layout has many tradeoffs.
Openness creates a relaxed environment because students aren’t as
inclined to feel trapped, but it comes at the sacrifice of attention.
With other classes in close proximity, teachers need to keep their
students moving. These sorts of environments are great for labs
and other hands on activities, but videos, tests, and conventional
lectures would be useless. Although, due to the age of most
facilities and available funding, classroom designs of yesteryear still
dominate.
In addition to that, traditional and religious schools thrive on
individually motivated learning through instruction. Students are
expected to have intrinsic motivation. Teachers follow textbook
chapters and most often lecture from the front of the classroom.
However, lecture is most commonly in the form of engaging
students with inquiry based questioning. This keeps students on
their toes and involved. Thus, it comes as no surprise that students
73
are not afraid to participate. They have been conditioned to do so.
Also, there are distinct divisions between lab and lecture.
Sometimes, as seen at Piter Jelles in Leeuwarden, it is up to the
students to sign up for their labs to complete them independently.
Hence, teachers often hold students accountable for their grades in
the form of responsibility. Despite treating them as adults in this
fashion, there is a clear division between teachers and students.
Teachers are referred to in a formal fashion by title and surname.
Yet, ironically, it is not common for teachers to come to school in
dress clothes. It helps a teacher relate to students on a particular
informal level, but it takes away from the level of respect students
acquire for a teacher.
Aside from the mainstream schools, there are two other less
common ideologies: Montessori and free. Montessori schools
focus on project-centered learning. Teachers devise and approve
these broad assignments, but students select the topic. The only
stipulation is that the topic must be within the parameters of the
course. Teachers are the facilitators for learning, but students are
ultimately responsible. Interpersonal relations are a key factor in
their pedagogy. Group learning between students is essential. The
teacher is used as a last resort for information. Therefore, teachers
prefer students to help each other. During lecture, they too focus
on questioning students. However, if a student poses an incorrect
answer the teacher does not correct and explain; they ask other
students to assist. In contrast from other schools, teachers also
create a more personal relationship with the students. They too do
not wear dress clothes to class. Despite the typical intended
separation between students and teachers, students refer to them
on a first name basis. This works well for the teachers that are
thereby seen as an older sibling figure, but for the others this
makes management difficult.
Another alternative high school is the free high school. This
principle originated from the innovative Austrian philosopher
Rudolf Steiner. He proposed that students control their learning
based on interests, which ultimately allow them to follow their
destiny. These schools expand upon student interests and project
the material in relatable terms defined by everyday life. Students do
not have nor do they use textbooks. They create their own from a
combination of notes, illustrations, and homework assignments in
a glorified lab notebook. Also, every morning they start with a
74
poem recital written by Rudolf Steiner. It is similar to the pledge of
allegiance, but promotes education rather than nationalism. In
addition, at the beginning and ending of every class, the instructor
shakes the hand of every student. For the first two hours of every
day, student ability groups are also mixed. Afterwards, they are
separated. Thus, teachers need to be flexible to more diverse
student needs. Although these ritualistic differences exist,
similarities to other schools do as well. Free schools seem to mix
and match Montessori and traditional ideals. Much like Montessori
schools, students play an integral part in controlling the learning,
while the teacher acts mainly as a facilitator. On the flip side, more
like the traditional schools, free schools tend to use a balance of
individual and group learning.
Within the schools, tracking can also greatly influence the
behavior and pedagogy of a teacher. Starting at age twelve,
students are tracked based on a crucial decision with the combined
input of parents, students, and teachers. All together, there are five
main levels. One level, VMBO, prepares students for the workforce
or a higher education experience at a trade school (MBO). Teachers
mold instruction to centralize the education on experience.
Practical work takes precedence over theoretical studies. Hence,
teachers devise more lab work reflecting realistic conditions
opposed to conducting standard lectures. At the next level, HAVO,
students receive a relatively equal amount of practical and
theoretical instruction. Depending on their progress, they can
either head to a trade school or a baccalaureate college (HBO =
University of applied sciences). Next are VWO and Atheneum.
Theoretical instruction is a priority over practical knowledge.
These students most often feed into a master’s university, but they
can attend baccalaureate institutions or trade schools as well.
Atheneum also receives a Latin lesson, but not Greek. At the
highest level, Gymnasium, students receive almost no practical
instruction and learn a combination of Latin and Greek. Content
coverage dominates. The majority of students proceed to master’s
universities.
Last but not least, another dominant influence affecting teachers
are the desires of students. It is undoubtedly the most obvious and
the strongest influence. Students send signals to teachers that
suggest go on, take a step back, or this is a good pace. They also
encourage expansion of ideas based on enthusiasm. Therefore, if
75
students lack interest for a certain topic, teachers either will only
touch on major topics and move quickly or concoct activities to
captivate students. In addition, classrooms need to be dynamic in
order to address the needs of various learners. Auditory learners
are a minority, so lecture should be held to a minimum. Thus,
teachers will formulate activities based on their unique student
body. Broader projects and hands on activities accommodate more
students, allowing them to work with their strengths and not be
hindered by their weaknesses. Likewise, the more relatable the
material is to their life, the higher their attention will be on the
lesson. Antsy students are unfocused.

In what ways is the notion of what should be learned (by whom) in chemistry,
the same or different than in the USA?

Teachers are like neurons. They send and receive messages to

and from a variety of locations. If more senders and receivers are
on the same page as the teacher, the more effectively a classroom
runs. Reactions to these signals vary between the United States and
the Netherlands. In the United States, teachers tend to listen more
to the desires of parents, the administration, and the government.
They control the paycheck, so they control the class. With respect
to the government, in accordance with NCLB, all students
regardless of ability need to show yearly progress with respect to
state standardized tests in certain content areas. Therefore, the
student body is seen as a whole rather than a group of individuals.
Teachers set their focus on content rather than practicality.
Essentially, the pace of a course is determined by the teacher and
government, rather than by the students. There is a definitive
amount of content to cover in a finite amount of time. However,
this method does not account for the students that have difficulties
with taking tests nor does it measure their complete learning.
Hence, classroom environments sacrifice content relation and life
skills for scores.
Across the world, in the Netherlands, practices differ. In part this
is due to the tracking of students. They recognize the various
learning needs among different students, thereby transferring the
speed of the course into the hands of students. Based on their
behavior, teachers know when to advance and what subjects to
elaborate on. Although, at the higher levels, especially in the
76
Gymnasium, classes are more test oriented. Higher students are
taught to the test, whereas lower students are prepared for the
professional workforce. Therefore, rather than learning the same
material across the board, students in different groups learn
separate aspects of chemistry. For example, at the lower levels,
students may learn about different concentrations of octane in
gasoline and how they pertain to the efficiency of an engine,
whereas higher-level students may focus on the more innate
qualities of petrol: raw chemistry. This is because certain students
are tracked for trade schools, which require more practical
knowledge, opposed to the university bound students, which
require research knowledge. Hence, teachers mold the curriculum
based on their students.

Who controls the pace of the classroom (teachers or students)?

Determining when to step on the gas, or hit the brakes can be

initiated by a variety of factors depending upon the country. In the
Netherlands, students have nearly complete control of the pace.
This can go as far as teacher behavior as well. Depending upon the
student body, teachers may write an agenda on the board for their
assistance. It is not a common practice, but they are always subject
to change. Often times, a teacher may say that ten minutes will be
spent on an activity. Based on how the students respond to the
material could easily change the length to fifteen or twenty
minutes. Thus, how students respond is a gauge for the teacher,
signaling move on or slow down. In conjunction with that,
questions that the students ask tell the teacher when to elaborate,
cover extra material due to heightened interest, or what has
potentially been missed. Overall student behavior during each
lesson also influences the pace. When the students are rowdier,
more time is spent on material. They don’t leave students in a
lurch. There is no rush to move at a steady or fast pace if the
students have difficulty keeping up.

Is there a particular sequence followed by instructors at the high school level for
material acquisition (syllabus)?

In accordance with the government’s desires, teachers are

required to touch upon certain topics throughout the year. Thus,
77
they may have a general idea of the topics to get through within
the school year or a given lesson, but it is not explicitly stated in
the form of a document. At some schools, the teacher does not
devise the assignments either. For instance, at Fivelcollege in
Delfzijl and Piter Jelles in Leeuwarden, there are science lab
assistants. In Delfzijl, at least for the VMBO component, the
teachers tell these assistants the material that will be covered in a
given week. Then the assistants devise assignments accordingly.
Also, a syllabus would never be found in a free school. Having
such a document would limit the students’ ability to create their
own textbooks and mold their learning to fit their interests.
Additionally, at the Montessori school, they seem to have a
sequence developed for content coverage based on previous years,
but it is for the teachers to use as guidelines. Student behavior and
material acquisition speed ultimately controls the timetable.

How is the school system arranged in the Netherlands, and how does it seem to
function?

As far as the schools are concerned, there are several cells that
build up the intricate body that is the Netherlands’s high school
system. With respect to school size, the enrollment may be over a
thousand, but campuses, age, or buildings usually separate the
students. At Fivelcollege in Delfzijl, their population levels off at
around 1050 students. All of the students are at the same campus,
regardless of age, but three buildings that reflect their ability
tracking separate them. So, due to the sectioning, students can feel
as if they are in a school of 350. Piter Jelles in Leeuwarden takes a
similar stance on having all student age groups in the same
building, but students are not sectioned off to different sectors
based on ability. Their enrollment for one campus is 1200. They
have two or three campuses altogether in Leeuwarden, but one is a
Gymnasium. Those, although affiliated at times with certain
schools, have been at different locations for every school visited
thus far. Building separation based on ability, aside from the
Gymnasium, is also not the case for Zernike College in Groningen,
Vrije School Groningen, Dockinga College Ferwerd, and Zernike
Montessori in Groningen. All except the Vrije School, however, do
separate by age between campuses. These age groupings are cut
straight down the middle. Students ages 12-15 are at one location,
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while students ages 16-18 are at another. In addition, their
campuses are most commonly under 1000 students. Their
enrollments for single locations are as follows: Zernike College
Groningen 250 students, Vrije School Groningen 500 students
(two buildings), Dockinga College Ferwerd 220 students, and
Zernike Montessori Groningen 600 students. The size of these
schools may be attributed to building ages and land availability.
This is due to the fact that the sizes are pretty uniform across the
board, older facilities are smaller and the newer buildings (Piter
Jelles and Fivelcollege) are larger.
Another structural characteristic shared between the schools are
their ability levels tracking system. All in all there are five major
levels: VMBO, HAVO, VWO, Atheneum, and Gymnasium. These
tracks are across the board for all subjects. Therefore, when a
student performs poorly in science and math, but demonstrates
better abilities in language and fine arts, they may fall into the trap
of being tracked lower in their strong subjects. Also, each level
varies in the amount of theoretical and practical instruction. Lower
levels receive more practical lessons and higher levels receive
almost solely theoretical. Where a student filters to all depends on
the joint decision made between students, teachers, and parents
occurring just prior to entering high school. This crucial point in a
student’s education plays a major part in determining their future.
Starting from the bottom up is the VMBO. They put the strongest
emphasis on practical knowledge and experience training and
contain the largest percentage of the student population. It takes
four years to complete. Then a student may either enter the
workforce or advance to the MBO (trade school). If they enter the
workforce at age 16, there is a partial compulsory education
mandating two days a week of school until age eighteen. Then they
are free to work full-time. Another less traveled route is advancing
to the fourth year of HAVO after completion of VMBO. The reason
this is a less traveled route is because the government strongly
discourages jumping levels. Since it costs them more money, they
make the test requirements very top notch. So, bumping up at any
level is a difficult process. In addition to that, there are four
divisions within the VMBO. Each division of VMBO varies the
amount of vocational and theoretical studies. The larger the size of
a school allows them to separate VMBO students by class, but often
times they are all together, especially for the first three years of
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study. Some schools like the Montessori in Groningen group them
with lower HAVO students during this time frame.
Next up from the VMBO is the HAVO. These students receive a
balanced amount of practical and theoretical studies. Once all is
said and done, it takes five years to complete. Again, students can
jump up to the next highest level, VWO, but they must spend two
years in the program instead of progressing with students their age.
Typically, these students advance to a HBO, which is the same level
as the NHL University in Leeuwarden. However, after their third
year, the students are eligible to attend the MBO.
Crawling up the hierarchy of progression, VWO follows HAVO.
Six years are required for completion. Students that follow this
tract receive more theoretical instruction than practical knowledge.
They usually advance to the university, but with increased ability
comes increased flexibility. Thus, after their third year, they can
advance to the MBO. Along with that, after their final year they can
also head to a HBO. Both of these are also true for the two
divisions of VWO, Atheneum and Gymnasium.
As far as the last two highest levels are concerned, they are the
Atheneum and the Gymnasium. When it comes to ability,
Atheneum students and Gymnasium students are exactly the same.
Their learning is geared towards preparing them for the university
so theoretical lectures dominate more so than the other levels.
Similarly, they have the same post secondary education options.
Yet, the Atheneum and Gymnasium do have a few differences.
Atheneum students do not receive Latin and Greek lessons, but
Gymnasium does. Also, less than five percent of the student
population attends Gymnasiums, so their facilities are limited in
number.
With respect to the government’s role in the functioning of
schools, they control the wallet and create certain regulations.
There is virtually no separation between church and state when it
comes to schools. Private religious schools are still given equal
funding as nonreligious public schools. On top of that, they also
receive alumni or private donations. Thus, often times these
schools will have better facilities compared to their public school
counterparts. Also, they may have a more favorable student body
because they can make up an excuse to deny trouble-making
children. Along with that, the Dutch Ministry of Education
requires a “basis forming” for all students. This consists of fifteen
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courses deemed necessary for the first three years of education.
They include Dutch, English, German, French, geography, history,
a combination course of physics and chemistry, applied
technology, physical education, home economics/healthcare,
drama, computers/information technology, art, biology, and
economics/mathematics. All of these courses are taken throughout
these three years. Most are taken every year within the three. This
is due to the fact that all classes do not meet everyday of the week.
The amount of days a particular class meets may even vary
between schools. After completing this phase of education, at age
16, students begin specialization. Thus, they can drop and add
courses based on their likes and dislikes.
In conjunction with that, this raises the question of emphasis on
practical or content studies. By creating a “basis forming”
requirement, it allows for students to learn a variety of life skills
early on in their high school career. Also, since specialization
allows students to explore their interests, they are not hindered by
the government’s bias pertaining to notion of what ought to be
learned by students by the time they exit the high school. Hence,
the students have the flexibility to learn what is practical for them
and the content follows. With this in place, teachers aren’t held as
accountable for student performance nor are they caught “teaching
to the test”. It is mainly the students that carry this responsibility.
In addition to that, with the large age disparity amongst students,
schools need to address the issue of bullying. Some schools
promote bully awareness through a Pesten (bullying) program.
These allow schools to regulate tensions between peers and upper
classmen to lower classmen. They function by teaching students
how to define victims and bullies. From this students are able to
realize what role they play and hopefully change them for the
better.

How are Dutch classrooms oriented?

A classroom is a classroom, is a classroom, is a classroom: wrong.

In the Netherlands, much like elsewhere in the world, format
depends on floor plan. Thus, their locations and figures may vary.
These differences may also be seen across the type of schools as
well. This may also be due to the age of buildings and the ability
level of students. However, some similarities do remain. The
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Dutch government requires all classrooms to have windows on at
least one side. Often times, they have two. One side faces the
outside, while the other faces the hallway. Distractions seem to be
of little concern. The classroom is desired as an open environment,
fostering creativity and relaxed intellectual thought. When a
building lacks windows, it can feel like a prison. Its atmosphere can
contain thoughts and limit learning. Mood goes hand in hand with
motivation.
As far as types of schools are concerned, trends can be noticed
across the board for certain types of schools. This pertains mainly
to desk arrangement. The room is a different story. There are two
different types of arrangements: Montessori and traditional. For
the Montessori, desks are arranged in groups. Usually, these groups
are at most four to six desks. This setup seems to be ideal for
hands on activities, group work, and labs. However, students are
often times distracted with this arrangement during lectures.
Hence, a simple solution would be to have students pull their
chairs to the front of the class for the time being. Then they return
to their seats at the end of the lecture. This helps ensure that
limited side conversations would take place and that all eyes are on
the teacher. On the flip side is the traditional format. Desks are
arranged in columns and rows. Mostly, these columns and rows are
in pairs of desks, but it depends on the classroom. Regardless of
that aspect, they prompt the students to keep their eyes forward,
which requires the students to physically turn their entire bodies to
talk to a neighbor thereby making socialization more noticeable to
the teacher. Group work, however, is made more difficult, but a
little perspiration never hurt anybody. So, columns and rows can
easily be manipulated into tables. Also, class discussions may even
be better with a u-shaped desk arrangement. Thus, management
can easily be achieved with a little planning ahead on part of the
teacher. Desks are not permanent and neither should a classroom’s
layout.
Although most classrooms are found in a traditional or lab
format, renovations in schools, regardless of type, seem to have
one thing in mind: openness and warmth. Class designs and
locations are changing. Walls are being knocked down and natural
light is favored over electric lighting. No longer are classrooms
apart from hallways or each other. They exist in harmony. Despite
the fact that this creates a more comfortable environment for the
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students, it is easy for them to become too comfortable.
Distractions run rampant. Activities in the hallways can easily draw
students from their studies. Some classes may interfere with others
in the crossfire of lecturing. Additionally, as a one class takes a test,
another may be lecturing. This potentially destroys any efforts that
the student may have made studying the entire night before.
Hence, with the heightened amount of distractions comes a never-
ending struggle for the teachers to continually grasp every student’s
attention. An open warm learning environment may be the
ultimate desire of students and educators, but its practicality may
be jeopardized by unwanted interferences.

How do teachers conduct themselves in the Netherlands?

Across the board, teachers in the Netherlands exhibit several

similarities. Let’s start from the beginning of a typical class period.
Typically, teachers enter the classroom ten to fifteen minutes
before their class. However, this of course depends on whether or
not another class occurred before theirs. Either way, punctuality
sends a positive message to students. Practices vary, however, with
respect to greeting students. Other than at the free schools, they
are not greeted at the door as they enter. At most, the uttered
words are “hi, take a seat”. Succinct monotone greetings lack
emotion. They tune students out before the lesson even begins.
Even a smile could change the entire starting atmosphere. Instead,
when the students tune out, the teacher spends the next five
minutes trying to gain their attention back so that the lesson can
proceed.
Similarly, the effects of student and teacher relations can also be
seen throughout various schools in the Netherlands. Teachers of
traditional and religious schools are referred to on a title and
surname basis, whereas the Montessori and free schoolteachers are
referred to on a first name basis. This yields a series of tradeoffs.
As a whole, student participation in the Netherlands is off the
charts. However, differences can be seen due to the different
references to teachers in different schools. For instance, Students
in Montessori and free schools are the most active with respect to
participation, but control is harder to maintain. On the flip side are
the traditional and religious public schools. They expect students
to refer to them on a title and surname basis. This creates a
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heightened status level for the teacher, which aids management.
Although, with the loss of informalities, students feel less inclined
to participate. Yet, this is easier to accomplish than lost control in
the Montessori and free systems. However, note that the effects
are hindered by permitting food and drink in the classroom. Also,
any lack of strict restrictions with respect to electronic devices does
the same. Both had very loose regulations in most classrooms
visited. Thus, reestablishing control was often an issue throughout
the period.
Along with that, all schools visited did not have a teacher dress
code. Thus, most teachers taught in jeans and a fleece top. At the
very best, a teacher wore a button down shirt, brown dress pants,
and dress shoes. This reflects a level of respect and status on part
of the teacher. Grown up and well presented, they are able to
convey a more credible image that students have an easier time
trusting for knowledge. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the
most casual came in unshaven, with a t-shirt, jeans, and athletic
shoes. It was not for a physical education class. Students have
plenty of peers. They don’t need friends; they need teachers. When
a teacher comes in dressed like a bum on the street, it doesn’t show
that he cared about the lesson. It reflects a lack of preparation and
respect for students. Hence, they pay less attention to the gospel of
knowledge. That is hardly the leadership qualities that are sought
out amongst teacher candidates.
Also, uses or lack thereof of the blackboard were fairly standard.
It was not common to write an agenda on the board or go over the
daily activities as a whole with the students. In the event that a
teacher did write and go over an agenda, they received a
heightened attention from students. This also leaves surprises out
of the lesson. Students like to know what will be taking place in a
given day. Not only does it come across as a certain degree of
control, but then they also know what is expected of them. During
lecture, teachers often foster student involvement through inquiry
and guided questioning. This is where the blackboard got its most
usage. It’s good to give students a visual to compliment a
discussion. There’s usually no need for closed (raising hands) or
selective (random selection by teacher) participation. Students
often participate openly and actively. Often, it sets a steady pace
for the class. Pupils have greater control over the pace of the class
and it provides a substantial amount of feedback for the teacher.
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Then waiting until test scores is not necessary to determine their
level of comprehension. Every teacher also has a distinct walk
pattern that can influence this participation. The highest
participation was observed in closest proximity to the teacher.
However, most teachers stayed towards the front of the class with
their movements. This thereby limits the overall classroom
involvement, which becomes localized in a few pockets of the
classroom. In addition to that, students that are louder than others
tend to dominate participation and hold other students back.
Sometimes, in certain circumstances where it is desirable to combat
this, it may be necessary to implement a selective method to
increase a broader involvement throughout the classroom.
Despite differences across systems, conduct is a pretty universal
theme in education. Not everything is black and white, but there
are things that definitely work better than others. Certain behaviors
lead to specific consequences, so here are some possible solutions
to finding better management in a classroom. Take it from the top
with welcoming students. It goes hand in hand with an agenda.
Teachers that greet students at the door with a handshake and
smile set a positive tone for the classroom. Comment on their new
haircut or fancy brand new Nikes. Compliments tell students them
that they are noticed. On one side of the board should be a set of
expectations for the day. As a side note, do not permit food or
drink in the classroom. It just serves as one more distraction to
preoccupy students outside the lecture. Anyway, continuing on
with the day, a warm greeting would also be helpful in the middle
of the board as well. This will temporarily tune the students in on a
teacher. Five minutes of undivided attention has now been gained.
Yet, this is only half of the beginning. Once the bell has rung and
all the students have entered, the agenda should be addressed. Be
sure to include mental breaks of a minute or so to allow for
transition between major activities. Teaching for fifty or a hundred
minutes straight can be tiring, so imagine how the students feel
since they are learning material for the first time. This also allows
the teacher to recollect their thoughts and organize the next
segment of the lesson. Also, lecture should be held to a minimum.
Students at best can withstand fifteen minutes of lecture at a time
with their highest amount of focus. Any point thereafter, it tends
to fade. During lecture, an instructor should try to ask guiding
questions to increase student involvement. This too will increase
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their level of focus with respect to the lecture. Knowing that they
may be called on within a moments notice keeps them on their
toes.
Additionally, the relationship between students and teachers is
important as well. Although a personal relationship may be desired
between students, there needs to be a distinct division between
teachers and students. Otherwise, students see an instructor as
more of a peer than a superior. Therefore, students should refer to
teachers on a title and surname basis. A teacher should also wear
dress clothes. It reflects status and will enhance the respect
students give to a teacher as long as the teacher is able to show
compassion over dominance. Prowling the premises helps
management too. Students feel uncomfortable with a teacher
watching over their back. They can’t get away with as much
misbehavior. In so doing, they will also feel more inclined to
participate because it goes hand in hand with a teacher moving to a
quieter area of the classroom. At the beginning or end of the class,
homework should be written on the board. Recap on the lesson,
go over the homework, and share appreciation for a wonderful
lesson.

What are the content standards and format for chemistry teacher education?

As far as my understanding is concerned, most teacher education

is completed at a professional Bachelor’s institution (HBO). There
are seven of these institutions throughout the Netherlands that
have a teacher education program for chemistry. Seven professors
develop the standards for students within their chemistry teacher
education programs; their meetings are comprised of one teacher
from each of the seven schools that has a program. At this level, as
well as within high schools, it is also common to follow American
textbooks throughout the course of study. Here students most
commonly major in education and minor in their content area; this
limits graduates from teaching higher level students and also poses
the questions surrounding the importance of content proficiency
opposed to emphasizing teaching pedagogy and methodology.
Another way to obtain a teaching certification is via the university
(WO). When utilizing the latter avenue, it is common for the
teaching candidate to obtain a Bachelor’s of Arts or Science in
their content area and then get a Master’s in their respective
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content area. This degree pathway also allows prospective teachers
to instruct a wider age range of students, as well as those with
higher academic ability. Rumor has it that the privilege difference
resulting between the varying weights that the two degrees carry
sparks a big debate.
When it comes to student teaching (Stages) or clinical experiences,
the Dutch programs appear to get a jump-start on most US
programs. At least with respect to the NHL University in
Leeuwarden, clinical hours begin within schools as often and early
as once every other week for the first year of study. If we assume
16 week semesters, that implies that 30-50 hours minimum of
observational experience is already obtained within the first year.
During the second year, this becomes a once a week ordeal. It is
also typical for students to start taking over tasks and teaching
within the classroom then. Again the amount of clinical experience
doubles from their “sophomore year” to “junior year”, as they are
within a classroom twice a week and start to take over lessons on a
regular basis. Thus, by the time they enter student teaching,
students have obtained 200-300 hours of clinical experience as a
bare minimum. This is more than the standard at Illinois State
University of 100 hours of pre-student teaching clinical experience.
Yet, there exists a set of potentially large differences. Most clinical
hours obtained at Illinois State University are observational hours
opposed to instructional; the majority of these are usually obtained
within the last two years of study. In contrast to that, there is a
steady increase in hour accumulation by students within the
Netherlands, which allows for a greater amount of teaching
experience, even in the first year, rather than observation.
To cap off the Dutch practical studies, there is the actual stage
(student teaching). Ideally, students will complete around 10 hours
of teaching per week for their entire fourth year of studies. Some
students also juggle a couple content classes at their respective
university during this time. In the event that all theoretical classes
have been completed though, students can opt to student teach in
an area of their choice. If they are not within the Netherlands
mainland, many go to current Dutch possessions within the
Caribbean: the Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao, Bornaire, Aruba,
Sint Maarten, etc.). Other students have also completed part of
their stage in the United States.

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Appendix

VMBO/HAVO/ATHENEUM

Streams in Dutch school system

LIONS Congres: Leraren In Opleiding Natuurkunde Scheikunde.

Annual meeting of all student teachers in science. Workshops for
and by students. Place to meet and greet young fellow teachers.

Red Cliff: historical place in Friesland. Used as a meeting place for

extreme regionalist Frisians.

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Stroopwafels & Bikes: “Bringing stroopwafels to Germany and parents’
bikes back to the Netherlands”
As Germans were forced to withdraw from the Netherlands
towards the conclusion World War II, they confiscated Dutch
bicycles as means to return to their homeland. Hence this
disdainful phrase developed into a common joke regarding
Germans, whether it was due to a loss in a soccer match, skating,
or in my case it was mentioned in passing regarding my intentions
to make a quick trip to visit family in Germany.

Elfstedentocht: The “Eleven City Tour” is a long distance speed

skating event that cuts through each of the eleven Frisian cities:
Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum,
Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, and Dokkum. It is approximately
200 kilometers in length and consists of a course comprised of
frozen lakes, rivers, and canals. This event can only take place if
the weather is cold enough to freeze all lakes, rivers, and canals
covering the course. Thus, since it does not occur annually, it is a
very symbolic and special event when conditions permit it to
happen. The winner often obtains the accolades of a national hero.

NHL University: The Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden is a

university of applied sciences. In the Dutch school system, it is
considered a HBO (Hoger Beroepsonderwijs); these four-year
institutions of higher education provide a balance of theoretical
instruction and professional training. Once an adequate amount of
credits (240 EC = European Credits) have been obtained, students
will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree; however, for certain fields
of study, students can also continue their academic career at a HBO
for an extra year or two in order to obtain a Master’s degree. The
current enrollment at the NHL University exceeds 10,000 students,
a growing number of which are participating in international
exchange programs such as Erasmus. Its facilities also offer over
150 different studies in the realm higher vocational training.
(http://www.nhl.nl)

Terra Inco gni ta: F ro m su bu rb s to Frisi a

This book describes the first months at NHL University and
school visits. Full text (240 pages) at www.scribd.com

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