The teacher of tomorrow is being trained today, together, in practice. Schools, school boards and teacher training colleges within the Hollands Noorden Education Region are joining forces for this purpose in a single training school. Here, theory, practice and mentoring are connected, enabling student teachers to develop in a professional learning environment.
Opleidingsschool Hollands Noorden builds on the collaboration of the former training schools AONHW and ROWF. This creates a single regional partnership in which schools and teacher training institutes are jointly responsible for training future teachers.
Why a training school?
The education labour market in our region is changing rapidly. The demand for qualified teachers is growing, outflow due to retirement is increasing and inflow from teacher training colleges is lagging behind. At the same time, the group of student teachers is becoming more diverse. Alongside regular students, an increasing number of career changers and dual-study students are choosing a learning pathway that combines work and training. These developments call for a joint approach. By collaborating regionally, schools and teacher training institutions can safeguard the quality of training, share expertise and offer students appropriate support, regardless of the route they follow.
Workplace training
The training school organises learning where it takes place: at school. Student teachers develop their professional skills in everyday educational practice, guided by workplace mentors, school-based teacher educators and institute-based teacher educators. This guidance aligns with the student's training phase and learning pathway. Within the training school, there is scope for various pathways, such as regular placements, dual-training tracks and career switchers. The underlying principle remains the same: a coherent training programme in which practical experience, guidance and theory reinforce one another.
A continuous developmental pathway
The Training School forms part of a broader vision on professional development. Teacher training does not stop upon obtaining a qualification. The mentoring of newly qualified teachers, professionalisation of experienced teachers and the connection with research and innovation also form part of the regional partnership. In this way, we are working towards a sustainable infrastructure for the learning and development of teachers in our region.