Dutch teacher enjoys stay at Sisters

Aspiring teacher Kevin Ferwerda of Dronton, The Netherlands, has spent the past few weeks getting an inside view of the education system of the United States - at Sisters Middle School.

Ferwerda is in the third year of a teaching program in his homeland, and part of the program at that stage is an opportunity to go abroad for a teaching internship.

"I have family in the U.S. and I wanted to see if the things you see in the movies are true," he told The Nugget. "For us Europeans, the United States is the Big Country."

That family is Nicole Montalvo, his aunt, who works for the City of Sisters. So Ferwerda landed an internship at Sisters Middle School, working mostly with Midge Rose in Social Studies.

Ferwerda sees some key differences in educational styles between The Netherlands and the U.S.

"I think the way of teaching is different. There's a lot of room for creativity (here)," Ferwerda said. "A lot of room for writing and reading."

Reading and writing here is emphasized as skill-building, where in The Netherlands it is simply a means of garnering information.

Ferwerda said one of the highlights of his tenure was a trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

"I like that we did that with the kids," he said.

He summed up his experience:

"In one word, it was awesome," he said. "I will (return and) tell them it is really cool to do it and really good to see something other than our own system. I think it enlarges your own teaching. It gives you a broader view of teaching."

For her part, Rose thought the experience was good for Ferwerda, good for her and good for the kids.

She noted that, at the age of 23, Ferwerda is young enough that the middle schoolers found him very easy to relate to - especially as his English got stronger and stronger.

And, she said, "it's good for them to get the European perspective on things."

Rose's class was focused on the Renaissance and the age of conquest during much of his time here. The Dutch were major international naval players in that era - a fact that is little understood today. Rose said Ferderwa "really strengthened my knowledge of the Dutch."

As for the qualities Ferderwa exhibits as a teacher, Rose had high praise: "He's got the gift," she said. "Some people are born to be teachers."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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