Stan (right) with two students from the Internationale Schakelklas. Personal photo Who: Stan Jansen, a second-year Master’s student of Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology
What: helping the children of expats and refugees with their homework
Why: Teaching each other in a constructive atmosphere is fun
Hourly wage: €12.50
You’ve got to make ends meet somehow. We can all borrow from Uncle Duo, but there are also students who earn money in unusual ways. In this series, we put some interesting side jobs in the spotlight. This time we meet Stan Jansen (22), a tutor at the Internationale Schakelklas, a bridging programme in which the children of expats and refugees are prepared for entry into regular Dutch education in two years.
‘Each tutor works with two students. At the moment, I am tutoring a 19-year-old Ghanaian boy and a 14-year-old Indonesian boy. I help these two with their homework every Saturday morning. But there is much more to it than that. We make the students feel welcome and we create a friendly environment for them. I also help them integrate. We do everything the Dutch way. For instance, they mustn’t be late, which can be difficult sometimes. Contact with Dutch people is important too. I have invited them to my home a few times, and we made pancakes and ate them with my housemates. That side of the work is just as important to me as helping them with their homework.
‘Some pupils have been through difficult experiences. One of the children I tutor is a refugee, I think, but when I ask about it, I get the idea that he doesn’t want to talk about it. I still want to find out, but I have decided not to rush things. My main aim is to make the sessions fun, so they can forget their worries for a while. We have a good relationship; we have been seeing each other once a week for almost a year. We have our running gags, like the fact that I can’t stand spicy food and that they put so much sugar in their tea. I learn things from them too, like to be less preoccupied with yourself, your busy schedule and your own opinions.
I learn things from them too, like to be less preoccupied with yourself, your busy schedule and your own opinions
‘Certain topics are tricky, though. Homosexuality, for instance. That is not as normal for them as it is for us, partly based on their religion. I try to think in terms of cultural relativity, seeing all cultures as equal. But I do just tell them: this is how it is in the Netherlands and how we see this issue. You have to really understand each other first. Only then can you decide what you like and don’t like about a culture.’
The Internationale Schakelklas is looking for new tutors.
Are you or do you know someone with an interesting side job? Send an email to steven.snijders@wur.nl
