My time in the Netherlands gave me the opportunity to get to know new sides of myself. As a teacher, you have to know yourself – your own limits, strengths and interests – in order to bring out exactly this in the children you will teach. In this sense, I was able to take a lot with me for my profession and personally.

The city of Zwolle gave me mixed feelings. It was my third choice, and I was worried that the city might be too small for me. Yes, I still prefer bigger cities, but I was able to enjoy the wonderful nature in and around Zwolle.

I also had a train ticket that allowed me to travel all over the Netherlands on the weekends. So, I saw a lot of new cities and places, got to enjoy the Dutch architecture, nature and especially the cycling culture left a lasting impression. What I also really liked was the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) community. They always organized great events and made sure that the Erasmus students had a good time.

Not far from the city centre, I lived in a student residence with many others, which immediately gave me the opportunity to meet new people. I lived in the 9th floor and had an amazing view over Zwolle. However, the housing company SSH was very unreliable and diRicult to contact if there were any problems in the house. I shared a room with a Spanish student for 5 months, which of course meant a lack of privacy. Despite this we managed to make the best out of the situation with a lot of communication. During my stay, my roommate was a constant person who always had an open ear for me. Other friendships and group dynamics naturally faded or deepened over time.

The interactions with the numerous people I got to know there were insightful. I gained new perspectives and heard diRerent opinions. It made me realize my privileges again and how much I live in a “bubble”. The conversations about culture and diRerent countries made me question my own country of origin in a positive way.

Many countries, many languages. Languagewas a frequent topic of conversation. I often asked people how to say things in their language or looked into the origins of words. I also realized what a connection I had to my first language and that I had missed speaking German. Apart from that, my English improved a lot, and my Spanish also benefited.

As a teacher, it is important to have an openness for foreign languages. We should know how children who learn German as a second language feel and how it is to sit in a classroom struggling to follow. We should show understanding for parents who don’t speak German.

I lived in a country where I did not know the language. I think it is nice to understand what the people around you are talking about. It gives you a sense of belonging.

Even after a Dutch course, an internship at a Dutch school, a lot of “Duolingo” and the fact that the language is close to German, I still can’t speak it at a conversational level after five months.

Thanks to my Erasmus experience, I was able to put myself in the shoes of people who live in Austria and speak little to no German yet. After all, understanding something is easier when you have experienced it yourself.

That leads me to my next point – the practical part of my degree. I am glad that I was able to complete an internship in the Netherlands. I was in a class with 4–6-year-olds. Children here start school as early as age 4, and sometimes even at 3. At first, I was annoyed that I was going to have an internship in an age group in which I usually don’t teach, but it was good to take a look “outside the box”. In Austria, kindergartens and schools should work together more anyways and as an educator, any experience with children is useful and educational. The university organized the internship, which I was very happy about.

In addition to that I was very satisfied with my courses at the Windesheim university. Because of the small groups we had, I really learned something. We held discussions, gave presentations and learned a reasonable amount of theory, which I did not only use for the exam but was also able to apply in my internship.

To sum it up – I am motivated. Honestly, not for studying, but for becoming a teacher and everything that belongs to it. I had a lot of time, in which I could work on myself. If you want to work with children later, it is important to know who you are and what you want. I would recommend every prospective teacher to go on an Erasmus semester. For me, it was an enriching, colourful time – full of ups and downs, lots of emotions, constant exchange and self-reflection.

I am infinitely grateful to have had this opportunity.

Foto & Text: Linda Schweizer