Aletta van der Heiden (4th-year Primary Teacher Education student at Driestar Christian University for Teacher Education) had the opportunity to go abroad for over two months thanks to Erasmus+. Below is her story.
An experience that stays with me…
"Going abroad is truly enriching, and you learn a lot from it." I had always been a bit skeptical about such statements. Of course, you will learn something from it, but do you really learn as much as people say? In my opinion, people just enjoy traveling and going away. However, after doing an internship in Scotland for a few months as part of the minor in Christian Education, I have changed my mind.
Personal
It may sound obvious, but I have definitely become more independent. Even though I was already living in student housing during the week before my internship, going abroad on my own to a place where I knew no one was a whole new level. I decided to explore as much as possible and ended up visiting most of the museums, churches, and art galleries in Edinburgh, as well as several places outside the Scottish capital. In the Netherlands, I wouldn’t have done this alone so easily, but there I did—and I actually really enjoyed it. Being more on my own also made me more dependent on God. Even small setbacks pointed me back to Him, and looking back, I have learned a lot from those moments.
Flexibility is something you also learn abroad. When living in someone else’s home, you adapt to their ways, and when you find that a place you planned to visit is unexpectedly closed, you simply go somewhere else instead.
Tiny school
Of course, I didn’t just visit places—I had my internship at Mannafields Christian School every day. This Christian school receives no government funding. It was incredibly small, with only 18 students in total. I learned a lot about integrating faith into the curriculum, as the school works with themes focused on the attributes of God. I also discovered that students are more independent than I had expected. For example, in math, there was no whole-class instruction; instead, students were individually helped with their questions. But beyond that, I learned to look beyond outward behavior—to ask, what’s behind it? Sometimes, there are truly heartbreaking home situations, and when you know about them, a child’s misbehavior suddenly makes sense.
Hospitality
Spending 2.5 months in Scotland also meant going to church every Sunday and Thursday evening. I felt so at home there—both because of the teaching and the people. From the very first time I walked into the church, I was invited to join people at their homes between the services. This allowed me to get to know people of all ages, from young children to those who could have been my grandparents. Age didn’t matter at all.
The hospitality of these people was incredible. Even before they knew me, they welcomed me into their homes! There were even Sundays when I was invited by three different families for the same day. First come, first served, I suppose... But it made me reflect: how loving and hospitable are we? Speaking for myself, I have learned a lot—but I still have some homework to do…
This enriching experience was made possible through the support of Erasmus+, which enables international collaboration and professional development. Through this program, we were able to engage in meaningful exchanges, broaden our perspectives, and strengthen our commitment to high-quality, values-driven education. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to building on these international connections in the future!