When Kate Kirillova was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a dancer or a dance teacher. "I started dancing myself when I was three years old, with a lot of joy. And I always thought it would be so much fun to work with children," she says. After high school, Kate was accepted into the Artisteducator in Dance course (formerly known as Dance in Education). However, she decided to do something else. "I was still very young. Upon further consideration, I wanted to broaden my horizons first and gain experience."
Whether I express myself through movement or, for example, by creating something with paper, makes little difference to me."
Kate chose to study Crossmedia Design at AKI ArtEZ in Enschede. Quite different from dance, isn't it? For Kate, it's not that different. She sees the various art disciplines as one big family. "Whether I express myself through movement or, for example, by creating something with paper, makes little difference to me."
Working with children
In addition to her studies, Kate had various part-time jobs, such as working in an animation team at a campsite. She also tutored and worked as a classroom assistant for a while. "I noticed then that I really enjoy working with children. It's wonderful to see how they learn and how quickly they can improve."
Gap year
Towards the end of the Crossmedia Design course, Kate began to think about her next steps. "When my student finance ended, the question arose: how will I support myself financially and to what extent do I want to do that as an artist? I realized that I needed to build more security for myself. And to explore how I could still become a teacher." Kate decided to take a gap year. "I worked as a ski instructor in Austria for a few months, with children aged 2.5 to 14. It turned out to be even more fun than I had imagined."
During her gap year, Kate also explored various further education options. She felt a connection with the Tailor-Made Fine Art and Design in Education bachelor's course. "During the introductory interview, I was taken very seriously as a creator. It felt right and familiar right away," she recalls. Another plus point for Kate: in the course, you have a lot of personal contact with fellow students and teachers. "That's important to me."
Teachers demonstrate in practice what they also teach us from theory: that there is not one way to be a good teacher. It's important to discover your own teaching style."
Revelation
After her gap year, Kate started the Tailor-Made Fine Art and Design in Education course in Arnhem, where graduated artists and designers can obtain their teaching qualification in two years (accelerated). Kate has classes at ArtEZ two days a week, in addition to her internship. "The general education subjects, such as educational theory and pedagogy, are shared by all students," Kate explains. She speaks highly of these classes. "The nice thing is that teachers all have their own style, their own way of teaching. So they demonstrate in practice what they also teach us from theory: that there is not one way to be a good teacher. It's important to discover your own teaching style."
Classmates
Kate is also enthusiastic about her classmates. "It's a revelation to be in class with people of different ages and backgrounds. Some classmates are fine artists, others are fashion designers or graphic designers, for example. I find that diversity valuable and enriching. What we have in common is that we are all knowledgeable about the art world. This immediately allows for substantive conversations with each other."
I want to help newcomers get to know the Netherlands."
Internship at a Ukrainian school
Kate is now in her second year. In her first year of study, she interned at a vocational school. Shortly thereafter, she found a paid job. "A Ukrainian school was looking for a Dutch teacher who also speaks Russian. I am Russian-speaking myself: I came to the Netherlands when I was twelve. The story of 'having to land somewhere' is very familiar to me. I now feel completely at home in the Netherlands. Now I want to help newcomers get to know this country."
A job where everything comes together
Recently, the Ukrainian school merged with the International Transition Class (ISK class), where newcomers aged 12-16 from various countries learn Dutch in about two years. After that, they move on to secondary or vocational education. Kate was appointed as a visual arts teacher for three days a week. "I'm very happy with that. It's great that I can now talk about something I really know about: art and design."
I want to engage in dialogue with others."
The importance of interaction
Kate explains that as an artist, involving the audience has always been important to her. "The audience is the key factor in performances for me. I want to engage in dialogue with others." She gives an example of how she did this during the Crossmedia Design course: "I created interventions in public spaces, such as large arrows on the ground, and observed how these influenced or did not influence passersby."
Kate sees a parallel with her current work. "As a teacher, you have to arrange the environment in such a way that children want to receive information from you. For example, you can reduce 'disturbance' by rearranging tables so that children don't distract each other. But you are also part of the environment. A change in your approach has an impact. For example, a modification of your instruction can ensure that information is better received."
Children in need
With the Tailor-Made course, you can work in mainstream education. But also in extracurricular art education, for example, at a museum. However, Kate sees herself standing in front of the classroom for the time being. "Working with groups that you get to guide for a longer period appeals to me. And I really love the school context, which I have always experienced as very pleasant and safe."
Continuing to develop
Kate is expected to obtain her teaching qualification in a few months. In the coming years, she would like to continue working in the ISK class. "I strongly feel the urgency to help children in difficult situations." At a later time, Kate may pursue a theoretical master's degree, in education or art history, for example. "I like to keep developing myself!"
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