The schools in my area have started up again, and for the first time in three years, I'm not involved in the Bit Academy.

As a coach, I was part of Bit Academy's IT education track, a form of hybrid teaching in which I brought practical field knowledge to assist the "real" teachers one day a week.

Personal growth

As a coach at Bit Academy, you are responsible for teaching new skills to the students. Since these are entry-level students, starting at about seventeen years old, an experienced developer will have little problem knowing the answers to their questions.

What I didn't expect was that this job, which seemed easy on paper, would give me the most personal growth of any job in years. I had already trained several people at commercial jobs on more complex subjects. How different could this be?

The difference was huge. Teenagers who just graduated from high school and were legally mandated to attend school are wildly different from university graduates who are grateful for your help.

In the first few weeks, I was so bad at the job that my colleague almost gave up on me. However, something clicked, and it worked out in the end. I went from being unable to handle fourteen students to not being phased by forty of them (I wasn't on my own, though).

You have to be sure of who you are with young students: they work best with consistency. Every teacher has a style, and I initially tried to mimic a colleague whose methods didn't match mine. Once I found my brand, I felt much more comfortable in class.

As one colleague said, it's good to be different because every student needs a teacher with whom they can vibe.

It's hard to describe precisely what I learned in three years at the school, but I know it made me a better person.

Bittersweet goodbye

Leaving the school was something I was ready for, but it also felt odd. A lack of a specific qualification (originally not on the table at all) bars me from getting a permanent contract, but I also specifically chose not to pursue those qualifications.

At this time, I am not willing to spend more time in the highly bureaucratic school system. The qualifications needed are also a problem since the local providers offer these as a course that conflicts with my brand of learning disability (ADHD et al.).

However, the students were terrific, and seeing them grow into developers after starting from scratch was very satisfying. I am already looking forward to their graduation ceremonies and maybe as future colleagues.

Proud

Looking back at the last three years, I feel proud. We brought the Bit Academy from Amsterdam to Groningen as its first "franchise" and added our own twist. (With "we," I mostly mean my amazing colleagues, as I was only there one day a week.)

We had excellent students who had said they couldn't succeed at school in the past, but they told us they felt like they were in the right place for the first time. Being a less traditional form of education, these are the success stories we love to hear.

We scored high in student satisfaction polls, had students proudly show us their work, some joining challenges, and returned with prizes, all in a relatively short time.

While this education is officially called "lower vocational education," which is far from the Dutch version of university, our students successfully worked together with older, international students at higher education levels—a feat that hopefully won't go unnoticed in the future.

Wrap-up

Dealing with a horde of teenagers can be scary, but they are pretty awesome once you get to know them.

The job exposed me to a whole rollercoaster of emotions. Teenagers, in general, can be challenging, but at school, you get to learn them better. We had many fun and high-achieving moments, but equally, there have been difficult situations. Crying teenagers and heartbreaking stories are sadly also a part of the job.

My colleagues were also supportive, lovely human beings who want to do right by their pupils. Not every student is lucky to have one, let alone multiple teachers who genuinely care for them.

If there is one upside to the ADHD brain, it's that the extreme "out of sight, out of mind" rule applies to work as well. Hence, I don't miss the job, but I have been left with many lovely memories.

I hope to be back as a guest lecturer and attend the graduation ceremonies of my old students.

It was a wild ride, and it was a good one.

Happy first day at school, everyone!