Stijn Rooms
stijn@schoolmakers.be
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stijn-rooms-0202786b/
As a School Maker, Stijn believes in the power of connection and sustainability. In his coaching and training, he stands for a systemic approach in which challenges are tackled holistically and in a solution-oriented way.
Intrigued by conflicts and mediation
Even as a child, schoolteacher Stijn was interested in everything to do with conflicts and mediation. No wonder, then, that he chose to study history, followed by ‘conflict and development’: “I wanted to better understand processes and systems in order to recognise patterns and better understand current affairs.”
A passion that Stijn wanted to pass on to young people as a teacher. After four months of teaching in Portugal, he entered the world of education here as well. Via interim contracts, he worked as a history teacher in various schools, until he was offered a permanent contract in a school in Dendermonde, where he soon became deputy director. He satisfied his hunger for everything concerning conflict mediation with various training courses, from hergo-moderator to family mediation.
Empowering (personal) leadership
His expertise in mediation and his experience in different schools ensure that Stijn can easily empathise with the different functions and levels at a school. He wants to use this multiple partiality to support schools and (future) education professionals in the change processes and challenges that characterise the education landscape.
In doing so, he likes to think about how to strengthen teachers and principals in their roles and strengthen them as professionals. Both (personal) leadership and the commitment to a connecting classroom and school climate are addressed.
Letting pupils make leaps in life and learning
Developing a holistic and widely supported vision of pupil guidance is also close to Stijn’s heart. “By thinking carefully about how you supervise pupils, you can take steps towards what ultimately matters: getting pupils to make leaps in life and learning.” Stijn believes that schools can become hotspots where people and organisations who care about our children and young people come together.
This is where you can meet Stijn
Sport is Stijn’s outlet: running, cycling and mini-football clear his head. Or ‘build a campfire in the garden’ along with some good music.
