A conversation with Geert Buijtenweg, lecturer and team leader of the teaching section, and junior lecturers Hedwig Musch and Emilie Maas about earning the Growth in Education (GO) credential: the national quality mark for programmes that offer excellent guidance and development opportunities for new lecturers in higher education.
How did it feel to receive the GO credential, handed to you by the rector magnificus of VU Amsterdam?
Geert: “Proud, of course! But also a bit like: it makes sense. We’ve been doing this for years. We’ve come a long way in co-teaching and mentoring. For our junior lecturers, we’ve been working for years with what we call the Powerful Eight: an onboarding programme, peer meetings, a mentor, classroom observation, a GOordinator, a buddy system, a growth plan and dedicated development time.”
Emilie: “Exactly, we just never gave it an official name. Now someone from outside says: you’re doing this really well. That’s validating. When I started here as a junior lecturer, I immediately noticed how normal it was to be included and guided by colleagues. This credential shows that such support isn’t self-evident everywhere. And that makes you proud to be part of such a team.”
Can you give an example of how co-teaching works in practice?
Hedwig: “A good example is the buddy system. One lecturer might have more experience with a course, the other is just starting. You prepare together, teach together and reflect together afterwards. You develop professionally much faster that way than when you carry a course on your own.”
Emilie: “And it doesn’t stop after class. Because we all share the same office, conversations happen naturally. We exchange ideas, ask how someone tackled something, or just vent if something didn’t go as planned. It may sound small, but it makes a world of difference.”
While many institutions let new lecturers learn on the job, you focus on structured guidance.
Geert: “Exactly. At Human Movement Sciences, we have a collaborative culture, including mentoring and classroom observations. You learn the craft by doing it together, just as our students learn through active collaboration.”
How did the process of obtaining the credential help to sharpen this even further?
Emilie: “Well, it wasn’t really an assessment, more like holding up a mirror. You compare your practice to the criteria and see: here we’re doing well and here’s where we can grow.”
Geert: “For example, we started scheduling peer meetings more consistently. We used to do that informally, but the process made us realise how valuable it is to embed this structurally.”
Hedwig: “And it was interesting to suddenly have to name what we were already doing. Things that feel obvious, like co-teaching and giving feedback, suddenly get an official term. It also made me realise: hey, this is actually something special and valuable.”
Hedwig and Emilie, how was it for you as junior lecturers to start in such an environment?
Hedwig: “It helped enormously that I was allowed to learn and make mistakes. That took away a lot of pressure. And you learn quickly. You see how others do it, and you reflect right away.”
Emilie: “I completely agree. Knowing that people have your back makes you step into the lecture hall with joy and confidence.”
You work with a relatively large group of junior lecturers. Does that make a difference?
Hedwig: “Definitely. Many programmes have only one or two junior lecturers; we have an entire group. That means you really experience each other as peers. There’s always someone you can turn to.”
Emilie: “It’s actually a luxury. But it also made us realise we should look beyond our team more often. During the GO process, we thought: how nice would it be to connect with junior lecturers from other programmes? Luckily, that already happens through the Broedplaats of the VU Centre for Teaching & Learning (VU CTL). Such a great place to share ideas and leave inspired.”
The GO credential and its process might sound overwhelming for other programmes. What would you say to them?
Emilie: “I understand the hesitation. It sounds like you’re being assessed. But it’s not like that. It’s a tool, not a monitoring instrument.”
Hedwig: “Exactly. Everything you already do counts, and the criteria are flexible. But you do have to meet the Powerful Eight, those are the essentials.”
Geert: “My advice: start with a conversation. What’s going well, what could be better? You’re probably already further along than you think.”
What do you hope this GO credential will set in motion?
Geert: “My wish is that by 2030 every educational team will have a GO credential. It would make education stronger, for both lecturers and students. I hope this inspires other programmes too. It shows that investing in junior lecturers isn’t just good for them, but for education as a whole at VU Amsterdam.”
Want to know more about the GO credential? Read how your programme can apply.
