Debbie Keijner, 42 year old, Primary School Principal
Debbie Keijner
“I think that the only way we can be truly happy is by finding meaningful work.. For anyone who has doubts, I say just go for it, because it is more rewarding than you can imagine.”
When I was a child I wanted to be a dancer. I became a scientist instead. And then fifteen years ago I started teaching.
I had been searching throughout my life for a profession which would satisfy me and I found this in the field of education.
There wasn’t really a direct switch. It was more like I was not really happy as a scientist. My work in biology was interesting but it was everything around it that made me question if this was what I wanted to do with my life. Being a scientist means being at the intellectual edge but I missed the heart in it and heart is what I found in education.
I now lead a school with 300 children from the ages of four to twelve based on the Montessori philosophy.
I find Montessori comes really close to the essence of what I believe. It defines a child as being full of potential. This is what I believe - that people have so much potential and it is a joy to develop this. In my job I’m also a manager, so I work with the potential of the teachers of the children. In this role I search for the possibilities of people and I work with them to raise their capacity.
I still find the time to dance it is important to find something with which you can express beauty. Because beauty brings you in another mood or another state within which you can think freely.
“I think that the only way we can be truly happy is by finding meaningful work. For anyone who has doubts, I say just go for it, because it is more rewarding than you can imagine.”