Matthijs van Hilten

Hola, my name is Matthijs (or Matt if it's easier) from Amsterdam, NL but originally from The Hague. I am 29 years old and I come from a loving family of three in which I'm the youngest (older brother and sister).

The problem with talking about my hobbies is that I have (too) many. Skiing, sports (almost any, both watching and playing), movies, tv shows, music, presenting (I create and present my own music quizzes), reading, cooking, traveling etc. I could probably keep going for a while. I am very energetic and have a passion for trying new things all the time. "Routine" is my enemy and I don't like making choices, therefore I have acquired so many hobbies.

I had a pretty standard childhood focusing mainly on sports (field hockey, football and tennis) but also academics. I discovered my passion for history early on, predominantly because of the stories it contained. Example: my great aunt (aunt of my father) was in the Dutch Resistance during WWII and just talking to her inspired me. After I graduated high school I lived in Italy (Bologna and Rome) for one year to study Italian.

When I was 19 years old I started my History studies. Even though I enjoyed studying history, I eventually became a management consultant after I graduated in 2013. I've worked as a consultant for 3 years before I realized I wasn't inspired by it. I decided to "return" to history and pursue my passion for teaching. I've always enjoyed traveling and interacting with people from all over the world, especially in English. Therefore I wanted to obtain my teaching degree in English, because I would like to teach abroad.

I haven't had much experience teaching yet. A few years ago I did teach a professor of History Dutch which he could use in his lectures, but I had never taught a high school class up till now. So far I've taught over 20 classes this year, so I am starting to build some experience.

So far I enjoy teaching at my school: the Rotterdam International Secondary School. Because it is an international school, the CLIL-aspect is less visible during class. However, I enjoy teaching in English and trying to inspire the students.

I don't have any expectations of the telecollaborative exchange yet but I am very curious to find out what it will be like. I've always had a profound interest in others, especially people from other countries/cultures. Therefore I am looking forward to working with my Spanish peers.

Hasta luego!