My name is Gioia van Hijkoop and I am 23 years old. I am from Naaldwijk, which is a village in South Holland (the Netherlands). In the school year 2022/2023 I graduated as an elementary school teacher at the Thomas More Hogeschool in Rotterdam. During my studies I followed a specialization in the young child. In addition, this past school year I was a teacher within unit 7/8 at the Joannesschool. This is a school that uses unit education where regular classes are replaced by groups with different age groups.

After college, I left almost immediately to Canada to live in Vancouver with my boyfriend. De Esdoorn quickly caught my attention because I believe that Dutch education is incredibly valuable and I would like to start passing on my enthusiasm in Dutch traditions.

As a teacher, I try to be involved with children and parents while building a good bond of trust. I find working at de Esdoorn a very nice challenge and I look forward to helping children and adults with the Dutch language and culture!