Rob is an enthusiastic speaker, workshop leader, presenter and advisor, who tells his stories in an amusing way and of course with some self-mockery. He promises his audience a smile on the face, catchy examples that will stick with them, but also a large dose of self-reflection and the ambition to change things starting tomorrow.

He encourages his audience to start with what we know about learning instead of just starting to teach (/preach to) students. Focus on growth instead of grading, and really start with the learner (student or co-worker). He also speaks about creating a playful school, the role of technology, and transitioning education from a managerial perspective. He believes that if you don’t treat your employees the way you want them to treat the students, they will never be successful. Furthermore, he is open and honest about all the ups and downs you will face if you have the courage to do the same.

Want to meet Rob?
Get in touch, have a look at his schedule or view one of his speeches:

In 2013, Sjef Drummen, Jan Fasen, Bert Martens and Bert Sterken, all principals in the Roermond area got together to write Agora’s vision document. In August 2014 a small group of teachers got the chance to start Agora in the city of Roermond (The Netherlands) with 30 students. In May 2015 Rob got a short phone call: Hi Rob, this is Sjef speaking. Can we talk about working for Agora? He surprised Rob, but Rob said yes. And Sjef responded: okay tomorrow at noon and hung up on him. They had never spoken before, but knew each other. Rob found out where his office was and went over there the day after. Sjef talked for about 5 minutes. Rob answered two questions, and Sjef told him: within I couple of years, I’m going to retire, you must be my successor. Rob told him that one of the biggest reasons he wanted to come over is to get out of the office and be part of a team that really wants to make their hands dirty. Working with children, not managing. And that’s how Rob became one of the five team members (teachers, coaches, Agorian Masters, whatever you want to call it) at Agora in 2015.

In July 2018, when Agora grew, someone had to represent the Agora students and staff during management meetings. The outside world was looking for hierarchy: a team leader. Rob accepted the job under one condition: the goal should be making the role of a team leader redundant. Since then, Rob is responsible for the development of Agora according to its vision and helping his colleagues to grow as a self-organized team.

Do you need information in English about Agora?
Check out Agora at Hundred.org

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Want to know more? Read about leadership, check out Rob’s blog.
Want to meet Rob? Look at his schedule or get in touch.