Two sides of the same Kees
The professional half and the personal half. You’re not just choosing a curriculum; you’re choosing the person you’ll talk to every week.
💼 The teacher
How I got here
I didn’t start out as a teacher. I spent 8 years working in healthcare IT, where I quickly learnt that interaction and communication was my favorite part of the job, not so much the PowerPoints and Q1 reporting.
So I reinvented myself. I started teaching Dutch on the side, and although the first classes were kind of painful (how to explain my own language😱), I never looked back. Since 2020, Master Dutch has been my full-time mission.
Along the way I’ve taught thousands of students from 60+ countries through classes, webinars, and workshops. It gives me genuine joy to hear a student mention they are using their Dutch “in the wild”.
When class is over
I live in Guayaquil, Ecuador with my wife Samira, my two boys Khai (4) and Zian (1). Together with my two dogs and cat we live in a forest. My wife says I’m funny. She also doesn’t speak a word of Dutch.
I make my own “kroketten”. I run, play padel, play football, and read about psychology and politics. I dream about my own podcast, but I’m too scared to start one. And I constantly ask AI how to discipline my kids.
I send my students funny Reels. I have lived on four different continents. I was born in Maastricht. I am very structured. But I would pick fun over structure any day. Currently I don’t own a bike or fatbike.
