Within M2Q, we encourage continuous growth, both in methodology and practical experience. In this blog, Jochem shares his first trajectory as Scrum Master within an educational project at the University of Antwerp, where, together with colleague and Agile expert Matthias Six, he was responsible for guiding several student teams during their Agile sprint operation.
For three months, he focused on process optimization, team dynamics and facilitating retrospectives and sprint planning, with the goal of not only getting the students to build software, but also to experience Agile effectively. Thanks to his background in visual communication and additional Scrum Master certification, Jochem was able to translate this assignment into a valuable learning curve, both for the students and himself.
In February, I started a particularly instructive project for the University of Antwerp. For the first time, I stepped into the shoes of a Scrum Master for a period of three months. Together with my colleague Matthias Six, I was allowed to guide students in their Agile way of working, with weekly sessions, full of planning, reflection and growth.
Every Monday morning starting at 8:30 a.m., four to five teams of students came by. In short sessions, we discussed their past sprint, learned from the retrospectives, and planned the next steps. The students worked on building a quiz application. We never saw the application ourselves; we focused mainly on the methodology and the team process.
In mid-March, M2Q also gave me the opportunity to attend an official training course to become a Scrum Master. That training led to a successfully obtained certificate, and nicely complemented the practical experience I was already building in the meantime. It gave me additional insight into the methodology and the confidence to take on this role even more strongly.
I was fortunate not to do this project alone. Together with Matthias Six, colleague with tons of experience in Agile environments, I was able to regularly spar, learn and adjust where necessary. His tips and support were invaluable during my first steps as a Scrum Master.
An extra asset I was able to bring to bear came from an unexpected source. Thanks to my experience as a leader at the Matsijs Youth Studio, drawing school in Herenthout, visualizing the retrospectives was no problem at all. After all, working agile is also about communicating clearly, and there a marker in the hand often helps better than a thousand words.
Recently, the final retrospectives took place. This month follows their project defense, where Matthias and I will be happy to attend to admire the finished product, and of course to play the quiz ourselves. Although we hope the questions are not too difficult, we may be Scrum Masters, but not quizmasters.
I am immensely grateful to M2Q for this opportunity to expand my knowledge, gain practical experience and earn a certificate. This project has only strengthened my enthusiasm for Agile working. I am already looking forward to using these new skills on future projects.
