Day 4 - School Visit

Today was another successful day for us!  We visited Mannkkaanpuron Koulu today which is another Espoo school.  This school has close to 400 students (ages 5 or 6 to grade 6).  We met with Johanna, the school headmaster/principal.  They were super busy with closing down the school year so we are very grateful to be able to visit.  Everyone that we met made us feel comfortable and welcome.  We talked with three prep teachers (teach the multicultural students in a small, separate class before entering the larger, regular Finnish class).  We visited the 5th and 6th grade class.  The students were very excited that we were from America and were very eager to speak to us in English!  They taught us a little Finnish that they had been learning!  The teacher said that is has been a little bit of a problem this year with the English because the students prefer to speak that than Finnish.  During lessons, they are required to speak Finnish so that they can become accustomed to the language.  We were able to stay almost two hours and learned SO much in that time.  Here is our list from visit #2:

1.  The National Board of Education sets very broad guidelines (what would be similar to our standards but MUCH broader).  Townships can add their own spin for the population.  Then, schools are able to add according to their culture and values.
2.  Teacher work in teams when working on their school improvement.  There are no outside "forces" that come in to evaluate the school.  The teachers within the school work together to make their school better.  "Leading is working together."
3.  At this particular school, every day and every class can be quite different.  The starting and ending times differ from day to day and class to class.  The latest is 3:00pm for 6th graders and that is only once a week.  This facilitates smaller, more individualized learning.
4.  In prep classes, the students new to Finland integrate with their Finnish peers as much as possible. For example, some students are able to join their regular math or music class.  Students stay in the prep class for one year, unless a special circumstance occurs and the teacher feels that the student should stay longer or shorter.
5.  Some students learn Finnish in as little as 2 or 3 months!!!
6.  There are very few assistants.  They choose to hire more teachers for co-teaching opportunities.  They explained that they do not want the younger students to become too dependent on help.
7.  PRINCIPALS IN FINLAND MUST TEACH!!  A principal or headmaster does not have a specialized degree other than in teaching.  All teachers in Finland have their master's degree.  This particular principal co-teaches with several classes and even pulls students for extra language support.
8.  There are two report cards a year.  There are no grades but explanations of how the student is doing in each area or with each guideline.  Only 5th and 6th graders get number grades.
9.  Self evaluation and responsibility are huge student focuses.
10.  Johanna explained that in her opinion, she believes that the Finnish education has excelled so much because of 2 factors 1) student-teacher relationships (looping helps with this!)  and 2) the teacher prep programs in their colleges
11.  A teacher's role is the "boss" but with warmth and support
12.  Teachers are trusted leaders and professionals in their school.
13.  There are issues with students not turning in homework, sometimes.  The teacher has afterschool or "club" time for the students to get it accomplished.
14.  Working closely with the parents is a guideline in their national curriculum.  Teachers are not intimidating for the parents or vice versa.  Parents come in for "adult conversations" about school and the child's progress.  Students are often involved in these conferences.
15.  This school holds two 45-minute lessons and then the students get a 30 min. recess.  During this time, teachers rotate monitoring the students outside.  If it is their day to monitor, teachers will still get a 15 minute break.  The teachers' lounge was large, comfortable with coffee and snacks.  We were in there during their morning break and the teachers seemed very happy to come in and relax with each other for a few minutes.
16.  The prep classes have 2 goals: 1) teach the Finnish language and  2) to teach the new to Finland students Finnish school culture.
17.  In Finland, teachers concentrate a lot on teaching kids how to learn and giving them the tools to learn with.  It is impossible for a teacher to teach a student everything so they want to be sure that students are able to learn in general.
18.  They were astonished that teachers in the US are evaluated based on test scores!

The list could go on and on and on!!  We took the bus and then the train back to the hotel.  It was very different for us to see small children (probably 6 or 7) hopping on and off buses and trains by themselves to get home.  The children here become quite independent at a very young age!!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Espoo before we head to Helsinki.  We are very excited about visiting the university and talking with their education department!  Finland has some world-class teachers...and we're sure that's because of their teacher education programs!

Johanna and Kristi after presenting her with the "Tar Heel" ABC book

Teachers' lounge - full of coffee, talking, and laughter!

 

Very bright, open 1st grade classroom!

Newer part of their building

Older part of their building

Day 3 - School Visit

Wow, what a day we had!!!  We are so grateful to the teachers and students at Eestinkallion Koulu for allowing us to visit with them today.  It was a wonderful morning, full of learning and enjoyment.  We took a taxi this morning out to the school and met with Anu, the headmaster or principal.  She was very kind and laid back.  As soon as we entered the school, you could hear music playing and children talking and laughing.  The atmosphere was instantly happy.  Teachers were all very welcoming.  Most wore jeans and tshirts....very laid back but professional at the same time!  Rita (equivalent to an ELL teacher here) showed us around the school and spoke with us.  She was kind enough to run off a packet of information about the Espoo system and how their schooling progresses.  We visited a 1st grade teacher during the students' first recess and later, got to sit in on an activity they were doing in their computer lab.  Before we left (since the kids' day is over at 12:15), we ate lunch with Rita and the 1st grade teacher in the cafeteria with the children.  They eat with the children to model good eating habits and manners.  Also, their school is involved in a "green" project that highlights the importance of recycling, nature, and the environment.  I'm not sure that I can accurately portray everything that we learned today but I will highlight what struck us the most about this school and Finland's system:

 

1. The school day begins at 8:15 and ends at 12:15.  After that, about 90% of students participate in a "club" such as sports or music.

2.  Preschool children start at age 5 or 6 years.  The first mandatory primary year is when a child turns 7 years old.  This school has a morning and afternoon preschool session.

3.  Students do not learn to read until age 7.

4.  All children in Finland are educated.  They were the first European country to mandate this in the early 1900's.

5.  This school has many multicultural students - Russian, African, American, Swedish, etc.  This students are placed in a prep class (1st to 3rd and 4th to 6th) before they are placed with all other Finnish-speaking students so that they can learn the language well enough to succeed in the regular classrooms.  Teachers determine when they are ready to be immersed with the other students.

6.  Primary students have homework.

7.  Students are given 2 recesses during their school day.  They are allowed to play freely with all other students, walk on the nature trail, and/or play on the playground equipment.  They take these breaks during rain, snow, or sunshine!

8.  Students have a 10 week summer holiday.

9.  Religion is taught, according to the child's religion.

10. Special education students are in an inclusive environment unless their disability is very severe.

11. Discipline is not a huge issue - if a problem occurs, the teacher handles and they move on.

12.  Looping is very important - parents expect for their child to have the same teacher for at least 2 or 3 years in a row!

13.  All the classrooms have SmartBoards and the teachers have iPads.  Technology/internet is very open for these students.

14.  Students do not wear shoes in the classroom.

15.  I'm sure there is more!!!!!!  :)

 

Tomorrow, we visit another school in Espoo.  We are very thankful to be visiting these schools especially since they are wrapping up their school year this week.  We know how crazy that can be!



Lynn presenting Anu (headmaster or principal) with a "Tar Heel" ABC book



Handmade by the Preschool children (ages 5 and 6)

Shoes come off as soon as kids come in the door!

Part of their play area

Part of the playground

Primary students in sewing class

No shoes in the classroom  :)

Many students walk and/or ride their bikes to school

School in Espoo



Day 2: Espoo

A cool, rainy day here in Finland but we don't mind!  We left our hotel near Helsinki airport this morning and took a cab to Espoo.  Espoo is considered a suburb of Helsinki but boy, is it big and spread out!  We are staying at Hotel Glo, which is very nice with free internet!  woohoo!  We explored the area a bit this afternoon and then braved the train system (ALL IN FINNISH!!) to visit the outskirts of Espoo. We walked around a pretty part of town and then visited a medieval cathedral ( Espoon tuomiokirkko).  This church dates back to late 15th century.  There was some sort of service going on while we were there so we did not go inside.  We explored the grounds and the very large graveyard. There is an education museum in this part of Espoo that is only open on Tuesdays so we plan on going back to visit that and also to see if we can visit inside the cathedral.

Tomorrow's a big day!  We get to visit our first school.  A taxi will pick us up at 8:30.  We hope to spend a few hours talking with them and getting to tour their school.

Looking forward to tomorrow!  :)

The grounds

 Espoon tuomiokirkko

Day 1: Travel Day!

Good afternoon!  Or should I say good evening?!  We made it to Helsinki after a long day of travel.  Our day started yesterday in Charlotte, NC.  We flew out at about 8:00 pm, heading to Frankfurt, Germany.  The flight was quite nice and smooth.  Kristi worked on her dissertation, as Lynn read!  We even got a little bit of sleep.  From Frankfurt, we flew to Helsinki.  Again, this was a nice flight at just over two hours long.  We are getting some rest at a airport hotel before heading to Espoo tomorrow.  We plan on visiting a park and a few museums tomorrow.  The weather is gorgeous....mid 60's and sunny so hopefully that will keep up for our visit.  Everyone that we have met and spoken with have been friendly and truly helpful.  Our first impression of this beautiful country is flawless.  :)  Looking forward to tomorrow!

Our view as we approached the airport.

View of Estonia as we made our way to Helsinki.

Introductions...

Welcome!!  This blog was set-up to follow our travels to Finland to examine their educational system.  Lynn Barber is a K-5 teacher at a rural school in Northwest North Carolina.  Kristi Barber Day is a K-5 teacher at a different rural school in North Carolina.  We are a mother-daughter team, given an amazing opportunity to take this exciting adventure.

We were awarded a Rural Teacher Global Fellowship sponsored by the Rural School and Community Trust. The goal of fellowship is to create unique personal and professional development experiences for rural teachers. Fellows design their own international fellowship experience, learning goals for themselves and their students, and anticipated benefits for their school and community.

 

The Rural School and Community Trust is a national nonprofit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving communities. Our mission is to help rural schools and communities grow better together.   Working in some of the poorest, most challenging places, the Rural Trust involves young people in learning linked to their communities, improves the quality of teaching and school leadership, and advocates in a variety of ways for appropriate state educational policies, including the key issue of equitable and adequate funding for rural schools.

 

Check back often!  Pictures, updates, and stories are coming soon...

 

Kristi & Lynn

 

Lynn -- second to left     Kristi-- far right