Day in the life of Benjamin

Greetings readers. I was sent out to do a day in the life of a teacher once again and this time I chose to interview Benjamin Aspelin, so we all could get to know him and what he does at Mattlidens.

For those who don't know you, who are you and what do you do at Mattlidens? 

I'm Benjamin. I teach history (IB and national side) and civics (national side). I pretend I'm an adult.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

I didn't like the idea of having a real boss. You know, the kind who looks over your shoulder and makes sure you are working all the time. I also like my own voice.

As a history teacher do you have a favourite historical event or topic?

I usually really enjoy the topics which I'm teaching at that particular moment, as those are the ones I'm also reading up on before the lessons. Right now I'm very interested in the developments in Russia and the former Soviet bloc in the 1990s, as well as the Spanish Civil War and in what was going on in Japan after the Meiji restoration. Soon I will have to develop an interest in period 4 topics.

What is the best part of your job?

Getting to spend so much time with great students who are genuinely interested in the same things as I am. Having discussions in class. Drinking watery coffee. Listening to myself trying to explain things.

What is the worst part of your job?

Marking huge piles of essays (although that's actually often fun the first 3-4 essays).

What does your typical day look like?

I come in fairly early, around 7:30. I pay attention to the fact that none of my colleagues are as eager as me to get to work in good time before the first lesson. I look through my lesson plan, usually coming up with some last-minute idea for how to flip everything around and replan the lesson. After sweating over that for 10-15 minutes, I give up and go back to my original plan. Then I go get a coffee and go to the classroom. After my first lesson, I usually have a 5 hour skip (okay, not every day, but sometimes it feels like that). I work for a couple of hours preparing lessons and commenting on various drafts. Lunch. After lunch, I get really tired and just wait for my 14:30 lesson to begin. I sometimes take a walk or go for a swim to refresh my brain. The 14:30 lesson always feels like a mountain to climb, but usually ends up being just as pleasant (for me that is, you will have to ask the students if you want their opinion) as the morning lesson despite my lack of belief in it at 14:08.

- Peik Pietiläinen