Blog:  Travels to Finland and Beyond

Mid-August 2022:  If you're a teacher (or a student) on a traditional school schedule, you probably know how I'm feeling right now.  School and the rhythms of the school year had always provided a sense of safety, a cycle of events that has remained surprisingly similar over decades.  There's comfort in the beginning-of-the-year routines, the new set of young faces, the sounds of a large building coming to life, the shiny wax floors, even the frustration of 11-year-olds trying to master opening their combination locks.

The last three years altered that sense of security forever.  In addition to the disruptions of COVID, our small (600 students) school is recovering from one of 20+ school shootings in 2021 that resulted in injury or death.  The culture wars have invaded our Media Center and attack some of the most important lessons that I've taught for years. Climate change warnings grow direr.  It's a tough time to be alive.

If I feel that way, though, what about the students?  How much harder is it to keep a positive outlook when much of what you've known seems filled with unsolvable problems?  They are a big part of why I'm staying in the classroom.  Another big part is the inspiration that my Teaching in Global Classrooms learning last year provided.

November 2, 2022

Let's fast-forward a few months:

(1) October:  I receive a notification that I have been approved to travel to Finland for my Field Experience.

(2) Next day:  Begin learning Finnish on DuoLingo.  Heads up:  NOT the easiest language to master quickly.  Second observation:  I learn the words for wizard and shaman before I can ask for water or where the bathroom is located.  When I start calling my good dog "kiltti koira," my daughter Cate protests that I am annoying the entire family.

(3) Next few weeks:  Immerse myself in recommended readings and videos.  Discover that Finns may not appreciate my finely-honed Southern small-talk skills. Apparently they prefer silence and  consider small talk insincere.  Mild panic sets in while my husband cautions me to "tone it down a little."  Can I overcome a half century of conditioning in a few weeks?

(4)  At school:  My students are fascinated when they learn that Finnish students have some of the highest scores on international tests in the world but only spend 23 or so hours  a week in the classroom.  How do they do it?  I hope I will find out.

(5)  October 31:  Utter madness.  Grades are due.  It's Halloween.  I have 33 lesson plans to leave behind (11 days x 3 grade levels of 4 classes).  I have packed-ish.  I've never flown anywhere alone before, much less internationally.  Will it all come together? 

(6)  November 1:  I make it to Dallas and meet many of my other fellow Fulbright teachers.  It's easy to pick us out at the terminal.  The Southerners quickly find each other:  Florida, NC, SC, Texas and Mississippi.  The "y'all's" are flying everywhere, and NO ONE is quiet.  I realize I'm going to be just fine.

(7) November 2:  A smooth flight on FinnAir prepares us for both the clean design and sustainability focus that characterize Finland.  Our Fulbright hosts Tarja Mykra and Mirka McIntire greet us with signs and a spacious van to our hotel, Scansi Paasi, in Helsinki.  Let the adventure continue!

THURSDAY, November 3, 2022 - Learning about the Fulbright Program in Finland and Finnish Education

Tehri Molsa, the CEO of the Finland Fulbright Foundation, helped us understand some things that are fundamental to both the Finnish character and Finland's role within the Fulbright Foundation:

(1)  "Finland always pays its debts."  One of the reasons Finland received the earliest of Fulbright invitations originates from the Finnish determination to stick to one's word and pay debts, even during hard times. Coming from an Appalachian tradition that hold similar beliefs, I felt a connection and respect for a people who honor their obligations, even in the difficult times following WWII.

(2)  "Finland's best natural resource is its people." Though it's true that Finland is blessed with abundant lumber and clean water, it lacks many of the resources we naturally equate with wealth (fossil fuels, metals, coal, diamonds--you get the picture).  Especially in the far north near the Arctic Circle, winters are long and dark.  Accordingly, Finland values and "grows" its people and their skills.  To survive in difficult circumstances politically and geographically, Finns have had to be resourceful and self-reliant.  Much of what we see during our visit supports this need to develop these qualities in the population, both culturally and educationally.

We were also fortunate enough to be part of a panel discussion on education in Finland with a focus on K-12.  The panel include the Counsellor of Education for the Finnish National Agency on Education.  Though the details would make more sense as we toured the schools, the emphasis on NO DEAD ENDS definitely intrigued us American teachers.

SAUNA!

Let's just get it out of the way:  one of the things that I dreaded (at least a little) was the initial "Cultural Experience,"  Finnish sauna and swimming.  Disrobing in front of strangers.  Going from a hot environment into freezing water--in NOVEMBER, no less. I know it's Finland's number one cultural pastime, but I didn't think I'd be repeating it after the first time.

Was I ever wrong!

First off, our hosts and my fellow TGC members made sure we all felt as comfortable as relative strangers can under the circumstances.  And the experience itself was both relaxing and rejuvenating in a way that I never would have expected. After the initial trepidation passed, many of us took advantage of sauna (Finns pronounce it SOW-NAH, by the way) every chance we got.  In Korpilampi, we cold-plunged into a beautiful lake.  Later in Helsinki, we experienced the heat of a traditional smoke sauna followed by a dip in the Baltic Sea at Loyly, an incredible spa/sauna/restaurant right on the sea.

The Finns have mastered the art of sauna, and I want to send out a special thanks to Inari and Heidi, two of our Fulbright leaders, who guided us through the finer points of enjoying sauna and showed us why Finns value it so much.  

FRIDAY, November 4, 2022 - School Visit #1 at Tiistila School, Espoo

I was fortunate to be paired with Sarah Kuhner, a fellow middle school teacher from Washington Heights and a friend from the online Fulbright TGC class.  We actually struggled a little to find the entrance to the school when we arrived since the building seemed more like an office complex.  Our host, Arita Norrback, the assistant principal, explained to us that the growing school was temporarily housed in empty commercial buildings while a new school was being constructed.

Seeing Tiistila was a valuable experience in ways Sarah and I didn't expect.  First, it had a large immigrant population.  One English class we visited had fourteen different languages represented in a group of about twenty students. Diversity was celebrated, but it also brought many of the same challenges we see in American schools.  Many students were refugees that had experienced trauma.  Not everyone "bought into"  Finnish culture and expectations, which resulted in behaviors that--though typical in Sarah's and my schools--weren't the norm in Finland.  

The administration was meeting challenges head-on, however.  We spoke with an outreach counselor whose job had recently been added to encourage students facing attendance difficulties.  Arita also showed us a class where newcomers moved through mindfulness exercises, cooked together and played games to build community.

The visit reminded Sarah and me that many American teachers and administrators have experience that can help Finland integrate refugee students into their schools.  Finland has been very supportive of Ukranian refugees, which boosted incoming refugee numbers in 2022 to nearly 70,000, an increase of 188% over the previous year.  Still, the influx stretches the educational system and safety net just like it does here, and it increases concern over whether or not the country will be able to maintain its high standard of living and support systems under the circumstances.

RINGETTE

Being from the sunny South, I guess I can be excused for my ignorance about ringette. If you don't know (and I didn't), ringette is a women's sport similar to ice hockey; however, instead of hitting a puck, the players spear a ring and move it across the ice.  It is fast-paced and fun to watch, especially since we were watching Finland compete against Canada in the 2022 World Ringette Championships.  Lots of Finnish flags and cheers.  Biggest surprise wasn't in the arena:  it was watching middle-school-aged kids without adult companions riding home on the Metro at 9:30 at night.  Perfectly safe apparently.

SATURDAY, November 5, 2023  Haltia/The Finnish Nature Centre, Nuuksio

Absolutely one of my favorite days in Finland!  In the mountains of Western North Carolina, we are used to visitors and locals taking advantage of hiking trails, kayaking, rock climbing, camping and other outdoor activities. Finns, too, embrace the outdoors and find solace and renewal in nature.  But how does this fit in with education, especially in our public schools?

Our tight schedules, time on task, and focus on high-stakes testing results don't leave much room for experiencing the natural world during school, even in my beautiful area that draws tourists for that very reason. We have the occasional field trip or "outdoor education" activity, but by-and-large, daily PE isn't exactly equivalent to forest bathing.

The Finnish Nature School concept is similar to what I see certain private and charter schools doing in our area:  educating students about the natural world IN the natural world. It didn't feel groundbreaking to me, but it does seem to be more of a priority for Finns.  Still, I wonder how much time Finnish schools devote to the concept.  Are the students I met in Espoo getting to visit national parks regularly? Is it a priority everywhere?

We finished the trip with tikkupulla and warm drinks inside a giant teepee-like tent.  Inari shared her expertise in making the pulla and brought her kuksa for the glogl!

SUNDAY, November 6, 2022   HELSINKI CITY TOUR

Fulbright Finland kept us very busy, but they also gave us many opportunities to see the sights of Helsinki. Among the most impressive were the controversial monument to Jean Sibelius, famed Finnish composer, and the magnificent Senate Square with the Helsinki Cathedral and the statue commemorating Alexander II's efforts toward granting Finland more autonomy from Russia.

We finished the tour with a lunch at Ravintola which included reindeer meat, a first for all of us!

MONDAY,  TUESDAY, and WEDNESDAY November 7-9, 2022  Joensuu

After a four-hour drive we arrive at Joensuu, a small city in Eastern Finland, only about 90 miles from the Russian border.  Although we have traveled north, we're still far from the Arctic Circle (no Northern Lights this trip).  Joensuu itself, though, is charming.  It has a small-town feeling with many larger city amenities, like a university and a historical museum.  

Although we would eventually visit the University of Eastern Finland, we began our trip in Joensuu with a "Martha Organization" cooking experience. Groups like the Martha Organization are another way that the Finnish people share their culture and teach practical skills.  Despite our differing abilities in the kitchen, our group turned out an impressive meal (with the help of Tila Koppanen, a Specialist in Home Ec).

The following two days, Sarah and I visited Lyseon Peruskoulu, a lower secondary school in Joensuu.  Much of the understanding that I gained about Finnish education  came from my observations there.  Although Joensuu is also experiencing an influx of refugees, the size of the city and the resources it applies to supporting newcomers were more similar to what I've experienced at home.

IMPRESSIONS:  Education in Joensuu

The staff and administration of Lyceon Peruskoulu were wonderfully open with Sarah and me, and two days in the school gave us a much clearer sense of the differences and similarities in our two systems.  I could write ten pages easily, but to hit the high points, I'm just going to bullet:

• Student responsibility:  Students take turns caring for the school, they serve themselves in the cafeteria, and the school mood is more calm than chaotic.  The students seem more respectful generally of the school's resources.

• Breaks:  Fifteen minutes between each class. Minimal supervision (one teacher supervising open areas on three floors).  Teachers ALSO benefit from the breaks (time to eat, go to the bathroom, check in with peers).

• Flexible schedules:  Students may have different schedules most days.  The good:  they aren't exhausted from full days every day.  The bad:  it's hard to schedule extracurricular activities.

• PE:  I think I would have loved ice skating, cross country skiing and swimming as PE (a community pool is next door to the school).  Less emphasis on team sports.  Participating in competitive sports is outside of school, similar to our "travel teams" in the U.S.

• Cafeteria food:  No junk food or drink is sold.  More salads and fish.

• Arts and crafts: Hands-on learning in this area begins in the early years of schooling.  All children practice woodworking, metalworking, art and textile skills, regardless of gender. By lower secondary, students can create a special project of their choice using the outstanding equipment available. Sarah and I marveled at the resources available to these young people and the freedom they had to explore creatively.

• Curriculum and pedagogy:  No magic bullets here.  I saw both innovative and traditional teaching methods.  Sometimes students were compliant and focused, other times not so much.  Sarah and I did note, though, that the onus was on the student, not the teacher, to make the effort to learn by ages 13-15.  In one science class we observed, the teacher went on teaching though some students were not paying attention.  The expectation was more that the student would learn than that the teacher would constantly redirect, answer the same question over and over, etc.

Thursday and Friday,  November 10-11, 2022: Joensuu History, University of Eastern Finland, and Teacher Education

Two of the most enjoyable aspects of my Field Experience were getting to talk to Finns one-on-one and viewing their museums.  The North Karelian Museum in Joensuu was an opportunity to step back in the area's history while also connecting with its music and customs.  The isolation and harsh natural environment of upper Appalachia has some connections to Karelian experience as well.  The music and instruments especially stood out to me as similar in some respects when I heard the traditional instrument, the kantele, played.  It reminded me of our own hammered dulcimer and dulcimer.

We were also fortunate to attend an incredible Networking Dinner at the Restaurant Teatteriravintola.  Among the excitement, I was able to meet the young mayor of Joensuu (Finns don't think you have to have passed retirement age to govern, fortunately), and I heard a spectacular performance of Harry Styles' "Same As It Was" by a Karelian group called Veila. What an incredible merging of pop culture and tradition!  I hope you'll watch the link below.

UEF greeted us with our first snowflakes in Finland and more information about education than it was easy to take in.  What was particularly impressive to me was the Masters-level training incoming teachers receive.  Innovation is encouraged--and so is the willingness to try and fail.  I see so much perfectionism in my students, worsened--I think--by our focus on one-answer, high-stakes multiple choice testing.

Finland, in my opinion, is much better at viewing a student holistically, whether that student is a first-grader or a graduate student.  Decisions about whether a student should pursue an academic or career track when they turn sixteen are made by a group of former teachers instead of decided by a few numbers.   Fear of failure is crippling to many of the gifted students I teach.  The focus on an abstract--and often meaningless--"A" leads to anxiety and an obsession with a certain outcome as opposed to true learning.  This area is one that I would love to see the U.S embrace more wholeheartedly.

Many Finnish future teachers minor in "Crafts," again supporting the whole student instead of a single number on a test.  I learned more later about Finland's career emphasis on entrepreneurship which dovetails well with the options for hands-on learning and creativity encouraged throughout the early years of Finnish education.

Overall, though, educators in Finland are considered professionals and, as such, receive more respect than their American counterparts. All Finnish teachers have Masters' degrees, and some teacher applicants are rejected.  It isn't a perfect system, but I contrast it with what is happening in the U.S., where teachers are held responsible for student success as measured--often--by a single multiple choice test.  I wish we were less obsessed with data and accountability, but I also understand that the need to quantify and measure is part of our culture.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, November 12 and 13, 2022 Helsinki Central Library Oodi and Suomalainen

We return to Helsinki for a chance to process all that we've seen and to see yet another facet of Finnish life.  The library Oodi is difficult to describe.  Incredible design.  Opportunities for people from all walks of life to come together, to play chess or video games, to cook or learn a craft, to play a musical instrument or read.  It is truly "the people's museum," and we are collectively awed by its beauty and function.  We're put into groups to create a presentation encapsulating our experience in some way.  What a terrific way to tap into our creativity and takeaways!

Sunday is a free day.  It's actually Father's Day in Finland.  Our incredible intern, Cia Hallback, escorts us to a UNESCO heritage site, Suomilainen and then to the beautiful village of Porvoo.