#6 - Spinning Wheels and No Dogs Allowed
2/16/15
Helsinki hates certain types of dogs. Not really...that's a joke. There are actually a lot of dog owners in the city. It was, however, amusing to me to see so many signs that prohibited dogs in certain areas. Instead of using a generic/universal image of a dog, the signs seemed to change breeds! Unfortunately, I only started to shoot photos of the signs towards the end of my trip and was able to document just a few of them.
My other observation is that the streets and sidewalks of Helsinki are covered in gravel. In an effort to provide traction on the snow and ice, gravel is distributed throughout the city almost daily. At this late point in the winter it has amassed in large amounts. Many of the streets have started to reach the bare pavement and cars often spin their wheels at every traffic light. The gravel also makes its way indoors, and I have developed a modest collection of it inside my apartment. It reminds me of the black rubber turf particles from my school back home that make their way into the shoe of every student and into school buildings. While the gravel seems like an environmentally safer alternative to the salt used on the roads in Maryland and elsewhere, one Finn explained to me that the dust created throughout the city in the springtime from the gravel-breakdown makes it challenging to breathe at times, particularly for asthmatics.
Looking back on some of the initial observations I made with Finnish teachers and students, I feel like that stopped car at the traffic light. And, when given the green light, I’m spinning my wheels. What I am coming to understand is that the Finnish educational system is founded on a culture that is different than what I am accustomed. That statement seems like a “duh” moment, but it’s hard not to come into a situation and completely let go of all your ideas about what you know to be good teaching practices. The practices that I have developed are based on my background, my environment, and my influences, all of which are grounded in American (and Maryland) culture and the American Educational system. Perhaps I went into this experience searching for glaring points that explain why the Finnish educational system is consistently ranked higher than other countries in the world. The truth is that is goes beyond first impressions and it is not noticeable when you walk through the front doors of a school.
Helsinki hates certain types of dogs. Not really...that's a joke. There are actually a lot of dog owners in the city. It was, however, amusing to me to see so many signs that prohibited dogs in certain areas. Instead of using a generic/universal image of a dog, the signs seemed to change breeds! Unfortunately, I only started to shoot photos of the signs towards the end of my trip and was able to document just a few of them.
My other observation is that the streets and sidewalks of Helsinki are covered in gravel. In an effort to provide traction on the snow and ice, gravel is distributed throughout the city almost daily. At this late point in the winter it has amassed in large amounts. Many of the streets have started to reach the bare pavement and cars often spin their wheels at every traffic light. The gravel also makes its way indoors, and I have developed a modest collection of it inside my apartment. It reminds me of the black rubber turf particles from my school back home that make their way into the shoe of every student and into school buildings. While the gravel seems like an environmentally safer alternative to the salt used on the roads in Maryland and elsewhere, one Finn explained to me that the dust created throughout the city in the springtime from the gravel-breakdown makes it challenging to breathe at times, particularly for asthmatics.
Looking back on some of the initial observations I made with Finnish teachers and students, I feel like that stopped car at the traffic light. And, when given the green light, I’m spinning my wheels. What I am coming to understand is that the Finnish educational system is founded on a culture that is different than what I am accustomed. That statement seems like a “duh” moment, but it’s hard not to come into a situation and completely let go of all your ideas about what you know to be good teaching practices. The practices that I have developed are based on my background, my environment, and my influences, all of which are grounded in American (and Maryland) culture and the American Educational system. Perhaps I went into this experience searching for glaring points that explain why the Finnish educational system is consistently ranked higher than other countries in the world. The truth is that is goes beyond first impressions and it is not noticeable when you walk through the front doors of a school.
"Those things you learn without joy you will forget easily." - Old Finnish saying
Finnish teacher-student relationship, which I first identified as “casual”, seems to be more in line with teacher acting as facilitator; more listening, less taking and gently pushing the students as needed. I had knee-jerk negative reactions when I first heard students addressing teachers by their first name, or when behavior from students appeared to go unchecked.
How do the Finns know if a teacher is competent? Teachers in Finland go through an extensive, highly competitive process that ends with a mandatory Master’s degree before one can be placed in a school and at that point, only the top students are taken on as teachers.
There are little to no observations from administration. As one Finnish teacher told me, “There would be an uproar if teachers were observed at this school”. The national curriculum is acknowledged as an important tool for teachers, however, it is more open to interpretation rather than used as a necessity. I find this akin to the notion that a good teacher is one that has autonomy; they have the trust from their school administration that they (the teacher) will provide the best teaching and learning experiences for their students.
In Finland, I think it’s safe to say that students also have autonomy; to learn as they see fit, choosing when to tune in or when to tune out. There is a sense that they are responsible for their own learning. This may seem like an unrealistic means for learning but not if it’s instilled with children at an early age. Children do not start school until the age seven with the belief that individual learning happens most effectively when children are given opportunities to cultivate their creativity through play.
This individuality was noticeable in observations I made during my travels. I saw children at a young age walking the city streets to school and riding the tram or bus by themselves. While visiting an art museum, I saw an unattended baby carriage with a bundled-up, sleeping baby inside; the mother has just come out of the museum to check on the baby as I was entering the building. I tried to dismiss thoughts like “inadequate parenting” and social services from mind, and I was assured by my Finnish companions that this is not at all uncommon in Finland.
Looking back on my own learning experiences as a child, I absorbed the most information when I was given the freedom to choose what I wanted to learn, and how. Because this did not happen very often, I unfortunately spent many years in a school setting in a system that was moving at a pace that was not conducive to my learning style. Simply put, I was spinning my wheels.
*As a side note, my reflections on education are based on experiences in both the private and public school sector.
Finnish teacher-student relationship, which I first identified as “casual”, seems to be more in line with teacher acting as facilitator; more listening, less taking and gently pushing the students as needed. I had knee-jerk negative reactions when I first heard students addressing teachers by their first name, or when behavior from students appeared to go unchecked.
How do the Finns know if a teacher is competent? Teachers in Finland go through an extensive, highly competitive process that ends with a mandatory Master’s degree before one can be placed in a school and at that point, only the top students are taken on as teachers.
There are little to no observations from administration. As one Finnish teacher told me, “There would be an uproar if teachers were observed at this school”. The national curriculum is acknowledged as an important tool for teachers, however, it is more open to interpretation rather than used as a necessity. I find this akin to the notion that a good teacher is one that has autonomy; they have the trust from their school administration that they (the teacher) will provide the best teaching and learning experiences for their students.
In Finland, I think it’s safe to say that students also have autonomy; to learn as they see fit, choosing when to tune in or when to tune out. There is a sense that they are responsible for their own learning. This may seem like an unrealistic means for learning but not if it’s instilled with children at an early age. Children do not start school until the age seven with the belief that individual learning happens most effectively when children are given opportunities to cultivate their creativity through play.
This individuality was noticeable in observations I made during my travels. I saw children at a young age walking the city streets to school and riding the tram or bus by themselves. While visiting an art museum, I saw an unattended baby carriage with a bundled-up, sleeping baby inside; the mother has just come out of the museum to check on the baby as I was entering the building. I tried to dismiss thoughts like “inadequate parenting” and social services from mind, and I was assured by my Finnish companions that this is not at all uncommon in Finland.
Looking back on my own learning experiences as a child, I absorbed the most information when I was given the freedom to choose what I wanted to learn, and how. Because this did not happen very often, I unfortunately spent many years in a school setting in a system that was moving at a pace that was not conducive to my learning style. Simply put, I was spinning my wheels.
*As a side note, my reflections on education are based on experiences in both the private and public school sector.