Week 20: 17th May – 23rd May

Personal and Cultural Development

The Finnish summer has officially arrived and what a summer it is! Turku looks completely different. The first time I walked into town admiring the views, I was awe-struck by how something as simplistic as leaves on trees could fascinate me. My eyes were roaming all around me, I was barely looking where I was going, and of course I had to pause at times to take some photos so that I wouldn’t be relying on my memory to capture the beauty of nature that I was seeing. I couldn’t believe this was the same place that I had arrived at back in January when it was minus 30 degrees, now boasting a sweltering +30 degrees! As well as the temperature, the hours of daylight have also drastically changed. I am back to having almost no concept of time, like I did back in winter when we were lucky to have 2 hours of daylight. Now, there is at least 18 hours of daylight and night time isn’t even what I would call dark. Finland is full of extremes, but that has made my experience here so much more interesting.

On Saturday, I was taken on a surprise journey to enjoy my last weekend in Finland. We returned to Naantali, where we had gone in February to Moominworld. What a contrast that lay before me! I was fascinated by summer in Turku, but Naantali took my breath away!

<< Naantali,
February 2010                                              

It was totally different from the last time we were in Naantali. Then, it was covered in snow, and now I have a new appreciation for the small, pretty town. It was beautiful – sitting watching the water so tranquil, peaceful, calm and quiet was the perfect way to spend a lovely summer’s day.

<< Naantali,
May 2010 

This will be my last blog entry because I don’t have long left and the rest of my time will be spent tying up loose ends and saying goodbyes. All that remains is my final reflection on my Erasmus experience that will no doubt be full of positives about this life-changing time I’ve had here, the only sadness being caused by leaving some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.

Week 19: 10th May – 16th May

Personal and Cultural Development

This week has been so eventful, and it hasn’t been spent in Finland. In fact, I have been travelling in Poland for six days, through Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz, Gdańsk, Hel and Sopot. Before leaving Turku, there were still no leaves on the trees, so when we arrived in Warsaw I was ecstatic to see all the greenery! I had forgotten what summer looked like and I’m appreciating the simple things in life much more now. In Warsaw, we visited the highest building in Poland, the culture tower, a present from Stalin, showing off impressive views. The city was surprisingly beautiful and romantic, despite everything being destroyed in the war. I expected it to seem full of pain and suffering but it has been rebuilt to create something of a honeymoon destination. The old town has been magnificently restored to look like it did before the war; it was so picturesque, it almost felt like a backdrop to a scene in a romantic movie. At times, it was hard to believe we were in Poland; it felt like Spain sitting outside on a terrace in the centre of the old town, eating good (cheap!) food, the boys drinking a litre of beer each, us girls drinking cocktails.

Krakow was another fascinating Polish city, full of churches – twenty-five to be exact just in the centre. I was in my element as usual, as I just adore the mystical feel churches bring to an area like that. During our stay in Krakow we took the opportunity to visit Auschwitz concentration camp; this was an experience that has been etched into my mind forever. It was a dull and rainy morning, weather that seemed fitting for the day that lay ahead, but nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. We were given a guided tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau, with detail on the reality that happened there. From this, I learnt a lot. If there was any doubt before about the level of human cruelty that existed there, seeing was believing. The truth of the past was horribly real right before my eyes. Before going to the concentration camp everybody was joking and laughing, but once there, all that was to be heard were the raindrops.

The tour began at the gates that prisoners walked through, above which was the phrase ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ (‘Work sets you free’), giving the victims false hope. Before the war, the camp buildings housed the Polish army, but now it is seen as probably the worst place that has existed in Europe. Slave labour was abused, with doctors selecting those fit for work immediately upon arrival to the camp. A snap decision was made on the level of physical fitness; 25% were deemed fit enough, the rest – the elderly, pregnant women, children, the sick and disabled – were led to the gas chambers. The gas chambers were constructed underground so that they were concealed. Victims being led there were promised a bath or admission to another camp. Dummy showers were even fixed to the ceiling to deceive them. After gassed, corpses were stripped of gold teeth, earrings, rings, etc.

They were ordered to undress first and even told to remember the number of the hook where they had left their clothes – malevolent and cruel doesn’t even describe the false hope these people were given. We were told that screaming could be heard from the gas chambers, but within thirty minutes there was silence. This will become a hard-hitting, long-lasting memory for me, as we were taken to  the first gas chamber to be tested for mass killings that became used as part of daily routine. It is now a place of silence to respect those that lost their lives there. The worst realisation was that because that was the first chamber to be used, it was in fact the smallest, so to imagine not hundreds but thousands of people mass murdered in such a way, I can’t fathom it at all. To think that Auschwitz is the largest cemetery in the history of mankind with no graves, only ashes, is beyond my comprehension. Even worse, it was considered lucky for ashes even to remain, nothing was wasted, the ashes of burned bodies was used as fertiliser.

On top of this, personally the most shocking parts included seeing the actual living conditions people were put through, the photographs of the children tortured and killed there, and worst of all the human hair cut off shown in a huge pile in the museum. It was also heartbreaking to see the suitcases of the deceased, most of which had the hometown and date of birth of those they belonged to, some of which were children’s of two or three years old. The word Holocaust now has a deeper form of meaning and horrendous realism to me. All the pictures I took were in black and white, because I didn’t feel that colour would really portray the injustice and atmosphere radiating from the camp. I think everyone will take away some scar in their minds, and feel lucky for what we have today.

 

Despite the place of tragedy and torture that we had just seen, Poland offered an upbeat and courteous way of life back in Krakow and the remaining Polish towns we visited. It seems chivalry isn’t dead in Poland, since, for example in restaurants, menus are given first to ladies then to men. The train journeys from Warsaw to Krakow (3 ½ hours) and Krakow to Gdańsk (12 hours) allowed us to discover the landscape of the country. It reminded me very much of home, but, as Matti said, ‘it looks like the whole country is a big field,’ it is all flat with no mountains to be seen – beautiful nonetheless. Gdańsk actually turned out to be my favourite place, probably because it oozed charm and, of course, it dazzled me with water as it is at the North coast of Poland.

 

We were advised by the staff of our hostel to explore the old town of Gdańsk, take a ferry to the peninsula, another ferry from the peninsula to Sopot where there is a buzzing atmosphere with plenty of restaurants, etc., and a train back to Gdańsk. And that’s exactly what we did!

We went to the ticket office to buy ferry tickets and Matti dramatically declares to the ticket lady, ‘One way ticket to HELL!!!’ I turn to him, mortified, only to realise that that’s exactly what we were asking for, just not so dramatically! The peninsula we were going to is named Hel. When we made it there after the hilarity of the situation had passed, to call it Hel was a complete mismatch! It resembled paradise more than an image of hell. There was a great beach where we decided it would be appropriate to eat ice cream. Somehow, instead, we ended up with fresh fish – an unusual choice, but it has to be said, the fish meat was beautifully tender and succulent. The whole day was just fantastic, and ended the trip on a high.

Professional Development

Having spent most of the week in Poland, obviously not much happened in my professional life. Having said that, I did finish my school experience the day before I left, teaching three lessons on Monday: maths, history and ethics. I was actually sad that I was leaving, but excited about finishing my practice with an ethics lesson, as I had been so impressed with the subject since I found out about it and had been observing it in Finland. My lesson was on vegetarianism, and it actually turned out not to be the highlight of my final teaching day. Rather, it was the history lesson that I was dreading somewhat. History really isn’t my strong point and I had been given a specific lesson to teach on Roman Legions, something I knew nothing about. The activity that the lesson involved initially baffled me, so I tested it on Matti, Travis and Thomas before planning it. It required group work, deciding how to budget and organise the Roman Army to invade Britain. The boys completed the task, although they were confused by it too, giving me enough insight to enable me to understand how to use it in my lesson. In retrospect, I actually think testing it on my friends first allowed me to teach a better lesson, because I had dissected the knowledge and learning required for such a task. Needless-to-say, the 10/11 year old pupils seemed to understand and enjoy it better than the 21/22 year olds, two of which have had experience in the army!

Interestingly, I met a girl from Holland on a train in Poland that I began a really intriguing conversation with about Steiner education – something I have studied and she had been educated in. It was just such a shame that we only discovered this common area of interest and began such an interesting conversation as the train journey came to an end!

That brings to an end my professional development here in Finland. I have gained so much that I havn't even thought to include in this blog, so I hope my final reflection upon my return to NI will capture the true essence of this experience.

Week 18: 3rd May – 9th May

Personal and Cultural Development

I have been waiting for this week for a very long time: it was time for my first ever professional massage – nervous doesn’t even comprehend how I felt, I didn’t know what to expect. The ‘nervousness’ turned into confusion upon arrival. Alex and I were directed to a ‘waiting room’ which consisted of just a waiting area with a curtain posing as a wall. We then went back to ask if we could use the spa facilities because that was part of the deal, and otherwise we would have been left waiting for an hour until our appointments with absolutely nothing to do. We were happy to be given keys to the spa, but walked in not prepared to see naked people everywhere. Swimming costumes were not allowed at open showers or in sauna. No robe or slippers were provided; they appeared to be for hotel guests only. Needless-to-say, I changed into my bikini and went on a search to find the Jacuzzi. It ended up it was amongst swimming pools, water slides, an outside pool, a bar, amusements and a Hesburger (Finland’s answer to McDonalds). Bizarre doesn’t even give it justice. The woman at the desk advised us that we could stay until 9pm (we were there from 3pm) and put a Hesburger bill on a tab under our key numbers and pay when we leave – but what on earth was a Hesburger doing in the middle of a health spa?! We felt that fruit or healthy snacks would have been more appropriate. Having said that, we ended up going for a Chinese after spending 3 hours at the spa!

While at the spa, we swam through automatic doors to the outside pool – which was cold. I don’t know why I was surprised by this considering we are in Finland! Finally, we got to the proper Jacuzzi which calmed my nerves before my treatment. I was going for an anti-stress neck massage that actually included the back, shoulders and head as well. I don’t know why I went for anti-stress since I’m not stressed at all – perhaps I felt like my body was stressed after all the travel and Erasmus activity over the past few months; being a student is a hard life, it takes its toll! Anyway, I went for the massage and of course I got the masseuse that spoke no English whatsoever, so that was an interesting experience! Initially when I went in I didn’t know whether I should talk or not, like that awkward moment in the hairdressers – do I start a conversation or not, and if so what do I talk about? But, in this instance, the language barrier solved that problem! The massage itself was a really weird experience; there were moments that were lovely and relaxing and others when I wondered why I was putting myself through this torture! Muscles were being poked and prodded at that I didn’t even know existed! I have some sort of knot in my shoulder that I knew would be some trouble but the pain was blinding. The masseuse seemed to know this and in response concentrated more on that area to the point where I just wanted it to end! There was a great moment where I thought it had ended but really she wanted me to turn over – the torment wasn’t over yet! Eventually it ended, leaving me feeling a mixture of relaxed and wondering what new muscles I was feeling in my back that I had never felt before. It was straight to sauna after that – proper Finnish style this time! What a relief it was, a great huge stone stove sauna then to cool down in the pool to finish.

Professional Development

The professional highlight this week was a demonstration (or an experiment, rather) for the same module that I’ve had the four hour seminars for. I was a participant in an experiment with eye-tracking technology; something I never even knew existed. The class was given in a small lab that contained, at first glance, a normal computer with a video camera placed above it. It was explained, however, that this ‘computer’ was, in fact, the eye-tracker that looked like a normal computer monitor but had infrared camera running along the bottom. First, I was put through a calibration exercise in which the infrared cameras tracked the pupils of my eyes. I was required to look at a red ball with a black dot in the centre. The ball would move and I would have to follow it with my eyes, without moving my head, similar to the test done at the opticians. The rest of the experiment was recorded on camera. I had to look at two pictures for ten seconds each and answer observational questions about them. The eye-tracker detected where I looked in the pictures, in what order, and for how long. It was interesting to see everybody else’s reactions as well as my own observation and attention to detail. It seems I have a bit of an artist’s eye apparently, because I took at the entire picture, including the background, rather than just focusing on the details in the foreground. The video and data was played back to show how and where my eyes were tracked and the fixations I had (the bigger the dots, the longer the fixation).

The next experiment involved reading scientific texts under different situations, for example a stressful time limit, or a purpose that solely requires memorisation. I learnt that this is new in educational research, but has been used for quite some time in the marketing field for creating advertisements and web pages. The main purpose of the current research in education is in reading and reading comprehension. It can be particularly productive in use with children with learning disabilities to show improvement (for example, with smaller fixations) and give positive feedback. It can also be used to investigate pupils’ reactions to situational and motivational factors in reading or learning in general. It is anticipated that the future use of eye-tracking in education will include guidance on how to make textbooks, such as designing the layout of pictures and text to gain the most efficient reading and learning. All in all, this was one of the most interesting classes I’ve ever been to, and has once more increased my motivation to write about the topics and issues that have arisen in this module.

Week 17: 26th April – 2nd May

Personal and Cultural Development

It was fantastic to be in Turku this week, not only to have a rest from travelling, but also to celebrate Vappu weekend! Vappu is a lively party weekend for students and high school graduates, but this doesn’t mean that everybody can’t be involved. Traditionally, everybody that has graduated from high school in Finland wears their white graduation cap on both the eve and the first of May. There was a huge build up to Vappu, as it is the biggest celebration of the year in Turku, and it managed to live up to all expectations, even weather-wise! We began the celebrations by going to my faculty at Educarium to drink some complimentary punch, listen to some great music by a live band, and enjoy the weather. Then, it was time for the big event beside Kauppatori (the market square) on the hill of Turku. Everybody gathered here – people of all ages, young and old – to join in the tradition commencing the wear of the white caps after 6pm. The city was absolutely buzzing full of people, and it was wonderful to see all the Finnish graduates wearing their own individual white caps with pride. The age could be seen on some of the older people’s hats since they can never be washed! I also joined in the event by wearing my student overalls (that can also never be washed!), that many of my friends were signing since it is sadly coming near the end of ERASMUS for many of us.

 

The Vappu fun continued on May Day with a picnic on Vartiovuorenmäki, a big park in Turku. It was a double celebratory weekend in fact, because TPS, Turku’s ice hockey team, won the championship.


 The other great event of the week was a French dinner held by my roommate Anaïs – we had delicious saucisson et croquet-monsieur, as well as French toast (pain perdu) upon my request! I must say, the French really do live up to their reputation of great food. :)

Professional Development

I reported last week on my improved ability to think critically and reflect, and this week has seen even more progress. Since many of the courses are coming to an end, final preparations and tasks are being completed, among which was a presentation this week on my school experience. I reflected on how I had perceived the Finnish education system before experiencing it in practice; my view was idealistic from an outsider’s perspective. As one of my classmates put it, it seems like teaching paradise, since there are no inspections, no rankings, and no fees. I also reflected upon my initial surprise of Finland’s performance in PISA; achieving top scores despite having the latest starting age in schooling, and the least hours spent in school. However, after spending some time in schools myself, I can see why Finland achieves such results and holds such a high reputation in the education field. Some of the positive points that I have taken from my experiences include the breaks given after every 45 minute class that improve motivation and concentration, the opportunity for pupils to voice their opinion and, most importantly, feel they are valued, the flexible approach to teaching that is realistic to the profession, language learning, and the emphasis on research, skills and values that are productive for lifelong learning. The methodologies I have observed I feel I can take with me wherever I go to teach, so in that respect, the school experience course here in Turku has been invaluable to me.

Week 16: 19th April – 25th April

Personal and Cultural Development

After commenting last week about how much I adore water and being at sea, I now feel that I would have to be paid to get on another ferry! That’s not really true, I can’t be kept away from the sea, but the trip to St Petersburg this week certainly tried my patience. We were faced with many mistakes and issues that were given no explanations, so I felt that my patience was personally stretched to the limit. However, it was an experience to remember, shared with good friends. Culturally, I had more of a shock going to Russia than I did coming to Finland. We were the first to take the brand new visa-free ferry crossing from Helsinki to St Petersburg, so we were treated to some celebratory benefits. Of course, these were also attempts to prolong our patience. Hours of waiting was answered with alcohol – a solution that’s commonly shared in many cultures I’ve established. One of the benefits we were given on the ferry was a free buffet dinner – roast beef, pork, chicken wings, ribs, salmon, squid rings, caviar, vodka, wine ... you name it, it was there! We couldn’t believe all of this could possibly be free, so Alex asked twice for us – bon appétit was the answer she was given! Of course, I tried caviar (it was free!!); it tasted like the sea.

St Petersburg itself was an unforgettable experience. I found it baffling sometimes to admire the original and amazing architecture, whilst drowning out and avoiding distraction from the horrendous traffic (worse than in Italy!) At one point, three of us had to be transported by taxi to another hotel where we were to hitch a ride in a limo, but we almost didn’t make it. It was a small, old, beaten taxi that could barely fit the three of us in the back. The champagne in the limo was needed after we made it out of a dodgy situation trapped in the middle of St Petersburg, surrounded by a bus, three cars and a tram, wondering which one would hit us first. I was beginning to think this was definitely the most bizarre city I have ever been in, when this thought was confirmed. We were walking along the street and saw real monkeys with clothes and shoes on, being promoted it seemed by a man that clearly kept them only in a small plastic box. I’m not sure if he was trying to sell the monkeys, the clothes on the monkeys or pictures taken with the monkeys, but I was speechless at this.

Despite all of the asides just mentioned, I’m still in complete disbelief that a couple of days ago I was being guided around the Hermitage Museum, appreciating extravagant rooms in Catherine’s Palace, being entertained at a traditional Russian dinner, and most impressive of all, being mesmerised by a real Russian ballet performance of Swan Lake in the Hermitage Theatre. The talent from the Academy of Russian Ballet was beyond belief. Even seeing the works of Da Vinci and Michelangelo, as well as the largest vase in the world and the first suspended ceiling made of gold and detailed paintings didn’t come close to the feeling of astonishment from the ballet performance. Other highlights of the trip included haggling at a local market (successfully), appreciating the ‘city of religious tolerance’ in the form of intricately detailed cathedrals (especially the Cathedral of the Spilled Blood), and staying in a hotel that was in fact part of a shopping mall, making it too tempting to spend the money I had saved at the market! There was also so much symbolism and references to World War II, that these two ideas seem to sum up Russia for me. As for St Petersburg itself, it’s said to be Russia for beginners, so who knows if I will be back...

Professional Development

This week, the rewarding teaching in TIS continued, but I also had another four hour seminar, a continuation of the previous intimidating but motivating one. I had anticipated that a few people may have decided not to continue with the course because the last seminar had been so demanding, but I did not expect only three of us to turn up – including me! Nevertheless, we continued with the work at hand. This time, we were given exactly the same task, only this time we knew what to do, so the atmosphere was much less tense and everybody worked well. The purpose of this became clear as we were working as a group on self-regulated learning and motivation – all of the concepts we were reading, writing and discussing about we were experiencing through the seminars. As a result, these experiences have significantly enhanced my ability to think critically and reflect on myself and the work of others. If that isn’t professional development, I don’t know what is!

Week 15: 12th April – 18th April

Personal and Cultural Development

As mentioned last week, I went on the ESN Sea Battle to Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn, and returned mid-week 15. This was my first experience of any type of cruise, and it was surreal. I was awe-struck by the beauty of the landscape and watching the sun set at sea was simply stunning. I absolutely love water – the sea, rivers, waterfalls, etc. – so Stockholm, to me, was amazing. Out of all of the cities I have seen in Europe, Stockholm has overtaken all of them as my favourite, because of the water. It is not a typical crammed European city; rather, it is spread out over 14 islands with a charming old town on the island of Gamla Stan. On board the ship, I learned that the natural element for my star sign (Cancer) is water, so perhaps that explains my enthusiasm for such scenery. It was also interesting to see Tallinn again, without the snow this time. I have to admit, though, the town looked so much more picturesque with snow. But, our experience there was just as enjoyable as the last time. We even returned to the medieval restaurant Olde Hansa, where previously I had wild boar. This time, I tucked into a scrumptious fillet mignon steak with pepper sauce and all the trimmings of nuts and barley.

The trip was full of ‘blog moments’, as I call them, one of which was the use of the word ‘disembarkation’. I was amused since I have never heard this term used before (probably because it isn’t a word!), but my amusement was lost on some of my friends. As a result, I had to explain to my non-native English speaker chums why this is not a word, and it should either be debarkation, or disembarking. They concluded that I shall make a good teacher!

A few days after returning from the Sea Battle, I went with two good friends of mine, Thomas and Travis, to Matti’s summer cottage. Matti had invited us to gain an authentic experience of a proper Finnish summer cottage. None of us quite knew what to expect (especially me, since it turned out Matti’s brother also went so I was outnumbered by four males!) What we experienced was somewhat of a naturalistic way of living.                                         <<<<<< Matti proudly showing us the 'toilet' we were to use.

There was no running tap water, so the boys got water from the well, and the ‘toilet’ was an outdoors wooden shack that utilised tree bark instead of a flushing system. What an experience indeed! It was particularly fun at night trying to find my way to this wooden hut in pitch darkness, trusting that the boys wouldn’t pull a prank and try to scare me. Of course, they didn’t, because they aren’t Northern Irish...! ...... A traditional Finnish cottage weekend wouldn't be authentic without sauna, which at Matti's cottage, was in another wooden outhouse (no surprise there). It was a new sauna experience because it was heated with wood and there was no shower, only lake water as the cottage is situated in the middle of woods, next to a beautiful lake. It also happened to be the hottest sauna I have experienced since my time in Finland (or in my entire life, rather) - 120 degrees celcius. After this, the still half-frozen lake was more inviting than ever. Overall, Matti proved himself once again as a fantastic host, and it was surely a memorable weekend!

Professional Development

Professionally, week 15 has consisted solely of continuing my school experience course. I have gained so much from this course, it is difficult to try to externalise it in this blog. I’m always thinking, ‘I should write that in my blog’, and am often writing little notes so I remember, but some things remain left behind. Ultimately, though, what I’m learning and developing professionally here in Finland exceeds all expectations, and has provided me with a new level of motivation.

Noting some points that I have noticed from being in TIS, some small but significant differences exist. For example, the children are required to shower after PE lessons in TIS, something that should naturally be encouraged but is neglected in NI. In maths in Finland, a decimal point is represented by a comma, not a full stop. A full stop represents multiplication, rather than an ‘x’. This has been quite a challenge for me to get used to, but I have been learning through the best method – experience. I have taught two maths lessons this week that were so rewarding. The children have verbally shown their appreciation to me for teaching them quite a difficult concept in a way they could understand. That’s what makes this job worthwhile, in my opinion. I hope my teaching continues to have such a positive effect here in Turku, and when I return home.

Week 14: 5th April – 11th April

Personal and Cultural Development

Unfortunately, my blog for week 14 has come slightly later than normal, but this can be blamed on the travelling bug that I’m developing and taking advantage of more and more. I have just returned from a cruise around Helsinki, Tallinn and Stockholm called the ‘Sea Battle 2010’. More on that next week!

This is the first time I’ve allowed a few days to pass before reflecting back on the week, and I think it has been somewhat beneficial. Last week was relatively busy, socially and professionally. I was given the responsibility to organise a farewell evening for one of my friends that was leaving to return home. I couldn’t believe it had got to that time already, now it feels like the countdown is on as everybody is beginning to drop like flies. We had a lovely evening going for desserts and cocktails (what we do best!) and didn’t get too emotional!

The highlight of the week was probably the ESN trip to Helsinki that involved excursions to the Parliament House and Fazer chocolate factory. It must not be underestimated how excited I was about going to the chocolate factory, something I had never experienced before, submerged in the world of chocolate with free reign to eat as much as you want! What made it even better was that Fazer is the company that makes my favourite chocolate bar here in Finland! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and was once again awed by the Finnish national pride in the local produce they use in their factories (in addition to the Finnish flag being printed on a lot of the products I buy in the supermarket). Even more so, I was amazed by the way in which Finland knows how to look after their employees – a free gym, healthcare and kindergarden are just to name but a few of the benefits of working for the chocolate factory. The Parliament was also interesting, especially to compare to home. The tour guide informed us that when the politicians meet in the chamber, arguments rarely take place (unlike in Westminster) and decisions are made swiftly. The building itself was beautiful and very impressive. It even included original 1930s moving elevators that are now banned in most countries. Much to our disappointment though, they could only be used by officials and members of the parliament.

Professional Development

I have spent this week completing assignments in time for the deadlines, reading required literature for lectures, and attending school placement. I also received my first grade from a module I completed last teaching period from the Master’s course. It was quite unusual for me because the grading system is completely different here, and I was given feedback via email. Needless-to-say, I was very happy with my result. The literature provided for lectures proved thought-provoking this week, as one article I read on social inequality in education offered an explanation and summary of my collective thoughts through the course of this experience. Comments on globalisation, national competition and local segregation defined the educational situation in N.I. in my mind, despite attempts to eliminate such inequality. It also reinforced ideas of social status, and how much more respect teachers have in Finland than in the UK. I could describe my views on this forever, but I shall save it for the learning diary I must complete for that module.

In TIS this week, the school has been preparing for MYP inspections. I know I have previously mentioned that there is no inspectorate in Finland, which is true for Finnish schools, but international schools are inspected by IB, International Baccalaureate. This is the only form of inspection in Finland, happening every four years. The children in grades five to nine of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) were putting together portfolios of their work, chosen and evaluated by themselves. I enjoyed asking the pupils why they had chosen certain pieces of work that may or may not have been their best, and hearing how they self-evaluate. After a long period of observation and assistant teaching, I have chosen the class I wish to teach in (Grade 5) and have been given complete freedom by the teacher to teach them whatever and whenever I wish. It has been so enlightening to have so much flexibility and choice here, something I intend to continue to embrace and appreciate.

Week 13: 29th March – 4th April

Personal and Cultural Development

I started this fantastic week in true Finnish style: sauna! There is a sauna at my apartment block that has a free session set aside every week, but I have missed it the past couple of weeks with being so busy! So, when I returned, I had the most relaxing and beneficial sauna that I have experienced so far. It occurred to me that this is why the Finnish have sauna so deeply embedded into their culture. I also met a girl from Finland in sauna, which was bizarre for two reasons: (1) Finnish people are normally very quiet and reserved and don’t openly talk to strangers unless under the influence of alcohol, and (2) it is not an everyday occurrence for me to meet people in a situation that involves complete nudity. As a result, this was a culturally defining moment!

The sauna enjoyment continued at Emmi’s parents’ house, where we were invited for dinner and sauna on Good Friday. It was a great experience, and I was thrilled to see Emmi’s parents again. The food we had was to-die-for too! For starter, there was reindeer and smoked salmon nibbles that I thoroughly enjoyed. As much as it seems a sin for fans of Christmas, I love reindeer meat; so much so that I had it again in the form of ‘Rudolph pizza’ two days later. For the main course at Emmi’s, we had a beautiful roast beef dinner that reminded me so much of home. After the main course, Emmi informed us that we would be having cake for dessert. Mine and Travis’s ears perked up at this, and the two of us immediately responded in unison, ‘Cake?!’ with eyes lit up! Sensing our excitement, Emmi tried to describe what type of cake we would be served, but this didn’t exactly go to plan. We established, before overcoming a slight language barrier, that it was pig skin and baby food flavoured cheesecake. Turns out, Emmi was trying to find out if her vegetarian friend ate gelatine (pig skin), while telling us that the cake was made with cheese and mango baby food. Surprisingly, it was delicious!

Pig skin and baby food flavoured cheesecake.

My first day in Finland at Emmi's^^      ^^ Good Friday at Emmi's                                                               (Spring is coming!!)

Because it was Easter, my parents decided to pay me a small visit in Turku. I had a wonderful time with them, albeit short. I was worried that my mum would hate it because she is not a fan of cold weather, but only in the last week has it got a lot milder and signs of spring have even been appearing, luckily for us! I even got a Terry’s chocolate orange and a Lindt chocolate bunny for Easter. :)

The river - half ice/ half water - with baby daffodils >>

Professional Development

I was invited back to a CLIL class this week in the school beside TIS to a baking session with first graders (seven year olds). They were making hot cross buns for Easter, and it was very encouraging to see such young children being given so much responsibility in such an activity. They made them with great pride, because the next morning at 8am, the parents were invited to see the children’s Easter performance and eat the hot cross buns they had made. I also attended the parents’ morning, and was heartened to see so many parents appear to support their children and risk giving themselves food poisoning.

The professional highlight of this week, though, was a four-hour seminar for the module I’m studying, called Learning, Motivation and Learning Environments. I was dreading this seminar because I had never been faced with such a demanding length of time. I was even more discouraged upon entering the seminar room, as the tutor immediately intimidated us by revealing that that seminar we would be worked harder than we have ever been worked before. And she was right. First, we were split into groups of four that purposefully consisted of people we had never met. We were then given two long articles and told to ‘deep read’ them, plan a 90-minute lecture and be ready to deliver it to a lecture hall of 90 students in less than two hours. She offered a voluntary 15 minute break after one hour that I didn’t even take. The task was so overwhelming; none of us felt we could manage it. Nevertheless, we did, and were told two hours later that we could relax. We didn’t have to give the lecture after all. Instead, we talked about how we dealt with the task in our groups and focused on the issue of motivation. Ironically, I walked away from the seminar, after spending four hours intensively working, feeling completely inspired and motivated, and was welcomed by the sauna!

My response to the experience:

I couldn't believe I just lasted a four-hour seminar on motivation that involved a voluntary 15 minute break that I didn't take ... and I left feeling more motivated than ever! That teacher is a genius!

Week 12: 22nd March – 28th March

Personal and Cultural Development

I have come to the conclusion that the winter in Finland never ends, and the snow will stay forever. I reached this conclusion as I took the role of a tourist and took in the sights of three Finnish cities in three days – Turku, Tampere and Helsinki – all of which still have snow. It has been fascinating to see how this country copes with what would only be described back home as ‘adverse weather conditions’. Although, I believe after Easter there is some sort of requirement by law that every driver must change the winter tyres back to normal tyres in order to maintain the roads as much as possible. It will be interesting to see how this works out considering the snow is still here and still falling.

I have been in Turku for 12 weeks, and only for the first time this week did I embrace my role as a tourist. It has felt like my home town the whole time, so I decided to save the sightseeing until I had another friend over to visit when we could be tourists together. The opportunity arose this weekend, and we decided to travel by train to explore Tampere and Helsinki in the process. Having passed the cathedral in Turku many, many times, I was surprised that all that time inside that beautiful exterior was a magnificent interior. Turku castle was equally as impressive.

Tampere is often considered the rival city to Turku, and I must admit, after visiting Tampere, I still prefer Turku. However, Tampere did have plenty to offer. We took in the Lenin Museum, from which I learned a lot, and some fun-filled activities including a dolphinarium, planetarium and aquarium. It was quite an experience viewing a dolphin show in Finland; something I definitely did not expect to see!

After seeing the inside of Turku cathedral, I was all the more eager to see inside the churches in Helsinki. I had been told there was a church in the rocks that was worth seeing, so we took the tram to it, but initially it looked disappointing. After going inside, I was awe-struck. It is probably the most amazing church I’ve ever seen. Despite not being a religious person myself, I could appreciate that that church would be the perfect place to worship.

The final highlight of the week was my turn to cook. I hosted a little dinner party by inviting some friends to my apartment where I offered them carrot, celery sticks and peppers to dip into homemade sauce for starter, cottage pie for main, and caramelised bananas with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. I actually felt quite nervous, as if I was entertaining strangers on Come Dine with Me, but that was my perfectionist side coming out. I have learned from watching that show to enjoy the experience, because if the host is enjoying the evening then most likely the guests will too! Overall, it was a lovely evening, everything ran smoothly and I did enjoy myself!

Professional Development

My school experience continued this week, as well as normal classes and lectures. I’m getting more and more used to this set up of mixed learning, rather than the block practice, and so far I have found it a lot more manageable. I returned to the mixed Grade 5 and 6 class (P7 & Year 8) to see the continuation of their Ethics lesson from last week. They were learning and discussing about the afterlife, what different religions suggest, ghosts, and premonitions. Once again, I was excited to see the children so engaged in discussion of such a deep concept. They shared some emotional stories but in a mature and sensitive way. One girl told her story of the famous Tsunami in 2004, because she was there at the time. I was fascinated by her story, her bravery and her maturity.

I took the time this week to observe some CLIL classes, where I could see bilingual education in practice, in Finnish and English. I was in the Teacher Training School of Turku, so some of the lessons were being taught by Finnish student teachers. It was interesting to note that they all train at one school, so one class may have four or five different student teachers teaching them per day, and the trainees may have other students observing their lesson. This, to me not being used to it, would feel so strange. One lesson I observed, I was one of about twenty other students observing, but the trainee didn’t look fazed. It also occurred to me that for those classes that are taught by the student teachers, there is a lack of stability, but it’s not clear as to how much of an issue this could potentially be. Time may tell.

Week 11: 15th March – 21st March

Personal and Cultural Development

Ignore what I said last week; Turku is the place to be! As time goes on, I feel I’m discovering myself more and more, and to mark the half-way point in this journey of self-discovery, I decided a hair cut was in order! This seems a simple enough task, but Finland is an expensive place and, as funds were stretched in anticipation for the next student loan instalment, it was an ambitious aim. So, instead of paying for an extortionate haircut, I bought a pair of scissors and hoped for the best! Before this, I had cut my neighbour’s hair and dyed Alex’s hair, so once everybody saw the fringe I cut into my own I’ve become the amateur hairdresser on call to all ERASMUS students!

Once again, I enjoyed my cultural development through the help of the ESN and food. The ESN held a baking night this week, where we learned how to make some popular, traditionally Finnish food: Karelian pies (karjalanpiirakka) and pulla buns. The pies have a thin rye crust with rice filling and are eaten with a spread of hard-boiled egg and butter. Pulla buns can be cut in half and filled with cream and jam (yum!), or made into cinnamon swirls during the baking process. It was a lovely evening and I thoroughly enjoyed consuming the food when it was ready! I hope that now I will be able to make these on my own, so I can make them for my friends and family at home.

It was also a fantastic experience to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in another country. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to really enjoy the day, because it always falls at the same time as teaching practice back home. I went with a fun group of fellow ERASMUS students to the Irish bar in Turku, where we enjoyed some promotional gifts and snacks, as well as joyful band that played traditional Irish music. I represented the Irish on a day in Finland that I will never forget. :)

Professional Development

I began this week in Turku International School (TIS), observing a Grade 5 (equivalent to our P7) Ethics lesson on the meaning of life. This was fascinating to me, because I have never seen a lesson like this taught at home, in which the pupils are given complete freedom to discuss what God is, and if they think He is real or not. This area of education interests me the most since it is such a controversial topic, especially in NI. I have been appalled by the way in which it is approached at home, so it was very encouraging to see how it is done differently in Finland. The children were fully engaged and participated. They contributed comments such as:

‘I don’t think He exists ‘cause he doesn’t help people that really need it.’

- ‘Maybe there’s a reason for that.’

‘Where does He live?’

- ‘He lives in Heaven.’

- ‘Where is Heaven?’

- ‘In your mind.’

- ‘You count on your imagination.’

- ‘Just because you can’t see doesn’t mean you can’t believe.’

The class felt comfortable sharing their opinions, challenging each other and questioning ideas, and, to me, this is what such lessons should be about. In the same class, I unintentionally ended up assistant teaching with two of my peers doing the same course as me. It was the first I had experienced of collaborative teaching, and I feel I gained a lot from the lesson ideas my fellow students had come up with, and working as a team to teach.

Amongst others, I also observed a Grade 3 lesson in technical work. This took place in a technology classroom in Norssi, the secondary school situated right beside TIS. I couldn’t believe that children of nine years of age were handling tools such as hammers. I was petrified helping one pupil by holding the robot he was creating while he hammered in a nail! It was such an interesting lesson to observe; there was so much involved, and once the class have created their robots, they will carry out an investigation to find out which materials are conductors and which are insulators. I was astonished at the level of independence children are encouraged to have here. It’s a testament to the Finnish education system.