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.
No comments:
Post a Comment