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.