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Leaving Finland

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Lake Jyvasjarvi I have never lived anywhere for 5 months other than Jyvaskyla, Finland. As my Fulbright journey concludes, there is so much to still digest. It will take months, if not years, to truly assimilate all the learning. Before I left Southern California, I wrote about the what I would miss the most from home and what I  looked forward to experiencing in Finland. It is safe to say I met my goals. Top 7 Goals 1. Discussing Education Helsinki Workshop Through professional development programs, Fulbright Finland connected teachers with scholars and researchers, for the purpose of putting inquisitive minds together. The Making Democracies Resilient to Modern Threats seminar provided participants with fascinating research and presentations. 2. Nordic Model Bus station in Espoo What does an efficient and earnest country look like?  It looks like Finland. Yes, people pay higher taxes, but get so much in return. I for one appreciated the well-maintained ro

The People who Make Fulbright Happen

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Jyvaskyla Fulbright Teachers (missing Kerry and Linda) As I conclude my Fulbright project, it goes without saying that I could not have done this alone. The help I’ve received along the way has been heartwarming and supportive. I am so proud to have been able to represent teachers and my community in Finland. Jose Govea This unceasing advocate for teachers is my area union rep. When he heard I was awarded my Fulbright grant, he went into action to make sure I received some type of compensation from the hard to navigate district I work in. We realized the deadline had passed for the correct leave of absence to make this happen, but he said, “I’m willing to do battle for a Fulbrighter.” Thanks to Jose, I was able to receive financial support from my district while away on leave. The IIE Angelica Serna The International Institute for Education manages the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching program which sent me to Finland. This first-class organization supp

When Typical Means Outstanding

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Lunch room With only a few weeks left on my Finnish Fulbright learning experience, I was eager to set a date to visit the other 2018 Finnish Fulbrighter's school near Tampere, FI. Sanna Leinonen is a well-known educational leader with over 20 years of experience teaching at Ylojarven Lukio, and a Fulbright teacher. Every minute of every school visit is a learning experience. Location Motorbikes rule Tractors get you there Ylojarven is a town west of Tampere, and as such, it is the only local high school (Lukio) in the area. Students commute from rather long distances to get to the school. I was always tickled to see tractors in the parking lot belonging to those from a more rural background, but more often than not, I saw motor bikes and bicycles in the parking lot. Staggered Arrivals and Flexible Schedules for Teachers An American teacher's dream come true Because each student's schedule is so customized, some students did not arrive to school

A Castle, a Fulbrighter, and Funny Questions

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Part of being a Fulbrighter is that you get to   join a network of scholars, teachers, professionals, students, and artists. Fortunately for me, I met two dynamic Finnish teachers in Washington DC, the summer before my trip. This allowed me the possibility to visit their schools, much in the same way they did when they were in the United States. The world traveler, Emilia  My visit to Ahveniston Koulu in Hameenlinna, was truly a treat. Emilia is an English teacher and travel blogger, and has maintained her own blog about her Fulbright experience at Emilia-ontheroad.com . In many school visits, I do a general presentation about California, and then have a Q and A period afterwards. Many Finnish students are shy, and at first, I thought I was bombing my presentations. Teachers assured me that if the students were quiet it meant they were engaged. Presentation Visit  https://www.dropbox.com/s/8cfsq4xhl81gnx5/california.pdf?dl=0 for the presentation. Nonetheless,

Nature Training for Teachers

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On the afternoon of my second day shadowing Sara Kall, nature school teacher from Kokkola, I was prepared to sit in the back of a room, taking notes on my laptop, while Sara trained 7 early education teachers at Triselvran Pre-School. The two-hour training was a service that nature schools provide to traditional schools. Because of the vast autonomy of schools and teachers in the educational system of Finland, some schools may not sign up for the sponsor program that sends children for monthly full day field trips to nature. Instead, they may choose to sign up for four days a year of this. Or they may choose to request Sara’s services to train teachers to do the nature activities themselves. We were at one of these such trainings, and Sara had her box of tricks with her. Upon arrival at 4:00 pm, we set up the box…in the snow, on the playground. Of course, we would be outside…in 10 degrees….it’s a nature training! I was sheepish. For the next two hours, Sara trained