Leaving Finland

-
Image
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
Post a Comment

FULBRIGHT: Countdown Day 3

-

What I Want to See

Student Break Time

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/06/how-finland-keeps-kids-focused/373544/

For every hour of instruction, Finnish students receive 15 minutes of unstructured break time. What do they do during this time? How much is spent outdoors? Do teachers influence student choice? Are there gender differences in break activities? I want to know. Here is a great article by ex-pat Timothy Walker on this topic. He also writes a great blog called Taught by Finland. where the intrigue with Finland first began. I hope to meet him there!

What I Will Miss

Friends and Family

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/014/159/bitmoji-tshirt.png

On the one hand, I have the best friends one could ever hope for. On the other hand, many of them will have a chance to come visit me in Finland! I will miss my family, and my husband's family, especially our children.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leaving Finland

-
Image
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
Read more

The People who Make Fulbright Happen

-
Image
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
Read more

When Typical Means Outstanding

-
Image
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
Read more