Week 3
FLEX Class – I spent a large part of this final week working with the FLEX class. I was quite happy when I heard that they were asking about me last week and wondering if I could come and visit/teach their class some more. I was more than willing to oblige (what teacher would pass up on a voluntarily captive audience?) and I’ve spent my time mainly working with them on their English in a Grade 8 and 9 level. I feel that there is a lot to emulate in terms of level of support for students with these issues in BC. The student-teacher ratio in any given FLEX class is between 5 and 10 to 1 which allows for so much more focus on the students’ needs. It was far easier for me to actually teach some of the English classes even with the language barrier because I was able to provide more for the students’ individual needs thanks to the low numbers (In one class I had 4!)
My time in the Finnish school system has been a very enlightening one – I’ve seen styles and choices that I agree and disagree with. Although I’ve spent most of my writing praising the system here, I feel that it is a terrible shame that there is no option for Technology Education beyond Grade 9. The only way a student could experiment and explore areas such as Design & Drafting, Woodworking, Metalworking, or Electronics would be to enroll in a vocational school rather than the more academically focused “gymnasium”. Now I understand the reasoning of trying to streamline a student’s transition into the job market and I think the vocational school is a great idea but I feel that eliminating Technology Education from the gymnasium is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I never expect any of my students in Tech Ed to turn into a Red Seal Joiner or dive into a trades career but I feel like there are so many benefits to allowing students to work with their hands, utilize real-world problem solving skills, learn to deal with frustration, and undergo the cathartic experience of creating something with your own ingenuity and skill.
From a financial and logistical standpoint, it does make some sense to abandon Technology Education for higher levels: shops – which are quite single purpose rooms with nowhere near the adaptability of a regular classroom – would have to be bigger (a big expense), the courses require a specifically trained teacher, there may be an initial low student interest in a non-academic subject, and this is a large investment to cater to a smaller group of students. That being said, I am obviously going to carry the Technology Education torch high… am I going to justify my subject? Of course! Am I going to try to expose as many students to Technology Education as possible? You bet! Am I trying to make a job for myself in Finland? Possibly… only time will tell!
Another highlight of this last week was Stafettkarneval which is a sports day/track meet in preparation for the Stafettkarnevalen which is Europe’s largest youth sporting event which draws in the Swedish-speaking students from all over Finland. The big event has been running for 52 years now and takes place over a weekend at the end of May. I went to a mini one held for the Vantaa Swedish-speaking elementary schools which had a turnout of over 400 students ranging in age from 6 to 12. They engaged in events primarily involving running either single or relay events. The event was MCed by Jan “Sege” Lindqvist, the FLEX teacher from the Helsinge high school and he was in fine form running up and down the bleachers engaging the students in the wave, cheering competitions, and supporting their schools or ‘skolas’. I was there cheering on Kyrkoby Skola who had a good showing but only managed to claim the winner’s podium in one event. The energy and excitement of the crowd was extremely infectious despite the horrible windy and rainy weather hovering at 8° C. It was such a fun and rewarding experience that I think I would definitely want to be involved in more extracurricular activities when I begin teaching.
It was a delightful day of strong winds and ice cold rain
Two events which stood out from the day were the teddy bear and teacher gumboot relays. The teddy bear relay was the event that the 6 year olds took part in and was undeniably adorable. The teacher gumboot relay involved teams of teachers running between groups while wearing gumboots, rain jacket, and rain cap with each runner having to change out of the outfit to pass on to the next runner – it was less adorable but definitely funnier! I won’t forget the sight of the principal of the Kyrkoby and Dickursby Skola failing to fit his large feet into the gumboots and running down the track barefooted and boots on his hands for a gymnastic last place finish!