Visual Tour: Finnish Schools
As you've already read in our previous blogs, we were in Finland for a conference at the end of January. We came away both inspired and re-committed to supporting schools to implement research based strategies to support all students. We saw firsthand how using these strategies facilitate student success as well as systemic successes when implement on a large scale.
What are these strategies?
Giving students choice.
We saw lots of examples of giving students choice. Students of all ages were able to decide how they spent their days; from the youngest in preschool having open learning centers to older elementary and middle schools students choosing which speciality topics they wanted to study. High schools create their schedules to determine how many credits they wanted to take per year.
Music Class
Music Class
Loom used in specialist classes on weaving.
Metalworking
Robotics Maker Space
Cooking class where students not only learn how to read recipes and cook healthy dishes, but they also learn important skills about nutrition, caring for yourself, and the planet through recycling and compost.
Listening to students’ voice.
There were also many opportunities for students to share their thoughts and ideas, both orally, at group times, and through their writing, in free choice assignments. Students worked on grammatical points through their writing. In the younger years, students were encouraged to act out and retell stories in their own voice using small world play materials and figurines.
One group in the kindergarten engaged in an authentic inquiry where the teacher saw the students interest in the upcoming presidential election and she arranged a classroom election. Students had to decide on a campaign topic that they wanted in the classroom (they ranged from no more adults in the classrooms, to more parties, to playing outside more, etc) and then create a poster and advocate for it in front of the class. They held an election with ballots and revealed the results - more parties!
Middle School Group Discussion
Small World Play and Storytelling
Inquiry: Class Voting
Group of student with disabilities are free writing on a topic of their choice.
Student voice (in the form of handwritten notes) was all over this preschool.
Offer support early and often to all learners.
We heard from the regional director of education in Lappland and when asked how many students in his district had disabilities he said, 100%. Every single child has special needs. We all do. Everyone has areas that they need more support in and areas that they have strengths. Schools in Finland operate on the principle that all children need support so it's built straight into the schools day through visual supports, adapted physical supports, and opportunities for specialist teachers to collaborate with general education teachers.
Levels of Support
Preschool Visual Schedule
Secondary School Visual Schedule
Standing desks give the option for students to either sit at chairs or stand as they work. Normalizing an “othering experience" for students who need to move as they work.
Adapted support for anyone who needs it!
Visuals like these foster independence and create clarity.
Visuals like time timers allow for all students to have a visual sense of how much time is remaining which can work on skills like time management.
Jessica Lament and Emilia Pastor are cofounders of School Partners, a boutique non profit organization that provides professional development, instructional coaching, and school leadership coaching for educators in and out of schools in the Paris area.