Today (Dec. 2) was my first day working in an elementary school.
So during my studies I will have to have 6 weeks of "ty�harjoitus" - which means getting myself a position in my field (which I don't actually have - since I have a variety of experiences but I don't carry a diploma or certificate)...I had originally opted for a baking position...then I thought of early hours...and in the darkness of December? Too hard.
It's being split into two three-week periods...we'll do the next round in the spring and probably at a different location.
So I decided to go with teaching English and being an assistant to the teachers.
I'll post this once a week or every so often - but I'll try and write a bit everyday!!
I'm scheduled to work with the same teacher and group of kids for two days in a row.
Day 1: Grade 5 - 20 kids - 2 teachers and me
Within five minutes of the kids' sitting down, there's some announcements - that can't be taken too seriously as the volume is so low and nobody is listening to them.
Then I hear some music - I know it's in a Shrek movie - it's instrumental and the kids are asked to be quiet. I KNOW it's not the national anthem....but the kids are instantly silent.
The teacher greets the children with a "Hyv� Huomenta!" (Good morning)
And the kids respond with respect.
One girl is late and she knocks before entering, goes to the teacher to apologize for her tardiness then sits down.
One boy is late - and doesn't apologize and right off the bat - I realize he's the "trouble maker". There's one in every class isn't there? (Not that I like giving labels - but since I can't write their names - no matter how common they may be! - I'll have to stick with various nick names.)
Well, after 45 minutes of chit chat - which included a blurb about where I'm from - the kids have recess for 25 minutes!
I'm pretty sure I had 15 minutes as a kid...then again - this is Finland.
I asked the teacher while we were outside on supervision duty if having so many breaks and shorter classes reduces fighting and she said yes - because it burns more energy when they're not studying or focusing on being taught something.
"But of course we have the occasional fist fight...but it doesn't happen often!"
Well, once the happy chiming of the bells go off - the kids file back inside and one kid has snow all over his face.
At first I think, "snow ball - wow, we're not allowed throwing them in school in Canada!" (At least when I was a kid...circa 1990-something...HELLO DINOSAURS!)
Turns out you're not allowed throwing snowballs here either.
The kids are in class and the teacher questions what happened among the boys.
Well, turns out that Trouble-Maker kid - might also have a case of the "Anger Management Issues" too. We'll call him "Angry Birds" (so appropriate as Finland is the country that brings you those green pigs and red/yellow/blue/green birds).
Angry Birds tries to justify his reasoning for kicking another kid in the eye - which is swelling a bit, red but not purple or black....and the teacher asked me if I understood what's going on.
Unfortunately, Kids Kicking Another Kid in The Face 101, was not part of my lessons... - but I faked it and I think I understood some anyways.
The smallest kid in the class - who has interesting English vocabulary (keep reading!)- confirms that Angry Birds was at fault and while he's protesting the truth of witnesses - the teacher looks at me again and says, "This is the special kid who you ask him a simple question and all he does is BLAH BLAH BLAH!"
It was soooo hard to keep a straight face - because she said this in English and the kids have studied some!
Then the kids had some more energy burning sessions and got to play dodge ball...and Angry Birds was mega mad that he got tagged out easily (even though they had some weird system where you could get back in the game if your opponent got someone tagged out)....
I went to the city library attached to the school - which was gorgeous - and I caught the boys being a bit rowdy and asked them to be quiet.
So - Little One points at his best bud and whispers loudly to me, "Hi! He's STUPID....so stupid...He's a MO-RWON!" (moron)
I told him that wasn't very nice and to keep quiet in the library - and he looks at me then runs off...quietly.
The whole class had a biology test this afternoon and while they were asked to sort their desks apart from their groups and into nice, neat rows....they were allowed to use their text books.
A friend who is a teacher said she docked points if a text book was used...but I don't know if that was the case today.
The afternoon was laid back and I had handicrafts with some older girls (the school is grades 1-6...so 7 years old to 13 years old) and unfortunately I finished all the yarn I had on me with the hat I was working on.
So I helped about when asked and started to make a gingerbread lady felt toy.
Then the power went out.
In all the four years I've lived here - never had a power outage. This lasted 15-20 minutes...I thought this happened in the countryside!!!!
Oh and the handicraft teacher kind of looked like Ellen DeGeneres...I felt like dancing whenever I looked at her...but maybe that'd scare the crap out of her.
Day 2
We had art class and were given a huge sheet of thick paper and some paints and told to paint around the edges towards the center but leave a blank spot in the center.
Then kids started drawing random things - so I joined in.
Turned out the point was to draw something involved with the time of day.
I tried drawing my dog, a cupcake and random words...then I penciled in "LOVE" in the center, on a diagonal - and wrote in black pen words that went with "love" and all around the center word. After, I erased Love and the inked words formed the shape of the word.
Well, Angry Birds thought I was AMAZING...and earned more cool points.
It was another teacher's birthday and he brought in donuts...and someone brought in a traditional Finnish mocha cake in the staff lounge/lunch room...usually chocolate looking, a tad dry and with chocolate frosting and sprinkles...
An older male teacher walks in - and this is what kills me...Finns know the MOST RANDOM things in English.
I get up to fill my water bottle and he bends at the pelvis, sticks his hands out in a "come-hither" way and starts to thrust himself towards the mocha cake and says,
"Come to Daddy...oh yeah baby...come to Daddy..."
This was to a cake...and I had to bite my tongue HARD (as I was just going past his back when he started doing his little dance and chant) so I didn't burst out laughing at him...seeing as I was the only native English speaker in the room...
Day 3
I had one period of English first thing in the morning with a substitute of the teacher who is my supervisor (technically) and turns out to be her son as well - and he had no idea about where I was from or why I was even in the school.
During that class, they were prepping for an up-coming test and one kid that sits alone in the front (probably because he's the trouble-maker) wanted to ask me a question and the teacher sub said, "Ask her."
Well, the kid had a fit and thought he said, "A**hole".
So of course, he's screeching in Finnish and suddenly screams, "A**hole!" The teacher sub firmly tells him to sit down, settle down and to ask me a question if he had one. (He didn't.)
Few minutes later, we're about to play Snakes and Ladders in English in their text books - and kid in the front (we'll call him "Mr. Extensive Vocabulary") stands up, flexes his muscles and screams:
"F**k the b**ch!"
I was so stunned at this random burst that my eyes nearly fell out of my head and the teacher looked at me and was equally stunned too. He got a firm lecture and had to apologize to the teacher (it wasn't directed to me).
But yes, by the time I got home, I had a good chuckle - not that I approve of kids swearing - because I don't! But it was SO random...and of all things to know in a 2nd language?!
After telling hubby about this - he wondered out loud, "I wonder where he learned that from?"
Seeing as their tests were about fruit, animals and where they are from - I doubt Mr. Extensive Vocabulary learned it in class!
Then again - the radios do not censor swear words in English music they play...so it's another possibility he learned it from there...or a movie.
One girl was super sweet and gave me a paper fan...and sang me a song in Finnish. She even sat with me at lunch time...and didn't hold a grudge - despite me kicking her butt in Snakes and Ladders twice. And she understood my Finnglish.
Then I'm with a different teacher - a fairly popular one from the looks of the kids' faces whenever he walked by and the cheerful "MOI! Hei!" from all the star-struck/swooning girls of various ages...
Anyhow, it's also a different grade - grade 3. It's the first year that they start to learn English as a second language too!
I introduced myself with the typical: "My name is Dominique and I'm a Canadian. I've lived in Finland for 4 years. I have two boys and two dogs" - in Finnish AND English...so they could hear what words are similar in both languages and which weren't.
Then the questions came. I mean - the grade 5's didn't ask me anything.
Which was later confirmed by the other handicraft teacher (not the one who looks like Ellen) and I was mega impressed because she had 3 or 4 different craft stations on the go for this 1 class.
Even in music class, the music teacher gave up on yelling to get their attention - and just used a microphone in the music room. I don't blame her at all.
They also teach religious studies in Finland. Yep - even in elementary school.
The day's lesson was fairly basic. They don't do it from the Bible, as far as I know (I haven't seen one yet) but from a school text book called "T�hti 3" (Star grade 3). It had some colourful pictures, some text and seemed to be fairly basic in terms of lessons.
It was all about Joseph and Mary giving birth to baby Jesus and that the Angel Gabriel told them to name their baby Jesus.
They have notebooks with half lined paper, half blank - and they had to write a few sentences and then draw pictures imitating the book.
The religious studies teacher was an older man and when I told him we don't study religion in Canada during our basic school years (unless you go to a Church of some sort, study independently or choose to study in university) - he said he's sure Finland will go the same way in the future.
He didn't necessarily agree with the idea of teaching religion in school and I can only assume (as this was quick conversation) that it's because there are so many different religions in the world. But it's part of the curriculum and his job - so he does it.
He told me as well, that they do have Jehovah Witness students, and they have their own teacher - interesting! I'm not sure if it's another teacher that happens to be a JW too or they have a member of that religion visit the school to educate the kids.
They don't do morning prayers either - like some schools in the USA used to (maybe some still do - but I wouldn't know).
Finland is primarily Lutheran based.
So during my studies I will have to have 6 weeks of "ty�harjoitus" - which means getting myself a position in my field (which I don't actually have - since I have a variety of experiences but I don't carry a diploma or certificate)...I had originally opted for a baking position...then I thought of early hours...and in the darkness of December? Too hard.
It's being split into two three-week periods...we'll do the next round in the spring and probably at a different location.
So I decided to go with teaching English and being an assistant to the teachers.
I'll post this once a week or every so often - but I'll try and write a bit everyday!!
I'm scheduled to work with the same teacher and group of kids for two days in a row.
Day 1: Grade 5 - 20 kids - 2 teachers and me
Within five minutes of the kids' sitting down, there's some announcements - that can't be taken too seriously as the volume is so low and nobody is listening to them.
Then I hear some music - I know it's in a Shrek movie - it's instrumental and the kids are asked to be quiet. I KNOW it's not the national anthem....but the kids are instantly silent.
The teacher greets the children with a "Hyv� Huomenta!" (Good morning)
And the kids respond with respect.
One girl is late and she knocks before entering, goes to the teacher to apologize for her tardiness then sits down.
One boy is late - and doesn't apologize and right off the bat - I realize he's the "trouble maker". There's one in every class isn't there? (Not that I like giving labels - but since I can't write their names - no matter how common they may be! - I'll have to stick with various nick names.)
Well, after 45 minutes of chit chat - which included a blurb about where I'm from - the kids have recess for 25 minutes!
I'm pretty sure I had 15 minutes as a kid...then again - this is Finland.
I asked the teacher while we were outside on supervision duty if having so many breaks and shorter classes reduces fighting and she said yes - because it burns more energy when they're not studying or focusing on being taught something.
"But of course we have the occasional fist fight...but it doesn't happen often!"
Well, once the happy chiming of the bells go off - the kids file back inside and one kid has snow all over his face.
At first I think, "snow ball - wow, we're not allowed throwing them in school in Canada!" (At least when I was a kid...circa 1990-something...HELLO DINOSAURS!)
Turns out you're not allowed throwing snowballs here either.
The kids are in class and the teacher questions what happened among the boys.
Well, turns out that Trouble-Maker kid - might also have a case of the "Anger Management Issues" too. We'll call him "Angry Birds" (so appropriate as Finland is the country that brings you those green pigs and red/yellow/blue/green birds).
Angry Birds tries to justify his reasoning for kicking another kid in the eye - which is swelling a bit, red but not purple or black....and the teacher asked me if I understood what's going on.
Unfortunately, Kids Kicking Another Kid in The Face 101, was not part of my lessons... - but I faked it and I think I understood some anyways.
The smallest kid in the class - who has interesting English vocabulary (keep reading!)- confirms that Angry Birds was at fault and while he's protesting the truth of witnesses - the teacher looks at me again and says, "This is the special kid who you ask him a simple question and all he does is BLAH BLAH BLAH!"
It was soooo hard to keep a straight face - because she said this in English and the kids have studied some!
Then the kids had some more energy burning sessions and got to play dodge ball...and Angry Birds was mega mad that he got tagged out easily (even though they had some weird system where you could get back in the game if your opponent got someone tagged out)....
I went to the city library attached to the school - which was gorgeous - and I caught the boys being a bit rowdy and asked them to be quiet.
So - Little One points at his best bud and whispers loudly to me, "Hi! He's STUPID....so stupid...He's a MO-RWON!" (moron)
I told him that wasn't very nice and to keep quiet in the library - and he looks at me then runs off...quietly.
The whole class had a biology test this afternoon and while they were asked to sort their desks apart from their groups and into nice, neat rows....they were allowed to use their text books.
A friend who is a teacher said she docked points if a text book was used...but I don't know if that was the case today.
The afternoon was laid back and I had handicrafts with some older girls (the school is grades 1-6...so 7 years old to 13 years old) and unfortunately I finished all the yarn I had on me with the hat I was working on.
So I helped about when asked and started to make a gingerbread lady felt toy.
Then the power went out.
In all the four years I've lived here - never had a power outage. This lasted 15-20 minutes...I thought this happened in the countryside!!!!
Oh and the handicraft teacher kind of looked like Ellen DeGeneres...I felt like dancing whenever I looked at her...but maybe that'd scare the crap out of her.
Day 2
We had art class and were given a huge sheet of thick paper and some paints and told to paint around the edges towards the center but leave a blank spot in the center.
Then kids started drawing random things - so I joined in.
Turned out the point was to draw something involved with the time of day.
I tried drawing my dog, a cupcake and random words...then I penciled in "LOVE" in the center, on a diagonal - and wrote in black pen words that went with "love" and all around the center word. After, I erased Love and the inked words formed the shape of the word.
Well, Angry Birds thought I was AMAZING...and earned more cool points.
It was another teacher's birthday and he brought in donuts...and someone brought in a traditional Finnish mocha cake in the staff lounge/lunch room...usually chocolate looking, a tad dry and with chocolate frosting and sprinkles...
An older male teacher walks in - and this is what kills me...Finns know the MOST RANDOM things in English.
I get up to fill my water bottle and he bends at the pelvis, sticks his hands out in a "come-hither" way and starts to thrust himself towards the mocha cake and says,
"Come to Daddy...oh yeah baby...come to Daddy..."
This was to a cake...and I had to bite my tongue HARD (as I was just going past his back when he started doing his little dance and chant) so I didn't burst out laughing at him...seeing as I was the only native English speaker in the room...
Day 3
I had one period of English first thing in the morning with a substitute of the teacher who is my supervisor (technically) and turns out to be her son as well - and he had no idea about where I was from or why I was even in the school.
During that class, they were prepping for an up-coming test and one kid that sits alone in the front (probably because he's the trouble-maker) wanted to ask me a question and the teacher sub said, "Ask her."
Well, the kid had a fit and thought he said, "A**hole".
So of course, he's screeching in Finnish and suddenly screams, "A**hole!" The teacher sub firmly tells him to sit down, settle down and to ask me a question if he had one. (He didn't.)
Few minutes later, we're about to play Snakes and Ladders in English in their text books - and kid in the front (we'll call him "Mr. Extensive Vocabulary") stands up, flexes his muscles and screams:
"F**k the b**ch!"
I was so stunned at this random burst that my eyes nearly fell out of my head and the teacher looked at me and was equally stunned too. He got a firm lecture and had to apologize to the teacher (it wasn't directed to me).
But yes, by the time I got home, I had a good chuckle - not that I approve of kids swearing - because I don't! But it was SO random...and of all things to know in a 2nd language?!
After telling hubby about this - he wondered out loud, "I wonder where he learned that from?"
Seeing as their tests were about fruit, animals and where they are from - I doubt Mr. Extensive Vocabulary learned it in class!
Then again - the radios do not censor swear words in English music they play...so it's another possibility he learned it from there...or a movie.
One girl was super sweet and gave me a paper fan...and sang me a song in Finnish. She even sat with me at lunch time...and didn't hold a grudge - despite me kicking her butt in Snakes and Ladders twice. And she understood my Finnglish.
Anyhow, it's also a different grade - grade 3. It's the first year that they start to learn English as a second language too!
I introduced myself with the typical: "My name is Dominique and I'm a Canadian. I've lived in Finland for 4 years. I have two boys and two dogs" - in Finnish AND English...so they could hear what words are similar in both languages and which weren't.
Then the questions came. I mean - the grade 5's didn't ask me anything.
- "How old are you?" (this was asked at least twice)
- "Do you like cats/grapes/apples?" - the grapes and apples is on their test soon...
- "Do you know Sidney Crosby?"
How is it, that a bunch of 9-10 year olds know who Sidney Crosby is, but any other die-hard ice-hockey fan (Finnish men usually) - have no idea who I'm talking about?!
Well, this blogger got even more awesome points and respect when I told them I'm actually from the same city(ish) as Sid the Kid. And that no, I don't know him personally, but a friend saw him and has a photo with him from the airport in Texas.
This class had a TONNE of energy - which was great...but the teacher confided it was hard to find ways to get them to concentrate some times because they are everywhere.Which was later confirmed by the other handicraft teacher (not the one who looks like Ellen) and I was mega impressed because she had 3 or 4 different craft stations on the go for this 1 class.
Even in music class, the music teacher gave up on yelling to get their attention - and just used a microphone in the music room. I don't blame her at all.
They also teach religious studies in Finland. Yep - even in elementary school.
The day's lesson was fairly basic. They don't do it from the Bible, as far as I know (I haven't seen one yet) but from a school text book called "T�hti 3" (Star grade 3). It had some colourful pictures, some text and seemed to be fairly basic in terms of lessons.
It was all about Joseph and Mary giving birth to baby Jesus and that the Angel Gabriel told them to name their baby Jesus.
They have notebooks with half lined paper, half blank - and they had to write a few sentences and then draw pictures imitating the book.
The religious studies teacher was an older man and when I told him we don't study religion in Canada during our basic school years (unless you go to a Church of some sort, study independently or choose to study in university) - he said he's sure Finland will go the same way in the future.
He didn't necessarily agree with the idea of teaching religion in school and I can only assume (as this was quick conversation) that it's because there are so many different religions in the world. But it's part of the curriculum and his job - so he does it.
He told me as well, that they do have Jehovah Witness students, and they have their own teacher - interesting! I'm not sure if it's another teacher that happens to be a JW too or they have a member of that religion visit the school to educate the kids.
They don't do morning prayers either - like some schools in the USA used to (maybe some still do - but I wouldn't know).
Finland is primarily Lutheran based.
Day 4
I was with a grade two class - a group of less than 12 kids (I think some were sick) and they had math class. They're about 8 years old and learning fractions and already know their division (up to 12), multiplication tables (up to 12), addition and subtraction.
Because today (Dec. 5) is the day before the Finnish Independence Day (Dec. 6, 1917) - the whole school went outside and had a few scouts carry torches in, raise the Finnish flag, sing songs, wave flags and then we went back inside.
So today was quite relaxed since tomorrow is a holiday in Finland - and I helped mostly with the arts and crafts for our group. They coloured flags, folded them and glued them to strands of yarn and I got to pin them up on the board...
Here's the dumb moment I had (there's always at least 1...):
Mr. Cute teacher says, "Hey Dominique - looking good!"
Well, I was surprised - I didn't even have a shower this morning! HA!
I say thanks then realize he's giving me a thumbs up and looking behind me...
I say thanks then realize he's giving me a thumbs up and looking behind me...
At the garlands of Finnish flags I just finished pinning up.
Go me.
I also had two periods of gym/sports with kids and the most popular game is Tag. But it's not just "TAG - you're OUT!"
Noo....it's once you get tagged, you have to freeze into a random position and someone has to "free you" by imitating your pose!
Then it was basketball with the grade 1 kids - and since the amount of kids were odd - I got to help with dribbling exercises and such. One of those exercises had me teamed up with a girl who wasn't overly sporty...she missed the ball a couple of times when I passed it to her - and it kind of smacked her in the face.
She laughed. Hey! I'm not complaining!!
The grade 3's had the same activities but a bit more running around, a proper game and harder basketball drills...it was fun!
I was complimented on my stop and pass...I didn't have the heart to tell him that in order to grow up in the North End properly - one must know how to handle a basketball...even if it's only basic stuff!
Next week I'm with new teachers every two days..one who just got back from a long time sick-leave...and hopefully had some sort of warning that a Canadian was coming over for a bit.
Time to enjoy the weekend! I'll try and compile a massive list of major differences between Finnish schools and North American ones...soon...
Time to enjoy the weekend! I'll try and compile a massive list of major differences between Finnish schools and North American ones...soon...
