Reflections from week 1

This first post about my own professional development and reflections about the Finnish educational system will be posted this morning, since my first class starts in the afternoon and I want my "prejudice" thougths out of the way before I start attending classes - at the end of my stay in Joensuu - it might be interesting to compare prior thougths with experienced praxis.

Since day one in Finland I have been hunting for sources of the success in the Finnish educational system and many thougths have crossed my mind. Some thoughts I got during the Orientation Course and conversations with my tutors and other thougths have their origination in my observations in Joensuu. The following keywords represent my reflections, I will explain some of them  more explicitly later in this post:

Punctuality         Evaluation         Authority         Freedom          Responsibility         Equality      Memory        Saunas         Sports            Green          Enter Uni        Alcohol         Parents

Evaluation: Last week I attended the Orientation Programme for Exchange Students, where 15 different lecturers from the University and the local area informed us about possibilities and responsibilities as students of the University of Eastern Finland. What did these lecturers (and the international coordinator) have in common? They had an integrated evaluation-culture, where they asked us to give them feed back at any time. The changing leaflets and dynamic structure of the orientation week spoke for them selves. The University's Intranet allows and incourages the students to evaluate every single course, subject, lecturer and sections on the homepage.

Memory: Do Finnish pupils have a very well trained memory? If so, how do they benefit from it?
18th February I will attend my first "general exam". This means that I read 3 books chosen by my teacher and then I register for the exam (most general exams run throughout the whole school-year since there are no lectures). It is not allowed to bring books, laptops, etc. to the exam (4 hour written exam) - not even a dictionary. At the beginning of the exam my teacher gives me 1 question pr. book, which I then answer with pen and paper. 3 weeks later they give me my grade (0-5).

Sauna: I have been told that Finns use the sauna on a regular basis - presuming this is true - the sauna bathing should strengthen their blood circulation. If this is added to their very active and healthy lives (various different sports and healthy food) there is no doubt that this has some effect on the pupils' learning and their general well-being.
The sauna is a symbol of equality and moreover, the fact that Finnish families sauna bathe together, makes me wonder if the family-relationship is very strong in Finland and what effect this might have on the children's learning - both in school and at home (what role do the parents play in the Finnish educational system?)

How does the equality shine through in the Finnish educational system? Since The University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu is the leading Finnish university when it comes to special education, this is where I will try to seek some answers.

You are of course welcome to comment on this post
 - and if you have questions, feel free to ask me

Rebekka