Finland: The World Education Leader?

   Wow, who would've thought that Finland is one of the world leaders in education? I had no idea, but I can see why they are being heralded. Americans have to appreciate the structures they have set in place. I think that these themes were the most important from the article: equity, standardized tests/data, competition, and how teachers are revered.

Equity
   I love how they've found a way to achieve educational equity. Ever since I was old enough to understand how affluence affects academic achievement, I've noticed that schools with more money do better. When I actually had the opportunity to work at both ends of the spectrum in college, I became even more aware of how much money, or the lack thereof, makes a difference in schools. I admire how Finland has set up structures to ensure achievement in all communities.

Standardized Tests/Data
   FINNISH STUDENTS DO NOT TAKE STANDARDIZED TESTS!!! Enough said. I'm not saying that standardized tests are completely unnecessary, but there is way too much stock put into them. Finland has figured out that standardizing towards a perceived norm doesn't accurately gauge learning. Nor, does it accurately gauge teaching and instruction. All it gauges is one's ability to navigate through the state's "annual academic labyrinth." The use of data should be used to improve the structures that run the school--not to steer more resources in the direction of what's hurting the students the most.

Competition
   Now, I am a huge proponent of competition. I think that competition is one of the most effective ways to pull the most out of anyone. But I do understand the concept of cooperation. It seems that the Finns have figured out how to establish an educational cooperative. I'm not exactly sure how, but it seems that through the cultivation of a culture of teamwork, educational cameraderie can be achieved.

Reverence of Teachers
   The most interesting aspect of the article was definitely the part about teachers' place in Finnish society. Teachers are regarded as highly as medical doctors! Again, teachers are regarded as highly as medical doctors! One more time, teachers are regarded as highly as medical doctors!!! The fact that they are respected for their professionalism and highly regarded for their abilities is a refreshing thought. I love how they work with parents to adjust the curriculum, how they are independently responsible for planning, and how they are trusted without reservations.

Hopefully, Americans will take heed to the example set by Finland. I am a fan of what's going on over there. Moreover, I hope there can be some implementation of Finland's educational plan in my own school.....

Freewrite: How I Feel At The Halfway Point...

Honestly, I feel great about teaching. I am confident in my abilities, and I think that my effectiveness is gradually increasing. Now, there is a multitudinous amount of things that I have to work on, but I remain excited and inspired. I have formed relationships with students, other teachers, and parents. This has allowed me to feel very comfortable in Byhalia. I think that we will make a lot of breakthroughs in my classroom this semester. The kids are excited about the new books and technology we had donated. The new materials, along with the new content, will keep my class environment fresh. We are going to start reading novels this semester, and hopefully I can have some people come in and speak to my classes this semester. I want to make my classroom more of a student/teacher cooperative than it was last semester.

The other exciting development for the spring semester is TRACK! I am the head coach of the track team at BMS. This is going to be particularly challenging, yet formative for me. I will learn a lot about myself, I'm sure. Balancing the responsibilities of my job as a classroom teacher, track, and class will be good for me. It'll remind me of the balancing act I had to do while I was at Rhodes. Once challenging thing is that the school did not have a track team last year. That means that we're basically starting from scratch. Also, trying to build rapport with coaches from around the area has been a little difficult. They're hard to track down, at it seems that most things are done at the last minute. I'm sure things will work themselves out. The experience I gain as the track coach this year will make me a better football coach for the spring, and eventually next fall. I am going to take advantage of the opportunity. We will have a competitive team. Updates will come throughout the semester.....we are going to develop a strong program!