Finland - the last school visit

Finland Blog - Day 4 & 5
Visit to Saunalahti Maininki School Grades 1-9

We are leaving Helsinki today to head back to the states, and it has been a very fulfilling journey both personally and professionally.

Yesterday we made our last school visit to the city of Espoo, a city that borders Helsinki.  Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland, with a population of 248,000 people.  We were guests at the Saunalahti Maininki School, which houses grades 1-9.  The size of Finnish schools has been one of the biggest differences we have seen in our travels this week and our hosts were quite surprised to hear of the large enrollments at many of our U.S. schools.  In McHenry County, where Johnsburg High School is located, our enrollment is one of the lowest at 690 students.  Saunalahti Maininki School is currently the 3^rd largest school in Espo with 500 students.

This school was by far the most diverse we visited during our time in Finland.  We were broken up into groups of two, and 9th grade student leaders led us through the building, showing us various classrooms and common areas.  When asked what their favorite class was, it was overwhelmingly Home Economics, because they could eat.

We were shown both elementary classrooms and secondary classrooms, which looked very similar to classrooms in the U.S.  Manipulatives were much more common in early elementary classes we saw, with workbooks being a common sight in upper elementary and secondary classrooms.

It was interesting to see doors like this in each school we visited.

At first when we visited schools that were older in age, I thought the bomb shelter doors were something that was part of the ancient history of the school.  However, this school was the newest construction we had seen, and I learned that having a bomb shelter was something required of all schools.  When I asked our student tour guides their perspective on the need for a bomb shelter, one of them just shrugged and said, "Russia?"

The secondary classes included Home Economics and a Vocational Class that included woodworking and circuitry.  We watched as students made their own circuit boards, and then showed them off to us.

As I continue to process the experience of seeing these schools and meeting students, teachers and administrators I am sure I will continue to have "aha moments" on connections that can be made with our own schools back in the U.S.  However, the biggest positive that I saw was how well versed in different languages every person I met in Finland was.  It didn't matter who it was, they were able to transition from one language to another very smoothly and all were able to handle most conversations well, with some folks being so fluent that they would have fit easily into an American classroom without anyone knowing they were from Finland.  

I again am appreciative of the team of administrators I have gotten to know on this trip, and I look forward to keeping in touch with them as we look to connect what we have learned to our own personal and professional lives.