Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 37

APPLY THE FINNISH
APPROACH TO ANY
CLASSROOM
Student-Centered
Learning
Student-centered learning
means that teachers act as
facilitators. It can be
applied to projects,
teamwork and individual
study. Projects teach
students time management and force them
to take responsibility of their learning. These
are difficult skills to master, so be patient and
provide support. Encourage teamwork. Keep
in mind that individual study does not
necessarily mean working alone!
Stress-Free Learning
Ask your students to stand
up and move regularlyand
have a break. Like muscles,
the brain loves a rest too!
Embrace a positive
atmosphere and create
an encouraging learning environment by
providing positive feedback and recognizing
students’ efforts.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE
HOW
by Katia Al-Kaisi with Eikka Kurvinen
Growth Mindset
Help children understand
that mistakes are a normal
part of learning. Mistakes
should not be dwelled
upon, except through
questions that focus
on what the student can learn from their
mistakes. Become aware of the language you
and your student use during and after
challenging situations. For example: Rather
than, “I can’t do these math exercises!”
consider using phrases such as: “I can’t do
these exercises yet.”
Assessment as
Learning
Assessment is to guide and
encourage learners. Guide
your students to reflect on
their own learning against
their personal objectives
and not to compare against
each other. Help students understand the
objectives and recognise their own
strengths and development needs.
Provide opportunities for the students to
develop their skills for self assessment and
peer assessment so that they can both give
and receive constructive feedback.
I am so used to educators in the Gulf region coming to talk to me at events
saying how they admire the Finnish education system, BUT how it will
never work in their local school or nursery. I always have the same answer:
it’s all about the how. Knowledge is universal and most curriculums have
more similarities than differences, but the key is how to achieve great
learning outcomes, equip students with future readiness and ensure life
satisfaction. The next quesiton I usually get is: well how? The answer to
that is a combination of things, but most of them are a results of a
wellbeing centered approach to teaching and learning.
Finland is the only country where school children excel in life-satisfaction
and performance according to PISA 2018 results.   Students’ own
assessment of their satisfaction with life is fairly high. When examining
the relationship between life satisfaction and performance, Finland stood
out from other countries and economies. For  example, life satisfaction
was low in  all Asian countries with a high level  of performance, and in
countries with  a high level of life satisfaction,  performance was mostly
poor.
The wellbeing  centred  approach is  not impossible to implement in most
classrooms, and it should not be curriculum, demographic or culture
bound. We have seen Finnish solutions tackle very local learning needs
and prove measurable impacts on learning all around the world, yet
respecting the local context.
Research based,  pedagogically  proven EdTech solutions are usually an
easier way to start introducing elements of the Finnish way in a scalable
and adaptable manner.
Sources: OECD PISA 2018, Ministry of Education and Culture  Finland, FinlandMath (R)