Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms pdfdrive com

Know each child
Before they became my fifth graders, my group of Helsinki students had been
with the same classroom teacher for four years—first grade through fourth
grade. And I could see, during those early days of the new school year, that their
rapport with their previous teacher was exceptionally strong. On the first day of
school, in the cafeteria, I watched many of my fifth graders laugh with and hug

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school, in the cafeteria, I watched many of my fifth graders laugh with and hug
their former teacher. (Throughout Finnish elementary schools, the practice of a
teacher remaining with a group of children for more than one school year is
common.)
In Helsinki, I further understood the wisdom of this Finnish practice when I
remained with my group of students for two years, starting in fifth grade. When I
returned to teach them in sixth grade, I was impressed with how quickly we
could reestablish healthy expectations and routines in our classroom. Not only
that, but I found that, with another year with my class, my knowledge of them as
unique individuals brought joy to our classroom and greatly benefited my
teaching and their learning.
As teachers, we know it takes time to get to know our students well, but for
many educators around the world, it seems as if they’re forced to wave a
permanent goodbye to the children at the end of each school year, just when
they’ve finally established strong rapport with them. While it’s relatively rare—
in my experience—to find educators in America who “loop” with their students,
just like teachers in Finland, there are simple steps to speed up the process of
building strong teacher-student relationships.
One practice, which I implemented for the first time in Finland, is as
straightforward as standing by the door and greeting students by name as they
enter the classroom. I prefer to exchange fist bumps, handshakes, or high fives,
too. Some of my Helsinki students would sometimes, playfully, try to sneak past
me without a greeting—and it became our fun inside joke. This routine is
something that allows teachers to recognize each student, signaling that we see
them as individuals, not simply as a group of kids. During those brief moments
by the door, I’d sometimes compliment a student on a new haircut or inquire
about a sporting event. They were little things, just to say “I see you.” If I was
ending the day with my students, I would try to conclude the day in the same
way I began it. Often I’d stand by our classroom door, ready to send them off
with a cheerful farewell.
Many American elementary school teachers set aside time for a regular
morning circle, where members of the classroom greet one another in different
ways, such as shaking a neighbor’s hand or chanting a choral greeting. Although
I’m a strong proponent of morning circle, which is something I’ve used in my
teaching since I started my career, I think we need to focus, too, on cultivating
personal connections, on a daily basis, with each of our students. Morning circle,
I’ve found, is especially effective at promoting a sense of joyful community in
the classroom, rather than strengthening the individual relationships between
teachers and students.
Another simple practice I utilized in Finland, which helped me to connect

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Another simple practice I utilized in Finland, which helped me to connect
personally with my students, was eating lunch with them. At my Helsinki
school, teachers were required to supervise their classes during lunch, so it
wasn’t difficult for me to share a meal with my class. It did require a little
intentionality, though. Typically, teachers—during my lunch block—could elect
to sit at a table with one another or at a table with a few of their students. I tried
to alternate between those two options, because I found that it was important to
invest time in relationships with both my colleagues and the children in my
class. Although our lunch break was only twenty minutes long, it provided me
with enough time to have casual conversations with my students. Often we’d
exchange jokes and discuss our hobbies and interests. Occasionally, I’d get
questions about life in America.
Because all twenty-five of us wouldn’t fit around one table, I’d try to visit
with different students throughout any given week. Typically, individual
students would invite me to join them for lunch—and if I couldn’t join them that
day, I’d agree to eat with them on a separate occasion. Having those
nonacademic moments at lunch, where we could freely discuss anything, was so
valuable for strengthening our personal relationships.
In the classroom, I’ve found that, as teachers, it’s important to model focused
intensity during lessons, so that our students know it’s time to focus intently on
the learning, but I’ve seen that those occasions of just slowing down with
students—at lunch, for example—are essential, too.
In Finland, it might be easier to arrange eating lunch with your students,
given a difference in school policy, but I’ve met a few teachers in America
implementing this practice, too. What’s great about this simple gesture is that it
will not only facilitate better rapport but also give you time to model respectful
conversations and good eating habits, things that will also benefit your students.
Eating with your students every day could be exhausting, even if you could,
hypothetically, make it work. In my experience, I’ve found that there are days
when I crave a few minutes to catch up with my colleagues or eat quietly in the
corner, where I have a few minutes to reflect on a challenging morning. Striking
a balance is essential.
If you’re interested in the idea of eating with your students, I recommend
starting small. Initially, you could try setting aside one lunch block each week to
sit with several students. Because it’s important to eat with each of your students
eventually, it might be helpful to have a simple system for keeping track of who
you’re sitting with and when.
In addition to greeting our students and eating lunch with them, there’s
something we can do outside of school that can have a profoundly positive

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impact on our relationships with the children in our classroom: home visits. In
Helsinki I didn’t think to conduct home visits because I wasn’t available to meet
with my fifth graders before the school year began in mid-August, but I believe
it’s a practice that would work well anywhere in the world.
While I taught in America, I conducted several home visits during the
summer, and I found that, although it required a sacrifice of my time, it was well
worth the investment. The most challenging part, I learned, was arranging the
visits in advance, because families can be hard to reach during vacation season.
But once I had a home visit planned, the actual event required very little
preparation. The only thing I’d bring along was a pen and a notebook. Inside of
my notebook, I had a list of questions to consider during the visit, which was
something that my American mentor teacher gave me. Questions could range
from “What are the child’s hobbies?” to “What are the child’s expectations for
this school year?”
The actual visit consisted of two parts. First, I’d casually spend time with the
student, chatting, and, if they wanted, I’d get a brief tour of their home to hear
what they find most meaningful. Next, I’d meet with the guardians, when I could
hear their insights on their child, along with finding out their wishes for the
school year.
One of the greatest benefits of the home visit is the way it signals to students
and their guardians that we care about getting to know each child. I think home
visits are especially useful for teachers who have only a year with a particular
group of children, because those educators—unlike many Finnish teachers—lack
the possibility of getting to know students and their parents over the course of
several years.
These simple practices—routinely greeting students, regularly eating lunch
with them, and conducting home visits—are just several ways of deepening
teacher–student relationships. I believe that teachers who are committed to
getting to know their students will inevitably develop an assortment of methods
(like the ones I’ve mentioned) for getting to know their students better, which
will ultimately contribute to the children’s sense of belonging—and,
consequentially, the overall level of joy in their classrooms.