Book Review: On Top of the World: How the Finns Educate Their Children

The Finnish flag

That orange section in Finalnd

If you teach anywhere in the world you have surely heard about how, Finland has, “the best education,” in the world.

Many of the educational forums or Facebook pages I am a member of will often reference Finland’s educational system in research, news articles or memes.

In addition, when I did my Masters in Spain we studied how the education in Finland was unique. We mainly focused on the attitude people have towards teachers as well as the training that teachers have.

Even with this background, I found the book really interesting. Part of what I really liked about it is it was written by the mother of three children (aged 7, 9, and 12). I really like that it is written by a mother, not an educational expert or a curriculum designer. 

Basically, with the fame of the Finnish educational system, Maria is often asked about what makes their system so much better than everywhere else. She doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but in how in a quick 14 chapters she answers the question: what are the Finns doing in their school?

I found On Top of the World: How the Finns Educate Their Children a nice overall summary of how the educational system works. Some of it was new to me, and some of it was review, but none of it was pretentious or useless.

She ends the book with several key takeaways I feel I can implement as an educator:

·         Communicate with the parents!

o   My colleagues and I have discussed how this can be different with different schools. Some schools don’t encourage communication with parents. Other schools foster it! I think the key is to remember that parents are your allies, not enemies.

·         Encourage students to learn another language.

o   As a language teacher…I may be biased

·         Don’t be afraid to add a physical nature to your lessons

o   Not every lesson can be a soccer game, but getting students to move around can be helpful.

·         Use “playing” as a learning tool.

o   We all learn better when we aren’t trying to learn! Maybe try a vocabulary game!

·         Respect students as individuals

o   Understand that not all students will succeed at the same things.

If you want to read a concise compilation of how the Finnish education system works, this is a fast, easy and simple read I encourage you to look into. Plus, it LESS than a dollar!
No time for the book? Check out this infographic on Finlands.

5 tips to Avoid Teacher Burnout

I love teaching! However, I have had those days when I just want to quit. It can be hard. How do you avoid burning out as a teacher? This guest post from Pauline Sloan discusses the different ways to be a happy teacher, and keep your passion for teaching alive!
 
Being a teacher is one of the hardest professions out there. There are plenty of challenges that teachers are facing these days and you need to find ways to overcome these to succeed. One of the key things to guarantee you are successful in teaching is to keep your passion for teaching. Here are five tips that can help you do it.

1. Keep Learning

You can really stay passionate about your teaching if you keep constantly learning more about your subject as well. If you just rely on the information you have learned during your training it is very easy to start feeling bored.
So make sure that you read new books about teaching and the subject you teach. You can also take advantage of news that relates to your field and share opinions with other teachers.

2. Stay Interested In Your Students’ Opinions

It is also crucial that you remain genuinely interested in your students’ opinions. The way this can help you remain passionate is by making each lesson much more different.
When you show your students you want to hear their opinions then you can keep learning from your students as well.
Know how to be more approachable and how to create the right learning environment for your students. Your passion will feed your students’ passion and vice versa.

3. Talk About Your Job

You want to surround yourself with colleagues that help you share your worries about the job. If you have no way of letting out steam about your job it is really easy to start feeling frustrated and stressed.
Therefore you want to find either friends at work or other people in the field to talk to when things get tough. This can really boost your own interest for teaching. Check out online forums like TES to find other teachers to talk to.

4. Use Different Methods

Make your teaching more fun by using different teaching methods. Don’t just stick to the same routine but make it a little bit different in order to keep yourself on your toes.
There are plenty of great ways to make teaching more fun these days. For example, you can use multimedia or elearning software for creative teaching. Making your teaching more varied with these sorts of tools can really help you keep yourself more excited about your job.

5. Do Something Else

It is also essential that you do something outside teaching as well. You need to occasionally rest yourself and take a break from teaching to ensure it remains something fun to do.
Make sure you have another hobby that doesn’t require you to do anything remotely close to your teaching. For instance, if you are a maths teacher then you might want to start doing something physical like boxing to take your mind of your work.
The above five tips should help you maintain your passion for teaching. It is important to try and do this as it can help guarantee you more success with your profession and guarantee you don’t start feeling stressed about your work as easily.

Pauline Sloan is really interested in helping people feel more excited about the work they do. She is passionate about ensuring people find ways to stay happy and passionate. She is also a really big fan of learning more about the ancient Greeks.

Online Education Infographic

I used to consider online teaching something I would never do, but with advances in technology, and more research into the subject there are some good arguments to be made about the benefit of teaching online. Check out this inforgraphic about  the advantages of online education.

College students now perceive online education as a real option to earn their degrees, especially when they consider a few factors. The percentage of students taking online continuing education courses has risen to approximately 31 percent.

Some students do consider the quality of instructors as they weigh their options. This is no different for students thinking of taking a class or two online. They want to know that they will be spending their money and time on an instructor who knows what she is doing as she delivers class lectures to a camera, reaching hundreds, if not thousands, of students. Depending on the program, some students may verify whether an online program is accredited.

Some students do have to consider their finances. If a continuing online education is more affordable than traditional college, this will be one of the most important factors for them.situation, this betters their chances of employment after graduation.
Students do think about the course materials they will be taking. If the course is intended to help them in an established career, these students will research several online universities, as well as their curricula, before making a decision.

Amy White is a freelance blogger and at-home mother of two. She recommends continuing education through comprehensive continuing education online

How to be a Great Teacher!

I think we area always on a quest to become better teachers through CPD, getting more sleep, and basically just trying out hardest This guest post by Kristine has some great things to keep in mind to help all teachers strive to be their best.
 
If you want to become a good teacher then you will certainly need to keep a few very important things in mind.  There are a few qualities that you need to have if you want to be considered one of the best teachers in your profession.  Take note of these qualities and take the time to fully understand what they are and how to improve on these qualities.  You will see that you are going to be fulfilled as a teacher and your students will go a lot further in class.

Understand the importance of respect in the classroom.  

There are better ways to manage a class.

Good teachers will teach every student with respect.  If you are able to do that on a regular basis then you will earn their respect as well.  Here are some things that you can do in order to show respect and earn it in return:

1. Always be nice to the students.  That means all of them.  As a good teacher, you cannot pick and choose who you want to be nice to. 
2. Consider asking each of your students to call you by your first name.  You will be completely amazed by just how far this can go with your students.
3. Try to be open and honest with your students at all times.  It is not going to benefit you to censor yourself all of the time.  The kids will think you are fake and they know when you are being dishonest with them.

Make your classes interesting.

If you are able to make classes fun and interesting then your students will be more willing to put forth and effort.  There are a few different things that you can do in order to make classes more fun for your students and yourself.  Consider these simple tips:

1. Try to give your students some options when it comes to the assignments that you want them to complete.  This gives them control and it also helps them engage more because they are able to complete tasks that they enjoy.
2. Stop standing in front of the class and lecturing.  This is boring.  Come up with some really fun and exciting ways to present the lessons you have planned.  The kids will love it when things change and are unexpected from time to time. 
3. Allow your students to have drinks and food in class.  As long as they are their desks clean and tidy, it should not be a problem. 
4. Apply technology in the classroom for the purposes of learning. Most schools should now be using tablet and interactive whiteboard technology for the purposes of educating and there are lots of apps available that can make learning more interesting. Speak with your school IT or look for an external ICT supplier like this one who can help you.

See this article on how to make lessons outstanding.

Set ground rules.

If you want your class to be fun and exciting you do need to set some ground rules.  This is necessary to ensure that everyone remains focused and takes class seriously, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean that you have to rule with an iron fist.  Think about establishing rules in the following manner:

1. Allow your students to help develop the classroom rules.  Find out what is important to them and let the pupils present ideas to the rest of their classmates.
2. Have an open discussion about the rules and establish guidelines and consequences with the help of the class.
3. Always follow through with the consequences that you have established.  This will also help you earn respect from your students. 

Assign homework sparingly.

Many teachers want to give their students homework every night.  This can become exhausting for them in the long term. Too much homework can lead to a lack of focus and students will end up rushing through assignments just to get them done.  Try to assign homework in the following way:

1. Be sure that your assignments are always focused on the topic that is being discussed.
2. Give one or two larger assignments based on the topic at the beginning of the week and allow your students several days to complete the assignments rather than one night. 

This article by Alfie Kohn looks at the argument for practicing homework.

Provide an answer to every question.

There will be times when you may be asked a question that you do not know how to answer.  These questions should never be pushed aside.  Rather, help the student find the answer:

1. Use online resources with the student to help them find the answer. 
2. Set aside time to help them solve their problem or answer the question that they have.  You may both learn something in the process. 

The above tips have proven very useful for me over the years and I hope that you also find them helpful.

Helpful resources:

Teaching resources on the TES website - http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resources/
A guide to a Ubiquitous learning environment.

Kristine is a school teacher with over ten years’ experience in the profession. Away from the classroom, Kristine likes to blog about her experiences, providing useful resources for other teachers and students alike.

Should we really worry about food allergies?

Some schools are taking severe precautions to assure there are no issues with food allergies. These can include having an "allergy section" of a cafeteria where students who have allergies need to sit. Other schools have banned certain foods in the entire school (often peanuts). Some schools have gone so far as to ban any food in the classroom (which is fine) INCLUDING coffee. From what I heard the teachers revolted a bit on this and eventually coffee was allowed in the classroom. 

Nonetheless, food allergies are a serious thing, and those of us lucky not to suffer from a food allergy are often rather ignorant. Hopefully this guest post (and infographic) help keep us aware.

Did you know that there are approximately 30,000 emergency room visits in the United States each year that are caused by food allergies?

Over half of the U.S. population tests positive to one or more food allergens, which is why it is important to get all of the information you can. This way, you can be aware of allergies your students may have and take precautions to avoid allergy attacks.

A food allergy or hypersensitivity is an abnormal response to a food that is triggered by your immune system. Common allergies are to nuts, shellfish, dairy and eggs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from an itching in your mouth and difficulty swallowing to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Be sure to ask parents about what food their child needs to avoid and and how you can respond quickly if a reaction occurs.

You can learn more about food allergies and see statistics in the infographic here.

Created by the team at Sticky Jewelry.

Can I make it as a freelance teacher?

I keep meeting all of these FANTASTIC teachers who don't teach for a school. 

These teachers are essentially freelancers. They teach on their own schedules often online (meaning they can teach in different locations).

This seems to be a growing area in education, so when Brian Fenwick offered an infographic in the facts and figure of freelancing I thought other educators may like to look at it..  

Close to a billion dollars has been earned by freelance workers across the world and this figure continues to grow at a considerable rate as ever more people turn to this career path to make their living.

Maybe unsurprisingly the United States and India top the list of country earnings. In terms of area of expertise, it is those who possess design skills that seem most likely to choose freelancing.

There is evidence to suggest that the United States economy has changed in its basic structure with a greater prominence for the service industry which may well explain why freelancing has grown quickly here.

The economic situation of the past 5 years has also, no doubt, had an impact on how people have chosen to earn a living; if a person with the required skills was unfortunate enough to find themselves out of work, freelancing would inevitably seem like a route out of their jobless position.

A final factor that may have influenced the growth patterns of the freelance world is the recent search engine algorithm changes by the world’s most popular search engine Google. High quality content is now paramount when it comes to ranking highly and every website owner from small to large has had to take the necessary steps to provide this. Freelancers are often the ones called upon to help create and market this content.

The likelihood is that freelance working practices will continue to grow in popularity over the coming years.

This infographic was researched and produced by Brian Fenwick and comes as his new ebook is released that details how anyone can become a freelance writer if they follow certain guidelines and put their skills to use.