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A culinary arts classroom in Finland, where students are trained to be bakers.
Standing in the hallway of a high school in Vaasa, Finland, was a palpable experience for me. The students were similar to those in the Calgary high school where I teach, although most Finnish students are tall, light-skinned and well-dressed. It wasn’t just their appearance that made the school feel different; rather, what was most striking was their maturity, self-assurance and purposefulness.
In Finland, schools and teachers are an integral part of students’ lives. School is not a world apart from their other experiences—it’s a significant part of the shared cultural experience of all Finns. School is a stage of life—a place for students to gain as much as possible before entering the next phase of their lives.
The following questions gave students pause: What does school mean to you? Why do you go to school? What’s in it for you? Their answers were clear and concise and almost all similar. They did not mention following their dreams or passions as a reason for attending school. Their relationships with their teachers differ from those I have with my students (and, I believe, those most Alberta high school teachers have with their students).
Finns interact in a direct manner. They do not spend much time debating the nuances or subtleties of actions or policies. Students and teachers know the parameters of their work, yet they do not know each other well as people. Their experiences are not full of highly motivated, engaged interactions; rather, each person knows his or her role and how to do the work. What I found missing was the why—the engagement and the passion of learning.
I do not mean to say that, without exception, Alberta’s high schools are full of passionate learners. Our schools have many passionate students and teachers, as well as many who are not engaged or who are disenfranchised. What caused me to rethink my work and my approach to student engagement was the idea that there is something worse than not engaging all students: not reaching any or reaching only a few, while appearing to be successful on the surface, is more distressing to me.
I learned from my visit to Finland that Finnish principals envy the happy, positive and supportive environments of our high schools. This realization prompted me to value even more the great work we do with our students. As a result, I speak more frequently and openly about the importance of student involvement and engagement in learning. Moreover, it has motivated me to provide greater encouragement and support to students, staff and parents with regard to the value of public education in Alberta.
How can we do our work better? What else might we try and how might we better involve students? What can we, as principals and teachers in Alberta, learn from each other, from our Finnish colleagues and from our students?
We all have the same goal to make the world a better place through public education. John Ruskin said: “Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.”
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Matt Christison is the principal of Centennial High School, in Calgary.
