Finnish schools take their breaks seriously.<\/p>\n
In Finland, kids and teachers enjoy\u00a015-minute breaks throughout the school day. (A tradition since at least the 1960s.) During these recesses, Finnish educators love escaping to the teachers’ lounge to rejuvenate.<\/p>\n
At my former school in Massachusetts, we lacked a teachers’ lounge. When I began my stint as a teacher in Finland, the concept of the lounge was completely alien to me.\u00a0It made me feel uncomfortable. So, initially, I\u00a0stayed away from\u00a0the lounge at my Helsinki school. The whole thing seemed, well, lazy.<\/p>\n
Today my\u00a0thinking about the teachers’ lounge has changed significantly. I\u00a0get it now.<\/p>\n
(I\u00a0continue to teach elementary school children in Finland, and it is my favorite place to\u00a0spend my time during the school day. I can’t get enough of it.)<\/p>\n
The\u00a0teachers’ lounge is\u00a0the first place I want to show every\u00a0foreign teacher who visits Finland. If you want to know the culture of teaching and learning at a Finnish school,\u00a0start there. The pace of schooling. The collaborative spirit. The emphasis on well-being. It’s all there.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the teachers’ lounge seemed like the\u00a0perfect subject for my vlog’s first episode.<\/p>\n
Please take a few minutes to watch this first episode (“Inside a Finnish Teachers’ Lounge<\/a>“) on YouTube! And, if you enjoy it, would you leave a thumbs up and consider subscribing to my channel?<\/p>\n I’m excited about this next chapter of my Finnish education journey and I’m grateful for your support over the years. Feel free to share\u00a0your thoughts about this first episode and any other ideas for future installments. Thank you, and have a great weekend!<\/p>\n -Tim<\/p>\n