teacher from Finland, great problems in the US

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Classroom Discipline Chatboard

teacher from Finland, great problems in the US

by how to make this work for me

Feb 26, 2011

So, you might have heard that we in Finland are supposedly having the best schools in the world (PISA). I have taught a few years in Finland, and I am now working here, and it has been a nightmare! The teachers are great here, the schools are fine, too, the problem are the students! Finnish students have a high academic motivation. I had never heard of ISS or OSS in my life, never gave any other type of detention either. Just no need because the kids are so quiet and well-behaved (at least in the schools I taught). The superintendent told me here that European teachers might have management problems here. That's so me!

I am teaching 5th grade now, but I am going to teach 6th grade next year. I have read books, I have observed other teachers, and still I can't get the classes to be quite. How will I manage next year with 6th grade. How do you start off your year? I will be in a new school, so I could start off freshly. How do I get them to be more respectful? And how will I lea...See More

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sick & tired Check out this link. [link removed]

Makes me want to go teach there.

On 4/06/11, ja wrote: > I envy all the teachers and students in Finland. No teaching to the > test and constant grades yet your country does the best teaching in > the world. And all the while we experiment with the theories of > Harry Wong which resu...See More

Apr 29, 2011

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MO Teacher Here's another snippet from a rethinkingschools.org archive article on Finland (GREAT website, btw):

In a Finnish classroom, it is rare to see a teacher standing at the front of a classroom lecturing students for 50 minutes. Instead, students are likely to determine their own weekly targets with their teachers in specific subject areas and...See More

Apr 29, 2011

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5th to 6th- inner city I was also moved up" to 6th from 5th. The middle school age, especially when 6th grade is the highest grade in the school can be especially challenging. I find that they will "test" you at first. Remaining calm works, lowering your voice, remaining silent until all eyes are on you, and having them "buy into" the fact that you are there to "teach th...See MoreI was also moved up" to 6th from 5th. The middle school age, especially when 6th grade is the highest grade in the school can be especially challenging. I find that they will "test" you at first. Remaining calm works, lowering your voice, remaining silent until all eyes are on you, and having them "buy into" the fact that you are there to "teach them" things they will need and use during their lives. if they "choose" to shorthchange themselves, then they can act silly, chat with a neighbor, doodle in thier notebook, or leave the room....BUT that's not going to help them in the short term on the test, and in the long term- in life. I always tell them "I already know this stuff, so my attention and purpose are solely on YOU.... MAKE me teach you!!! You get a free education, so why not give yourself the best opportunity, otherwise, you are kicking yourself in the butt! I then say "if anyone doesn't want the best for themselves, stand up so I can kick your rear-end FOR YOU!" (they laugh) Sometimes saying it on their level helps them to "buy in."

On 2/26/11, Judith wrote: > Hi! > > Classroom management has always been difficult for me, but this > year I found two things which seem to work, at least with this > year's class. > > One is a "Clip Chart". If you do an internet search, you will > find enough information to figure it out, and to get started. > The basics of the clip chart are that students start the day > with a certain number of points, and they can gain or lose > points through their own behavior choices throughout the day. > > The second thing I found was "Whole Brain Teaching." Again, an > internet search will help you find it. Whole brain teaching > was a sea change for me. When properly done, it involves the > entire student, - brain, voice, muscles. It even stimulates > the pleasure centers of the brain. It also involves the > teacher in those same ways. > > With a combination of both of these, I find that my students > are meeting or exceeding expected progress in their academics, > they seem much more engaged in the learning taking place, and > they are more cooperative and respectful. > > As for taking things personally, - don't! Schools are > supposedly "safe" places, where students try out behaviors they > would be punished for at home. Once you let them know that > these behaviors are not acceptable at school, either, they will > move on to something else. > > I wish you luck with 6th grade students next year. The > hormones they are experiencing will certainly make your job > more interesting. > > Judi

May 18, 2011

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excuse me? History teacher - what to you mean "Our ancestors - all of them - decided to jump on board some ship and sail across the ocean thinking maybe it was better somewhere else." Aren't you forgeting all of the Africans who were dragged onto a ship and brought here in bondage??

On 2/28/11, US History Teacher wrote: > On 2/26/11, how to make t...See MoreHistory teacher - what to you mean "Our ancestors - all of them - decided to jump on board some ship and sail across the ocean thinking maybe it was better somewhere else." Aren't you forgeting all of the Africans who were dragged onto a ship and brought here in bondage??

On 2/28/11, US History Teacher wrote: > On 2/26/11, how to make this work for me wrote: > > Welcome to the States. Let's start by understanding that > Americans are all the descendants of people who were > risk-takers. Our ancestors - all of them - decided to jump on > board some ship and sail across the ocean thinking maybe it was > better somewhere else. That takes a great risk and the people > who took this risk were independent people inclined to take risks. > The students you have in front of you are the descendants of > such people - and your students can be very independent and ot > inclined to jump when you say jump. Welcome to the States. > > Americans are not a quiet and well-behaved people. It may be > destroying the country but we are complainers who send our army > over the world. It has bankrupted the country but that's the > horrible price we pay - literally - for being who we are. And > until recently we were the world's most creative people too - > let's look at the great inventions of the world. Vaccines? The > vaccine for polio? The vaccine for smallpox? The computer? The > Internet? To name a few - those all our American inventions. > What is Finland's contribution? To world health? To the > advancement of technology? > > I've been to your country, it and your people are lovely but > as you complain about Americans and their independent ways, > let's remember that it is that independence that has led to > what we've done here. > > Respect is earned here - it' s not automatic. To each respect, > show them you respect them as people. As to deeming your > curriculum boring, it can be worthwhile to ask yourself - is it > boring? Some things should be taken personally. > > My trick for classroom management lies in my curriculum - it's > not boring. I keep class moving at a fast pace but I teach > social studies, history and literature and those are > fascinating topics. Those subjects lend themselves to an > interesting class and many interesting and intriguing lessons. > I'd recommend for any struggling teacher to use visuals and I > hope you have a laptop connected to a video projector in your > room. If you do, go to youtube.com and look up your subject > matter and lessons for it. American kids watch far too much > television but the upside of that is that they're used to > watching things and they respond to the good material you can > find on youtube. > > Other than that, tell them on the first day how intrigued you > are by American kids and remind them that their country has > been the source of the world's greatest accomplishments in the > last two centuries ( sorry about the atom bomb - really truly > deeply sorry) Tell them you came to the States because you > wanted to see what the schools were like in the country that > has produced such wonderful things for the world. Ask the kids > their thoughts and opinions - discussion is something they > usually don't find boring - and ask them how any one country > can produce something so powerfully good as the end of smallpox > and polio and the atom bomb at the same time? > > Tell them about the Sami - remind them that other countries > have First People - discuss Finland's approach to its first > people and compare and contrast it the US approach to its many > first peoples. > > You have a great deal to teach these kids - it's a rare > opportunity to have a teacher from another country. Remind them > that Finnish is regarded as one of the world's more difficult > languages and teach them some Finnish! > Good luck. > > >> >> >> If you are a foreigner here, please share how you got the >> hang of this. And all the others: what is your secret trick >> for classroom management and discipline?

Jun 28, 2011

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history teacher On 6/28/11, excuse me? wrote: > History teacher - what to you mean "Our ancestors - all of them - > decided to jump on board some ship and sail across the ocean > thinking maybe it was better somewhere else." > Aren't you forgeting all of the Africans who were dragged onto a > ship and brought here in bondage??

I am forgetti...See MoreOn 6/28/11, excuse me? wrote: > History teacher - what to you mean "Our ancestors - all of them - > decided to jump on board some ship and sail across the ocean > thinking maybe it was better somewhere else." > Aren't you forgeting all of the Africans who were dragged onto a > ship and brought here in bondage??

I am forgetting that and shame on me - great shame on me as I am a history teacher - for forgetting that.

> > > > > > On 2/28/11, US History Teacher wrote: >> On 2/26/11, how to make this work for me wrote: >> >> Welcome to the States. Let's start by understanding that >> Americans are all the descendants of people who were >> risk-takers. Our ancestors - all of them - decided to jump on >> board some ship and sail across the ocean thinking maybe it was >> better somewhere else. That takes a great risk and the people >> who took this risk were independent people inclined to take > risks. >> The students you have in front of you are the descendants of >> such people - and your students can be very independent and ot >> inclined to jump when you say jump. Welcome to the States. >> >> Americans are not a quiet and well-behaved people. It may be >> destroying the country but we are complainers who send our army >> over the world. It has bankrupted the country but that's the >> horrible price we pay - literally - for being who we are. And >> until recently we were the world's most creative people too - >> let's look at the great inventions of the world. Vaccines? The >> vaccine for polio? The vaccine for smallpox? The computer? The >> Internet? To name a few - those all our American inventions. >> What is Finland's contribution? To world health? To the >> advancement of technology? >> >> I've been to your country, it and your people are lovely but >> as you complain about Americans and their independent ways, >> let's remember that it is that independence that has led to >> what we've done here. >> >> Respect is earned here - it' s not automatic. To each respect, >> show them you respect them as people. As to deeming your >> curriculum boring, it can be worthwhile to ask yourself - is it >> boring? Some things should be taken personally. >> >> My trick for classroom management lies in my curriculum - it's >> not boring. I keep class moving at a fast pace but I teach >> social studies, history and literature and those are >> fascinating topics. Those subjects lend themselves to an >> interesting class and many interesting and intriguing lessons. >> I'd recommend for any struggling teacher to use visuals and I >> hope you have a laptop connected to a video projector in your >> room. If you do, go to youtube.com and look up your subject >> matter and lessons for it. American kids watch far too much >> television but the upside of that is that they're used to >> watching things and they respond to the good material you can >> find on youtube. >> >> Other than that, tell them on the first day how intrigued you >> are by American kids and remind them that their country has >> been the source of the world's greatest accomplishments in the >> last two centuries ( sorry about the atom bomb - really truly >> deeply sorry) Tell them you came to the States because you >> wanted to see what the schools were like in the country that >> has produced such wonderful things for the world. Ask the kids >> their thoughts and opinions - discussion is something they >> usually don't find boring - and ask them how any one country >> can produce something so powerfully good as the end of smallpox >> and polio and the atom bomb at the same time? >> >> Tell them about the Sami - remind them that other countries >> have First People - discuss Finland's approach to its first >> people and compare and contrast it the US approach to its many >> first peoples. >> >> You have a great deal to teach these kids - it's a rare >> opportunity to have a teacher from another country. Remind them >> that Finnish is regarded as one of the world's more difficult >> languages and teach them some Finnish! >> Good luck. >> >> >>> >>> >>> If you are a foreigner here, please share how you got the >>> hang of this. And all the others: what is your secret trick >>> for classroom management and discipline?

Jul 5, 2011

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