[Teach Like Finland by Timothy D. Walker Book Review] Chapter 1 - Well-being

We are Human Being, not Human Doing

Title : Teach Like Finland – 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms
Author : Timothy D. Walker
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Publication Date : April 2017
Edition : First Edition
Pages : 240 Pages
ISBN : 978-1-324-00125-6

Chapter 1 – Well-being (Review)

From the latest post, I already wrote the short review of this book. In this time, I would make a further review from chapter 1 of the book.

In this chapter, the author—Walker had wrote 7 of 33 strategies to make joyful classroom. Those 7 strategies are schedule brain breaks, learn on the move, re-charge after school, simplify the space, breathe fresh air, get into the wild and keep the peace. Those 7 strategies promote the physical, emotional and mental health of teachers and students. They are also can improve the quality of teaching and learning.

Schedule Brain Breaks

The first strategy is schedule brain breaks. This book explained that students in Finland normally take fifteen-minute break for every forty-five minutes of instruction. During the break times, they will head outside to play and socialize with their friends. The teachers also have these fifteen-minute breaks. These frequent breaks kept students and teachers fresh throughout the day.

I agree with the first strategy. All people need a break time to relax their selves. If they have enough break time, they can feel fresh and focus to do their next activity. Break time is also necessary for students and teachers. Teaching and learning will feel more effective if teachers and students feel fresh not stress.

Learn On The Move

The second strategy is learning on the move. In Finland, Students not only sit on their chair but also moving and walking around the class. This method aims to increase students’ physical activity. Students become more active and happy rather than sitting on their chair.

Usually students will easy to get bored if they’re only sitting on their chair. Teachers should make active and creative teaching method that can increase students’ physical activity. This kind of method also can increase students’ happiness.

Re-charge After School

The third strategy is re-charging after school. Teachers in Finland believe that their pupils should re-charge their energy after school end. Students can take a rest in their home and get ready for school tomorrow. Finnish teachers will also give their children small homework task. They don’t want to overload students with extra homework because they believe students’ free time is really important for their growth.

Usually, teachers on some school in our country give a lot of home works for their students. They think home works are really important for students to remember the learning materials. Actually, a bunch of homework will make students feel stress. We should imitate Finland for this case. Students should have enough time to re-charge their energy in their home. We can give them a little and easy home works that don’t take their time to do it. So they still have time to re-charge their energy and get ready for school tomorrow.

Simplify The Space

The fourth strategy is simplifying the space. A class with many ornaments can distract students’ attention from study. In Finnish school, they prefer to minimize their school with a little stuff and ornaments. Walker said the decision to keep our classrooms uncluttered is something that can ultimately save time, facilitate higher quality work and promote less distracted teaching and learning.

This statement never came to my mind before. Well, that’s really true. Sometimes many ornaments and decorations in class can distract us from study. Even sometimes, Lot of ornaments and decorations are hazard for children’s safety.

Breathe Fresh Air and Get Into The Wild

The fifth strategy is breathing fresh air. When we do inhale fresh air, we will feel relax and comfort. That’s really helping us to do better learning. Finnish school will usually open their class window and let the fresh air and natural light come through the class.

The sixth strategy is get into the wild. Sometimes Finnish school will bring their students outside the room and learning in the wild. They will connect and interact to nature.

From the fifth and sixth strategies, we can see that Finnish school has encouraged environment-based education. They believe natural environments can affect the learning. Nature also can give lot of positive effects to students. I absolutely agree with these two strategies. Nature can heal us from stress. Learning in nature can make students feel relax, fresh and certainly happy.

Keep The Peace

The last strategy is keeping the peace.  Peaceful is Finnish schools priority. Finland’s newest curriculum framework has declared that learning is supported by peaceful and friendly working atmosphere. Finnish pupils rather choose to work their tasks quietly. They might don’t look like active learners because they keep peace and stay focus in their class.

I completely agree with the last strategy.  Peaceful is the necessary thing in life. Students who studying with calm and peaceful, usually can easily understand the learning materials. That doesn’t mean, we forbid our pupils to be not active. They can be active students but they should preserve the peaceful. To get better learning we should have a peace.

In my opinion,  these 7 strategies are really useful. As Walker said before, these 7 strategies promote the physical, emotional and mental health of teachers and students. To provide joyful classroom, we must have physical, emotional and mental health. Well-being is really necessary to create joyful classroom.

Remember, we are human being not human doing.

You an check the latest short review here :

[Book Review] Teach Like Finland - 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms by Timothy D. Walker

Source Photos :

• http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Teach-Like-Finland/
• https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/the-joyful-illiterate-kindergartners-of-finland/408325/
• http://www.click-channel.tv/2017/11/sekreti-i-suksesit-te-shkollave-finlandeze-bashkepunimi-jo-konkurrenca/
• https://www.google.co.id/url?sa=i&source=imgres&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjBqan-gNveAhXBwI8KHffRDc4Qjxx6BAgBEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fschool-start-age-2017-3&psig=AOvVaw3UqK-7Nqkg7AQxapLMA7zu&ust=1542529677692352
• http://www.finland.org.eg/public/default.aspx?contentid=283472&nodeid=38368&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
• https://tinytrees.org/2017/10/17/meet-teaching-teams-carkeek/
• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/finland/10489070/OECD-education-report-Finlands-no-inspections-no-league-tables-and-few-exams-approach.html
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/