Job Shadowing - Järvenpää Saturday 28th January

Last day of work. Today we are having a kind of happy feedback meeting. First we are having a great brunch and we are going to talk about my general impressions on the Job Shadowing experience and then we are going to Poorvo.

I think it has been a very complete program since I have been able to observe many different subjects and methodologies. I have also attended a rehearsal of the electronic examns Finland is carrying out nowadays. They have presented me software I can use in my classes and some which I may use if I get the permission to do so.

In my meetings with Principal Marja-Liisa and counsellors Katarina and Sanna, I have got to know new aspects of Finnish educational system. Obviously, there many procedures I cannot develop in my school because the educational laws and curriculum are different, but there are some aspects which I could use with some modification. It is for sure that I will present all these issues to my teachers so we can discuss possible changes in our school and in the way we teach and organise our daily routine.


When you first heard about the changes in the Finnish curriculum, they said they were leaving aside core subjects and they were not going to study any more maths, or philosophy, or history, but the truth is that it is way of getting this knowledge which is changing.

Students have to work even more in groups or in their own, they have to look for the information and discuss about it. Teachers have to make them think about real life and express their own point of view, students have to consider diversity as a reality and the respect to the others' opinion as a must in their life.

It is not necessary to know all the words and mathematical formaula by heart, you need a basic knowledge to communicate to understand things and then you can go on improving and you can always lookup the extra information you may need.

I would really like to go on with this issue in future Job Shadowings because I think it is an approach to the present situation quite similar to what I believe. I strongly approve this method of teaching and learning, you do not need to be perfect in any way, neither to know all the words, concepts or structures to be able to communicate, to understand theories or appreciate a piece of art. Long Life Learning is a reality and a basic truth for me. We are always learning so there is no point in trying to know absolutely everything.

And now, let's move to Porvoo. It is the second oldest city in Finland, after Turku, and located only fifty kilometers east of Helsinki. The area where Porvoo today lies is first inhabited with the arrival of Swedish settlers. Porvoo's centre opens up to a national urban park, in which the beautiful views and natural attractions are available for everyone by foot. The national urban park in Porvoo was established in 2010 and it extends approximately 10 km south from Old Porvoo, via the river estuary to the archipelago, as well a 8 km east.

Although we were heading to Pirvoo to have a relaxing and touristic day, we are teachers and we talked all our way to Porvoo about teacher training and Marjo and Riitta's Job Shadowing in February-March!!

It was a very interesting conversation and we even revised the program and added some new meetings and activities!

This is living proof of how interesting are face-to-face venues because you can extend your working hours and blend them with leisure activities that improve your knowledge about culture and education in the foreign country.

I am looking forward to receiving them at my school and going on with our collaboration!!!

Angels Romeu
Erasmus + Coordinator