What does Erasmus+ Exchange Project mean to a foreign teacher assistant?

We all have many identities. We don’t relate to many of them until we are put in the spot when we feel uneasy, confused or helpless. I didn’t mean anything negative even I am using bad emotion words. On contrary, I believe we grow up from difficulties.

When I was working with this Erasmus+ exchange project, I unconsciously identified myself as: a learner, a teacher assistant, a Chinese, an immigrant to Kalajoki, Finland and Europe, a person who tries to fit into the local community, a person who wants to connect to new people, a person who couldn’t care less about many others in a big group when there is a language and culture barrier.

“A learner” is my eternal identity. In Chinese we say “活到老 学到老 (huó dào lǎo, xué dào lǎo)”. It can be literally translated into: Live and Learn. Confucius also believes: 三人行，必有我师焉；择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之. The simple translation would be that you can always learn from the people accompany you. This identify is far override another identity which is a “teacher assistant”, especially under the circumstance that I am still “a new immigrant to Kalajoki, Finland and Europe”.    

Secondary schools’ Erasmus+ exchange project itself creates a unique time and space framework for both students and teachers to learn cross-culturally inside/from the host’s local community. For example, “water – a combining element” project brought us to learn about: the industry port of Kalajoki (Kalajoen Satama), the fishing port of Kalajoki (Kala Satama), the FinFerries which brought us to Hailuoto (an island that is ~160km away from Kalajoki), Havula (a residential villa built by the sawmill owner in 1912). It also connected us with local business and organisations. For example, the owners of the Adventure Park Pakka gave us a brief introduction to their business; JEDU’s tourism line provided us very good meal and fun activities despite of the bad weather; Huskey farmer shared his knowledge and happiness with dogs with us; we also visited Kalajoki Marine Nature Center, Bowling hall, Spa and all kinds of restaurants.

With no doubt, one can always learn this by oneself these days, if you want or need to. In fact, one probably would never need to know the Port of Kalajoki even he or she has been living here for their whole life. In my opinion, that’s exactly where modern education plays its role: to bring the unknown into someone’s life and make it relevant to that person.  

In the case of Erasmus+ exchange program, it also lends many pairs of foreign eyes to the hosting ones to look at or study his or her own local surroundings. It applies to both teachers and students who are involved in this program. For a person like me, it’s an extra bonus that I not only dive into the local communities but also learning from the others from other parts of European Union. It was such a pleasant moment when the German colleagues came and brought me the greetings from their colleagues, with whom we travelled to Italy together during this exchange in last May. It was also a great honor when one of them came to me and humbly started a conversation with me because he hasn’t had a deep level conversation with a Chinese before. By continuous conversations, we both get a deeper understanding of its self-concept and the social and individual differences. I firmly believe it happens to all the others during this exchange.

In addition to this, it also allows me to glance into how the other teachers work with their students, take initiatives and responsibilities in this abnormal setting, compared to their normal classrooms. We learn from each other and give time and space for each other to observe, adjust and grow up, which is exactly we, as teachers or teacher assistants, need to develop in front of the latest curriculum reform.

Nonetheless, there are always many things we can do better or we hope to do better.

Firstly, I would say, most of students who take part in the project are coming from a good family background that one can and willing to host. How to bring the same kind of projects to the rest of their peer group is something circling over my head.

Secondly, small groups often form “naturally” inside big groups. How to more effectively promote communication other than reinforcing the stereotype of each culture is another interesting topic. Have we all tried all our means to communicate? What are the other ways of communication beyond languages?

Talking about language, Feb 21 is the UNESCO International Mother Language Day. I did a small project with International Studies 1 students. We collected all the mother languages spoken by people in Lukio and city of Kalajoki and made our own posters. I love to hear when students saying that they couldn’t believe there are more than 19 different languages spoken in Kalajoki. And I love to hear when they said “it was fun to do it” after the lesson. It was fun for me as well. In fact, whenever William encouraged me to teach Chinese in the lesson, my first reaction would always be: Why bother? Chinese language is not relevant to them at all. But the Erasmus exchange program helped me to understand that: Education aims to bring the unknown knowledge into someone’s life and make it relevant to that person.  I think it is also a critical moment for me to truly understand what Mr. Armin Weingartner often mentioned in his Classroom Management lesson: to offer.

We believe Kalajoki is a SAFE place to be.

We use "Learn, Creative, International and Identity" to describe our "School".

I hope in the next handful amount of lessons, I could learn more about the internationalisation of Kalajoki with IS1 students. As one of the students said to me via WhatsApp: keep going, and you are doing great work! 

Why is Vanhojen tanssit that important?

During my first year working here, we were planning a series of podcasts with second year International Studies students. One of the topics was about “stress”, in which “vanhojen tanssit[1]” was brought up. I first heard that it is a “princess day” and girls often want everything to be perfect on that day. It also triggered my curiosity to know the reasons behind those who are not going to take part in the dancing, if it is as important as such. In the blog I wrote one year ago, I used “sophisticated” to describe the whole happening. This year, I decide to interview some of my students and unfold the “sophistication” for myself, as well as the others, who are also interested in it.

I didn’t have the surprised feeling as I had last year since I have learned to normalize my view of life here. Normalization doesn’t mean that I take whatever I see for granted. In another way, I felt very proud of each of them. I feel proud of those who are dancing with all their efforts on the stage. Behind their still childish faces, though they are in mature princess and prince’s dresses, I saw beautiful hearts and grown-up minds. I feel equally proud of those who decided not to dance for all kinds of reasons, because it is really a big decision.  It has been nearly 2 years since I first met them, here and there. They are now officially the senior students in our tiny and lovely lukio and they are fully deserved. I think, it’s time for me to grow up as well.  

Important things deserve repetitiveness: Congratulations to all the second year lukio students of this year!

Here is the interview. Enjoy! 

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[1] “Vanhojen tanssit” in English: ball of the (new) seniors, is a formal prom held in Finnish upper secondary schools (lukio) during the second year. It is a celebration of when the second-year students become the seniors of the school. The prom is usually held the day after the third-year students (the seniors) stop attending school and start studying for their matriculation exams in February. The people attending the dances are called vanhat (“seniors”). – Excerpt from Wikipedia.

My take-aways of the current coronavirus case in China

After the International Studies II lesson on Feb 5^th, Santeri asked me: what are your take-aways from the current coronavirus happenings in China?

I dazed for a moment because I didn’t expect some student come to ask me. I felt warm-hearted and answered: I feel bad and I don’t know what I can do to help. I feel confused and powerless. I don’t understand what is happening now there.

We left the classroom, and this question left in my mind.

Things are happening in China. Chinese and International media are reporting about it all day long. Confirmednumber, death numbers and recovered numbers are increasing every day. I don’t trust the numbers fully, but it tells something. In general, I have learned to not trust numbers, even news. But bad things will happen if the news is telling a fact. We all have paid too much because of ignoring the real news. In the meantime, to distinguish a real news from all kinds of news is Really! Really! Really! Difficult.

It is an extremely difficult day on Feb 6^th. We first read news from all kinds of Chinese and foreign media that Doctor Li (the doctor who was silenced after warning of outbreak in his Wechat group) died from coronavirus. After a while, all kinds of media changed their statements that they were still trying to rescue him. Another 3 hours later, government hospital declared his death officially. People from my Chinese social media are extremely mad at all these dramatic happenings. People are so confused because they care, and they don’t know who and what to trust. People are limited in terms of gathering and distinguishing information. People are emotional. People are weak. I am one of the people.

But, put the emotions aside, what are my take-aways?

1, I am amazed by the executive ability of cadres at the basic level government. There was one coronavirus case confirmed in the city I came from. After the confirmation, his whereabouts in the past 10 days were published by city level government via Wechat (Wechat is a combination of FB, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and so on). Shortly, a neat Excel sheet was shared among my family wechat group, which tells all the personal information of the 25 people who have contacted him in the village I came from. I was absolutely stunned to read that Excel sheet and I couldn’t even imagine who can be the person fill that Excel sheet such perfectly. I somehow assumed that it is a standard form which might be used all over the whole nation. There has been a standard procedure to follow if any case confirmed in basic level government (like my village) in such a short time across such a big country. Later on, we were told that about 70 people who have contacted that person have been sent to local hospitals for checking, observing and quarantining. Senior people are quarantined at their own house.

This morning, another person was confirmed, and he was one of the people who have contacted the first case. His whereabouts were quickly shared, and I believe all the other procedures will be executed accordingly.

2, Individuals are powerless, and we will only feel even more powerless when the uncertainty continues. It’s a rare opportunity for many families to stay at home together for such a long period. It is a big challenge as well: what to do??? The powerless feelings can be easily leaded to angry towards the government, useless towards oneself and anxious towards the future. Where do we get the belief that everything will turn good in the end? How to live in the present? What is the right thing to do at this moment as an individual? In fact, no! no! no! I am wrong here. If you are coming from a collectivism society, you are not supposed to only think about yourself, don’t you??? I am really curious what people in an individualism react towards this kind of happenings.

3, Wuhan is suffering. Nobody is any luckier. One YouTube video explains my thoughts very well. Based on that, I should stop self-pity (in Chinese we say “顾影自怜”: look at one’s image in the mirror and pity oneself).  

4, Media, social media especially in current society, is a double-edged sword. Our genes haven’t evolved to use them in a right way. Itse asiassa, I don’t know how to develop my thoughts around this topic at this moment. Allow me to leave it here.

I designed a role-play lesson plan regarding this topic with International Studies I students last Friday. William and I came to the classroom with lots of uncertainty because it is such a complicated and strange topic. But it turned out to be a very inspiring lesson to me. I am really grateful for the participation of the students. Thanks for being there.