LIFE Shadowing Experience
Immerse yourself in Finland’s renowned education system and the enchanting landscapes of Lapland with our comprehensive course. This program offers a unique opportunity to observe Finnish teaching practices, engage with educators worldwide, and experience the cultural richness of Finland. Beginning with participation in the Educa event in Helsinki, the journey continues to Rovaniemi, providing a holistic view of Finnish educational excellence.
Theme for the 10th edition of LIFE: Supporting digital wellbeing in schools – Safer online habits and positive digital experiences
What You’ll Learn:
This course provides an in-depth understanding of collaborative teaching methodologies and their impact on student learning. Through direct classroom observations and interactive workshops, you’ll gain insights into the Finnish approach to education, focusing on co-teaching, student engagement, and inclusive practices. Key areas of exploration include:
- Observe Finnish teachers’ daily work and learning environments through school visits/job shadowing.
- Gain insights into student-centred learning and collaborative methods.
- Explore good practices in digital safety, digital wellbeing, and the responsible use of technology in education.
- Reflect on observed educational practices and identify ideas that can be adapted to your own context.
Course Highlights:
- Educa Event Participation: Engage with Finland’s largest education and training sector event in Helsinki.
- School Visits in Rovaniemi: Shadow Finnish teachers and observe classroom dynamics firsthand.
- Cultural Immersion: Experience the unique culture of Lapland, including local traditions and natural beauty.
- Expert-Led Workshops: Participate in sessions led by experienced Finnish educators and researchers.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with international educators to share experiences and best practices.
- Free access to Finnish Education Online Courses: Learn more about Finnish education before your visit.
This program combines theoretical knowledge with practical experiences, offering a comprehensive understanding of Finland’s educational practices.
LIFE is also an international educational event
LIFE is offered by Euneos as an Erasmus+ teacher training course. The same programme is presented by our sister company VisitEDUfinn as the international educational event Lapland International Forum for Education™, open to education professionals from around the world.
For more detailed information about the complete LIFE experience — including school visits, social programme, winter activities, experts, afterlife experience workshop, accommodation options, and practical information about Helsinki and Rovaniemi — visit the LIFE event page on VisitEDUfinn.
Upcoming courses
Register for Winter Activities (opens later)
What our clients say
Tickets
Standard/group price includes:
- Event materials
- School visits
- Visit to Santa Claus Village
- Ice swimming or sled slides
- Ticket to Arktikum
- Admission to all sessions
- Event materials
- Certificate of attendance
Standard price
Early bird/normal/late registration prices
Group price
Discounted price for groups of 5 or more
Catering and transportation package
Five lunches and refreshments, two dinners, and transportation during the program
This is a provisional programme, the finalized program will be shared with participants prior to the course.
Day 1, Friday
10:00 Participate in the Educa Event (English program).
- Optional: Educa School Visit.
Day 2, Saturday
10:00 Continue at Educa Event (English program).
- Travel to Rovaniemi (based on individual flight schedules).
- Recommended visit before departure: Oodi Library in Helsinki.
Day 3, Sunday
08:30 Registration at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus.
09:00 Conference opening.
09:45 Reflections on the Educa Event.
10:15 Coffee break.
10:30 Introduction to Finnish education.
11:00 Finnish early years education and care.
12:30 Visit Santa Claus Village (includes optional ride in Husky Park).
19:00 Optional: Ice Restaurant Dinner Experience.
Day 4, Monday
08:30 Visit a Kindergarten or Comprehensive School (includes lunch).
13:45 Program at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus.
13:45 Visit reflections
14:20 Presentation: Student Welfare in Finnish Schools.
15:00 Coffee break.
15:30 Presentation by Jussi Kainulainen: Local Implementations of the National Curriculum (Case Rovaniemi).
19:00 City Reception.
Day 5, Tuesday
08:30 Visit a High School, Vocational School, or Teacher Training School (includes lunch).
13:00 Socratic Walk and Visit Wrap-Up (Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus).
13:30 Winter activities (e.g., ice swimming or sled slides).
14:30 Coffee break.
15:00 2 Groups:
- A: “Be a Student” Lesson Simulations in a Finnish School
- Sport (snowshoeing)
- Nature pedagogy
- Home economics
- Handcrafts
- Welfare pedagogy
- B: Program at Santa’s hotel:
- Presentation and reflection: Supporting digital wellbeing in schools – Safer online habits and positive digital experiences
- Stage free – participants present their own projects, research, or ideas in short 15-minute talks
19:00 Optional: Excursion to Aurora Borealis Camp.
Day 6, Wednesday
09:00 Discovering Elements of Well-Being (Part 1: Workshop and Exploration at Science Centre Pilke).
11:30 Lunch.
12:30 Discovering Elements of Well-Being (Part 2: Workshops and Lectures at Pilke and Arktikum).
15:00 2 groups:
- B: “Be a Student” Lesson Simulations in a Finnish School
- Sport (snowshoeing)
- Nature pedagogy
- Home economics
- Handcrafts
- Welfare pedagogy
- A: Program at Santa’s hotel:
- Presentation and reflection: Supporting digital wellbeing in schools – Safer online habits and positive digital experiences
- Stage free – participants present their own projects, research, or ideas in short 15-minute talks
19:00 Farewell Dinner at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus.
Day 7, Thursday
09:00 Work on Action Plans.
10:15 Behind the scenes: decisions and work that make a happy school possible
Guest speaker: Ms. Heljä Misukka
12:15 Closing Words and Feedback.
12:30 Lunch.
14:00 Optional: Snowmobile Safari to a Reindeer Farm.
Day 8, Friday
09:30 Afterlife Experience, optional for and extra fee
- Experience Finnish nature education as a student.
- Learn about Lappish lifestyle and survival skills.
- Gain tools to use nature pedagogy in your work.
By the end of this course, you will be equipped to:
- By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Analyze and apply Finnish co-teaching and collaborative learning strategies.
- Develop tools for planning and evaluating collaborative learning.
- Implement models for cooperative learning and team teaching.
- Support students with special needs through effective collaboration.
- Enhance 21st-century skills through collaborative learning approaches.
This course is ideal for school management, kindergarten and school educators, special education teachers, and other professionals in school education, adult education, and vocational education and training (VET) seeking to enhance their understanding of innovative teaching practices.
Suvi is an expert in educational psychology with a broad understanding of education and a deep insight into the human mind and learning. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Helsinki and has taught students in an innovative educational psychology program. Suvi’s teaching experience includes lecturing, supervising pre-service teachers, and facilitating group processes in phenomenon-based learning. Her research has focused on teacher-student interaction, and she has also studied media education as part of her teacher training. With grassroots experience as a classroom teacher, youth worker, and camp supervisor, she brings practical knowledge of working with children and teenagers to her work in teacher education and training.