Benchmarking Best Practices & Job Shadowing – Christmas Special for All School Levels in Finland and/or Estonia
This unique professional development opportunity offers three flexible formats to suit your interests and availability: a 7-day course in Finland, a 3-day job shadowing experience in Estonia, or the chance to combine both into a comprehensive 10-day programme.
Start experiencing the educational excellence of Finland and Estonia by joining this special 7-day Christmas Edition benchmarking course, designed for educators at all levels. Taking place in Finland from Monday to Sunday, the course features school visits, expert-led sessions, and cultural immersion during the festive Nordic season.
The week concludes with a dedicated excursion to Tallinn, Estonia, offering valuable firsthand insight into one of Europe’s most dynamic education systems. This final day also sets the stage for a natural transition into a 3-day job shadowing experience in Estonia, providing the opportunity to observe classroom practices in depth and apply your learning in real educational settings. In Estonia, you can observe classes in primary school, secondary school, high school, or even a vocational college, depending on your choice.
What You’ll Learn:
This special Christmas Edition 7-day course in Finland offers a unique opportunity to explore the educational excellence of Finland and Estonia during the festive season, with a short excursion to Tallinn on the last day of the course. The experience continues seamlessly with a 3-day job shadowing period in Estonia, allowing participants to observe educational practices in real classrooms and deepen their professional development. With a focus on inclusive pedagogy, innovative teaching practices, and whole-school development, you will:
- Discover the core elements of Finnish and Estonian education systems.
- Observe inclusive, student-centered practices during school visits.
- Understand how digital tools and learning environments support engagement and equity.
- Learn about leadership strategies and policy implementation for educational innovation.
- Develop a personalized action plan to integrate new approaches in your own context.
Course Highlights:
- School Visits in Finland: Gain firsthand experience of Finnish schools and their approaches to high-quality, equitable education.
- Expert Sessions: Learn directly from experienced educators, school leaders, and policymakers.
- Cultural Immersion: Enjoy the atmosphere of Nordic Christmas traditions while discovering how culture shapes education.
- Excursion to Estonia: Take part in a dedicated visit to Tallinn to get a close look, either in person or via a streamlined format
- Job Shadowing Opportunity: Seamlessly continue your learning journey with a 3-day job shadowing experience in Estonia
- Collaborative Workshops: Exchange ideas with peers from across Europe and develop strategies tailored to your institution’s goals.
- Action Planning: Leave the course with a clear roadmap and tools to implement meaningful educational changes.
- Free access to Finnish Education Online Courses: Learn more about Finnish education before your visit.
Similar course: BEST2026 The Ultimate Benchmarking Event
- Course & Job shadowing in different schools of your choice
- Start in Finland or Estonia
- Unforgettable cultural experiences
Upcoming courses
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Tickets
All tickets includes:
- Event materials
- Certificate of attendance
- School visits
- Admission to all sessions
Course price
For standard registrations/ group registrations
Job shadowing price
For all registrations
Combined price full 10-day experience
For standard registrations/ group registrations
NOTE: When registering for Job shadowing or Combined experience, the checkout page asks you to select the city to visit and the preferred school. This selection is only for job shadowing in Estonia, not for the course in Finland.
This is a provisional programme, the finalized program will be shared with participants prior to the course.
Day 1, Monday
18:00 Walking Tour and Welcome Dinner
Day 2, Tuesday
9:30 Welcome to Helsinki, introduction to Finland and the course (Petri Ilmonen)
- Get to know each other
- The PISA studies
12:00 Lunch break
13:00 The basics of Finnish school system (Petri Ilmonen)
14:30 Guest speaker
15:30 Get to know the school
16:30 Workshop: Personal or team time for notes, diaries, and talks
Day 3, Wednesday
09:30 School visit: Transformation of a 40-year-old school into a modern institution.
12:00 Lunch break.
13:00 Workshop with Mr. Petri Ilmonen, Principal.
14:30 Guest Speaker.
15:30 Guided tour of the school.
16:30 Workshop: Personal or team time for notes, diaries, and discussions.
Day 4, Thursday
09:30 School visit
12:00 Lunch break.
13:00 Workshop
14:30 Guest Speaker.
15:30 Guided tour of the school.
16:30 Workshop: Personal or team time for notes, diaries, and discussions.
Day 5, Friday
09:30 School visit
12:00 Lunch break.
13:00 Workshop
14:30 Guest Speaker.
15:30 Guided tour of the school.
16:30 Workshop: Personal or team time for notes, diaries, and discussions.
Day 6, Saturday
09:30 Workshop
12:00 Lunch break.
13:00 Departing for Tallinn
Day 7, Sunday in Tallinn
option to start the programme later so participants can also travel in the morning
9:30 Meeting with Mart in the lobby of Tallinn University
9:40 A guided tour of Tallinn University
10:00 Presentation on education system in Estonia (Mart Laanpere)
11:00 Coffee break
11:30 What are the factors of Estonias PISA success (Mart Laanpere)
12:30 Lunch at the university cafeteria (own cost)
13:00 Feedback and evaluation session
Day 1, Monday
Job shadowing in Estonia
Day 2, Tuesday
Job shadowing in Estonia
Day 3, Wednesday
Job shadowing in Estonia
By the end of the experience, participants will have developed a solid understanding of educational innovation in Finland and Estonia, depending on the chosen format. Whether attending the 7-day course in Finland, the 3-day job shadowing in Estonia, or both, educators will gain practical strategies for adapting successful practices to their own contexts. The experience fosters both reflection and action, empowering participants to lead meaningful change while benefiting from direct exposure to real educational settings.
- Have a comprehensive understanding of the educational approaches in Finland and Estonia.
- Be familiar with innovative practices that support student engagement and learning outcomes.
- Gain insights into inclusive education, well-being, and the role of digital tools in modern classrooms.
- Experience the cultural and policy frameworks that shape two of Europe’s top-performing systems.
- Be equipped with a clear action plan and follow-up ideas based on school visits, peer exchange, and job shadowing experiences.
The 7-day course in Finland, the 3-day job shadowing in Estonia, or the full 10-day programme offer valuable pathways for educators, school leaders, and other education professionals eager to deepen their practice. Each option provides unique professional learning opportunities and fresh perspectives drawn from two of Europe’s most respected education systems.
A professor at Tallinn University, Estonia, and Head of its R&D Centre for Educational Technology, he has a background as a mathematics and physics teacher and school principal. For over 20 years, he has been active in teacher education and educational technology research, contributing to international projects on mobile technology and social software in education. As a board member of Euneos, Finland, he also coordinates the “Digital Turn towards 1:1 Computing” project, funded by Samsung, and is an expert in school digital innovation and change. environments.
With extensive experience in education and leadership, this course leader has been shaping learning environments since 1994. As CEO and Principal of TRYcamps Kielikoulu oy and a Neuropsychological Coach, they bring a wealth of expertise to the field. Having taught English for over two decades and authored 25 books on educational technology, his focus is on creating innovative, inclusive learning experiences. As a trainer for Finland’s National Board of Education and an experienced speaker at international conferences, he is committed to advancing education through courses that blend practical skills with cutting-edge teaching methods, including those in special education and AI.