BB FANS

http://www.yle.fi/news/id10019.html

"More Experience for Teachers

The Chambers of Commerce in the Greater Helsinki region want to see schoolteachers required to spend a part of their working lives outside the classroom.

The purpose of a required stint working in a field other than education would be to bring more real-world experience to the classroom. Advocates say that this would especially benefit guidance councillors, upper secondary teachers of special subjects and vocational education teachers. All of them run the risk of their knowledge and skills falling behind developments in business and industry.

Under the proposal put forth by the Chambers of commerce, teachers would spend a week or two in some company every other year.

The teachers' union, the OAJ, has not rejected the idea entirely, but does object to such a programme being compulsory.

The business sector would also like to see improvements in the opportunities for pupils to familiarise themselves with working life. At present, all 8th and 9th graders spend a total of two weeks on such programmes. This, say business leaders, is not enough time."

8th and 9th graders are 14 to 16 years of age over here. I wonder that Jezi has got a lots of experience with working life by this far, but what do you, teachers, on BBFans-sites think about this subject? I think that this subject about familiarising with working life should start from childs early ages - and it's true that some teachers aren't active in their spare-time to have themselves real-world experiences of working life.

Personally I feel that my working life is in the 'real world' Mari - I am not living in a fantasy land

Before I became a teacher I worked for a bank, in the NHS and finally in the Environmental Agency so I think I have experienced my fair share of other jobs.

And to teach Shakespeare I don't believe working elsewhere for two weeks is going to help with that - unless I could get a job helping Kenneth Branagh or Judi Dench. Perhaps Business Studies teachers might feel differently...............

I bes the purfect exumple oft a well roonded eduecation, I be

Yeah!!! I wonder what your mum would think of your spelling

She thinks its appalling especialy as she is an ex head mistress

I know!

Thanks for posting the article Mari A, it certainly seems a good idea to me.
Although I have never been a Teacher I have lectured at various Art Colleges and met a LOT of teachers who had no real concept of life outside the classroom.

Thanks milly! I thought as well that this is another discussion that breaks in to news because big bosses from big firms don't know how the teachers are educated and usually worked at the same time when they were studying or before they had a permanent job as a teacher. But some doesn't have experience and some has too long time from their experiences . But you helping Kenneth Branagh - that would be nice

And thanks JimD!

When I was at college doing my training, we used to wish our lecturers had more recent experience of being in the classroom as we often felt that they were out of touch with reality when they were telling us what we should do.

I'm with Milly on the 'living in the real world' thing and with regard to my own teaching, I certainly welcome any opportunity to go on training courses/work placements that will enhance what I do in the classroom and I guess it's a pity that more teachers don't take advantage of what is offered.

Taking part in these kind of schemes doesn't automatically enhance your teaching however - you still have to be willing yourself to look at your own practice and make changes for the better, something not all teachers are willing to do as I guess it kind of means you have to realise/admit to yourself that you don't have it sussed.....

The kind of schemes mentioned are a great idea in theory and perhaps as Milly suggested, are better suited to certain subjects. But are they really beneficial?, or is it just the government's latest ploy to look like they're doing something useful?!? Also - the cost of replacing a classroom teacher for a week while they're off on a course?!

Our pupils do work experience placements for a week in third year (14/15 yrs) and also have the option of doing another placement in fifth/sixth year - so we are trying to address the 'experiencing a working environment while at school' thing which I do agree is very important. We're always trying to encourage them to think about not only academic qualifications, but also the qualities that employers value - like working well with others, responding to authority, showing initiative etc etc....

phew - diatribe over