Our recent Erasmus+ mobility course brought together interested educators from Hungary, Italy, and Belgium for a six-day professional teacher training in Jyväskylä, Finland.
About the course
Focused on ”Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Finnish Educational Environment,” this training equipped teachers with the essential tools to foster well-being, resilience, and collaborative spirit in their students back home. Finland’s education system is globally renowned for its innovative and student-centered approach, with Social and Emotional Learning being a fundamental component.
Our course, led by trainer Jukka Lehtoranta, was designed to explore this very model. Drawing from the internationally recognised CASEL Framework and Finnish best practices, the training provided a deep understanding of the core SEL competencies, which include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Over thirty lessons, participants engaged with the theory and practice of SEL through hands-on activities and collaborative case studies. They learned how SEL directly supports academic achievement and creates a more positive and supportive school community. A central part of the program was a visit to a local Finnish school – Kortepohja school, where our international teachers joined students in a hands-on STEAM workshop. Together, they worked on building a Warka Tower, a low-tech structure that collects humidity from the air.
The program also included cultural activities that provided context for the Finnish approach to well-being. Participants joined an educational city tour of Jyväskylä, learned about design of Alvar Aalto at the Aalto2 museum, and experienced a classic Finnish afternoon with a hike and grill session on the lake shore of Haukkaniemi. These experiences offered insights into the culture that shapes the Finnish education system.
Feedback from Participants
”Getting insight into Finnish lifestyle, way of thinking and the education system, and getting to know new methods, people cultures.”
”I learned to use apps that are particularly suitable for students and SEL teaching methodologies.”
”I plan to integrate social and emotional learning principles into classroom management, involve new apps, AI tools in classroom teaching, share experience, knowledge with my colleagues, share ideas with my principal concerning flexible furniture arrangement, implement SEL ideas in our 7 habit program.”
”Our trainer, Jukka, was very well-prepared and professional, but also could develop dynamic group works, could come up with lots of examples, real-life situations, let us know more about Finland, its cultural background.”
Photo credits: Nora Somlyody, Tereza Pruknerová and Jukka Lehtoranta
The job shadowing mobility was realized in the frameworks of the Erasmus+ KA1 programme.
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