Teacher Trust

Excited to have completed the final edits for Creating Schools Where Teachers and Students Want To Be. When myself and collaborator Dr. Fab D'agostin went to Finland we were horrified to find that we had been terribly wrong in the way we had been teaching for decades. Finns were too polite to comment on the dangers of our practices, but their looks said, 'What did you expect?' when we spoke of teacher ' shortages' and mental health challenges for students.
The price of not changing is is unthinkable.
Creating Schools Where Teachers and Students Want To Be is published by Melbourne Books in February.

A Finnish colleague asked: "So Australian schools would rather go without teachers than look at changing the system that is driving teachers away?"
I have changed.

Dr Sarah Aiono on LinkedIn: Programs and Tours 🌟 Explore Finland with Michael Lawrence - Join the March 2025 Leadership Tour! 🌟 Are you a principal or school leader seeking transformative inspiration for…

Heading back to Finland and Estonia in March 2025! Excited to be part of the International Education Forum at Tampere University, themed 'Dare to Care'. Looking forward to exploring schools and universities in both countries with a focus on 'Creating Schools Where Teachers and Students Want To Be'. 📚

Interested in how a system can transform teaching into a top career choice and make school an enjoyable experience? It is so important that as many Australian educators as possible see how a system can be created where teaching is a top career choice!
Stay tuned for insights from this journey! hashtag
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Excited to share that we'll be heading back to Finland and Estonia in March 2025! We'll be attending the International Education Leadership Forum in Tampere, focusing on the theme Dare to Care. Alongside visits to schools and universities in both countries, the central theme revolves around Creating Schools Where Teachers and Students Want To Be, aligning with the upcoming release of the book of the same name in February.

This exclusive opportunity is limited to a small group, with room for one or two educators to join us. It's truly a career-defining experience. Reach out for more details.

https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2024/august/jacob-robinson/a-class-above-a-class-below?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMAABHYVohfKNUtnUhOhMZaTpFaVNd23-C5TVhcJ4MxdiuiO9PdS_19OJyS0UpA_aem_Nt43pUlyxFHBLmggnpbPxQ&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=6583079302403&utm_content=6583079302003&utm_term=6583079302203&utm_campaign=6583079302403

A class above… a class below Social segregation within Australia’s schooling system has become ingrained, and it's affecting our broader society

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/27/free-lunches-brain-breaks-and-happy-teachers-why-estonia-has-the-best-schools-in-europe

Free lunches, brain breaks and happy teachers: why Estonia has the best schools in Europe How did a small, relatively poor country become an educational powerhouse? Creativity, autonomy and a deep embrace of the digital age

Witness the world's leading education systems: Estonia and Finland in late August, Canada in early September.
"I am delighted with the school tour organised by Michael. His professionalism and enthusiasm added to the richness of my experience in Finnish schools. Michael demonstrated a thorough grasp of the Finnish education system and enthusiastically shared his insights. The guidance he provided was well-structured, and he showed a genuine interest in the group members and their learning experiences. Overall, Michael made the tour both rewarding and memorable. I strongly recommend him to anyone interested in delving deeper into Finnish education under the guidance of a knowledgeable and friendly educator."

Theodora Bogiou, Award Winning Curriculum Design Strategist, Gold Award in Innovation in Teaching 2020, EFL Teacher Trainer

Programs and Tours Professional Development Programs Teacher Trust: A Finnish Perspective The first of its type in Australia and produced in conjunction with the Tampere University of Applied Sciences in Finland, thi…

They want to be active participants in their own learning. And self-determination – being able to make your own decisions rather than being controlled by others – is one of the major pillars of wellbeing.

Exam factories
But pupils in many schools have very little in the way of agency. They are told what to do and how to do it. Teachers feel pressure to “teach to the test”, leaving pupils few options to follow their interests, let alone passions. As teenagers get older, the more bored and disengaged they may become in school.

School absence rates have rocketed – the whole educational experience needs to change Education needs to be more aligned with healthy child development, children’s interests, and the importance of relationships for wellbeing.

The more I speak with Australian educators the more I understand that if you have not seen other education systems operating then it is difficult to understand what is possible. I know I was convinced that the way I had been teaching for decades was ' best practice ', and while I knew it was far from perfect, I assumed that we were doing the best that was possible.
It's clear that our system isn't working: teachers are walking away in record numbers and student absenteeism and misbehaviour are also unprecedented.
The more Australian educators who can witness and learn about other systems the better. We're going to Estonia and Finland in late August and looking at Canada in September.

The Learning Village, one of the many highlights of the education tour is a small-scale village in a renovated warehouse filled with businesses about which students have spent weeks learning, before taking over the business of their choice for the day. It includes banking, council, various service businesses (design, hairdressing) and hospitality/retail.
"Yrityskylä is a Finnish learning module that has received an award as the best education innovation in the world. They provide 6th and 9th graders with positive experiences about working life, the economy, entrepreneurship and society. The module consists of training for teachers, Yrityskylä’s lessons and an experiential day in our learning environment. Best of all, Yrityskylä is based on the core curriculum and is proven to be effective. About 85% of all 6th and 9th graders in Finland participate in JA’s Yrityskylä."
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