Training for literacy teachers - Helsingin aikuisopisto

About training for literacy teachers

Adults who cannot read or write form a group of their own in the field of Finnish language training for immigrants, and in recent years more of them have come to Finland. Literacy training has been offered for years, but both the number of participants and the number of institutions organising it have grown. There is therefore also a need for teacher training, because teaching literacy requires its own kind of expertise. For example, you need to know what the terms in the title mean!

Training alongside work

Helsingin aikuisopisto and Osuuskunta Opetus ja ohjaus, both experienced organisers of Finnish language training, took action and applied for funding from the Finnish National Agency for Education. The members of the cooperative have many years of experience in training literacy teachers through the University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education. This time, we wanted to make the training shorter and more intensive, because participants complete it alongside their work and it is good to put what they have learnt into practice as soon as possible. The first training, worth 10 credits, ended on 4 April 2017, and the experiences have been excellent. The training included six evenings of contact teaching as well as online sections. All the content modules included assignments submitted in the online environment and online discussion. The workload was quite heavy and the schedule tight, but the participants completed their assignments without major delays and to a very high standard. A second training with the same content started in April 2017. It is completed entirely online, which also gives people living further away the opportunity to take part. There were more than 100 applicants for the two trainings, which shows the great need and interest. Around 40 participants were selected for each group. Fortunately, the Finnish National Agency for Education has also granted funding for new trainings for the academic year 2017–2018!

Aims and content of the training

The aim of the training is to give teachers practical tools for their everyday work, but also a theoretical background to support it. In addition to the didactics of literacy teaching, the training covers teaching materials, the use of information technology, cultural knowledge and language assessment. Participants also have the opportunity to observe the work of an experienced literacy teacher and in this way get peer support and practical tips for their own teaching. Participants are encouraged to use the literacy training curriculum, to find teaching solutions that suit their own groups and to learn about the cultural background of their groups. After all, one of the aims is also for students to integrate into Finland with their own background as a strength.

Important specialist expertise

Unfortunately, there are no separately defined qualification requirements for teachers of literacy. However, it is demanding work that requires specialist expertise, so it would be good to define what training makes a qualified literacy teacher. It would of course be even nicer if further training were also reflected in pay. Participants were required to have a teaching qualification and experience of working with adult immigrants. Some already had experience of teaching literacy, while others were about to start teaching literacy groups or were interested in doing so. The work of Finnish as a second language (S2) teachers is often in short contracts, and additional expertise opens up new opportunities on the job market. Despite the heavy workload, the course assignments completed by the participants were of a high standard. They showed dedication to the subject, commitment to their own work and respect for their students. People will certainly learn in these teachers’ groups, and in a positive atmosphere.

Extracts from the participants’ development assignments

Learning to read and write requires a lot of patience, practice and repetition, but as a teacher I want to make sure that there are as few “boring” moments in the day as possible, when students sit passively listening. The tasks should require students’ constant attention so that their concentration does not wander. (Minka Hietanen)

After the lectures, I was left thinking not only about the effect of trauma on learning but perhaps even more about how I could make my student’s situation easier and give them the support they need. (Suvi Helopuro)

I was left wondering how we in Finland, for example, could help so that people would not only have to try to leave their home country but could take part in building their home country, from far away or close by. Literacy and a written culture are an absolute prerequisite if we want developing countries to really be able to develop into equal actors alongside other countries. (Saara Lahnaoja)

It was rewarding to observe another teacher’s lessons after a long time. I would like to see more of this in everyday work. You reflect the other teacher’s work on your own work and teaching style, and these encounters give rise to many kinds of thoughts. It was also good to see the group working, as I have not taught people who cannot read or write myself. (Mia Mailander)

Text: Johanna Heimonen
Photos: Kari Shea and Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash