A Campaign for schools

University and ministry of Education have developed a campaign, which is against school bullying. The campaign is for from first grade to ninth grade pupils and 90% of Finnish schools have registered to execute the campaign in schools. My old school was one of those schools. We had some lessons about tolerance and during the school year we responded to inquiries. The idea of having better school environment, where nobody is bullied sounds very good. In the middle school, when pupils have puberty and argue against authorities, many pupils don’t get interested in that kind of activity. Many pupils just laughed to the campaign and made jokes about it. People rather ignore bullying than go to defend a victim or to tell to a teacher about bullying. “It’s not my business” thinking happened at least in my old school and I bet my school isn’t the only one. Happily attitudes have changed a lot in high schools. Feels like people are more tolerant.

 

Inside or outside?

In elementary schools in Finland, pupils have to spend breaks outside. It was really annoying and when the weather was silly and windy, none wanted to go out. Teachers demand pupils to go out. Now in high school, you can spend the breaks however you want and of course none goes out. Me either. In my own free time, I’m usually inside. Earlier at school I was outside about 15 minutes about five times a day. Nowadays I just bike to school and back. Why students don’t go out during the breaks? There you get fresh air and cheer up. Today students just sit and play with smart phones.

by: Kevin

 

School journeys…

My three years in the middle school was the time when I sat in a bus. My school journey was about 18 kilometers long and by car it took about 20 minutes.  But I didn’t go by car. It was luxury, if I got a car ride to the school. First a taxi picked me up from home and drove me and some other pupils to the bus stop. There we waited for the bus about 20 minutes. After that I sat in the bus about half an hour and still I had to wait about 15 minutes at school, before the bell rang. It was boring and exhausting. Imagine that happening twice in a day and five times in a week for three years!

By: Pink Sherbet Photography

Now that I go to high school in the city, even if I woke up 15 minutes before a lesson begins, I wouldn’t be late. My school journey changed from over an hour to 5 minutes by bike. It’s a real relief. Before I had to plan, how I’m going to spend my time while sitting in the bus. Today I can just sleep a bit longer and go straight to the lesson, without waiting. My point is, the school journey is a big part of school too, even thought many people haven’t thought about that, I think.

By: sicoactiva

 

Colorful studying

There was a renovation in our school during the autumn term. The Renovators innovated a new room called Til@. It’s for students; there we can lounge on sofas and use computers during breaks and in free time. The other side of the room is only used while teacher is teaching. There is a huge TV and sofas and we can watch documents. In my opinion it’s a nice place for group working and a refreshing change from learning in a typical classroom. Different kinds of classrooms, hanging places, colors and plants make schools more comfortable.

by: Fire at will

I see that it’s important to have different kinds of learning environments and methods. It’s not creative to just sit in a classroom and in your own room at home. People learn differently in different places and remember different things. Let’s take an example. A student has been in a course, where the teacher only talked a lot and the student didn’t have to do any notes, exercises or group working. All the lessons were similar. In the end of the course, the student might not remember anything from the lessons. Even if she has been interested in the subject and also studied at home. It would be helpful to remember what the teacher has said in the lesson. This often happens to me, even if I try to pick up important information from the teacher’s teachings and remember them.

When teachers use new, interesting and different kinds of learning methods and places, I remember the lessons better. Of course there are many other things which affect learning. But where and how you study and who teaches you, are big parts of learning. How you see it? Below, there are pictures of learning environments, which one you would choose? Why?

“]

Home with music and a laptop? by: [ embr

Library or cafe? by: 13HOC

outside? by: sasastro

basic classroom? by: ogwrnsk

Modern and bright room? by: shermee

 

Are you what you know?

Of course you can be something else too! There can be traits or feelings, which the person might not recognize or notice, but people around can notice them. Many things we do, they are actually subconscious. For example you can escape a fight with your friend and go jogging instead of making things clear with your friend. At the time you might not notice it, that what you are doing is subconscious, but afterwards you might understand it.

And if you are what you know, you are everything. Nowadays humans get so much information from everywhere, from media, other people, by travelling or styding. If a person can’t put information in the order of importance, becomes a mess.. Being supernatural, a cat, school, a plant and an artist at the same time… 

But without knowledge you are nothing. With knowledge people reach reputation, a job, promotions and other things too.

 

Fingers on keys

By: Sanbeijii

When I was a little girl, my sisters played piano. It sounded amazing and I also wanted to play like them.  It was the beginning of my very first hobby, going to piano lessons once a week. What made it more fun, my best friend also played piano. Often we played duets, I mean we played at the same time with the same piano. In that time it seemed to be my number one hobby, but after a couple years I got bored. I wasn’t a prodigy, I played well but I often found practicing really hard. Reading notes and keeping the right rhythm was difficult. I was also a bit jealous to my friend, she did the theory lessons very well, while I was struggling with hard rhythms and just staring at the teacher.  But if she haven’t been there with me and  my mom haven’t encouraged me to keep playing, I don’t know what I would have done.

In 7^th grade, there came so much more important things into my life, like my life and priorities changed. I got fed up with playing the piano, it was too much for me. I and my mom had many fights about my quitting. She begged me to continue, but I didn’t change my mind.  And after seven years, In 8^th grade I decided to quit. And I let dust fall on piano.

Now in this Christmas I blew the dust off the piano and sat down on the piano chair. I started to play by heart and I felt the same feelings as I felt when I had started playing. I loved the sound. Then I dug out some old notes and I played Christmas carols and other songs, which I had practiced years ago.  It felt amazing to notice I still could play and I was glad. I also saw a big smile on my mother’s face. 

Now I feel like I want to attend piano lessons again. In fact, my fingers are itching to touch the keys of the piano right now. When I was younger I hated classical music and that was what my piano teacher wanted me to play. And he also wanted me to perform in front of the audience. And that’s what I absolutely hate. It’s awful to go sit in front of the people, who can hear all the mistakes and see yours stress. But now when I don’t have to think about it, playing is much more fun and relaxing. Now I do it for myself, before I did to my mom and to my teacher.

By: photosteve101

 

Shine, shine, swim, swim

In 2006 I was in Phuket with all the women of my family. So my dad and brother stayed at home and my three older sisters, my mom and I flew to Thailand. I was 11 years old and I wasn’t so excited about culture and food. I just wanted to swim, swim and a little bit more to swim. So I spent most of the time at the beach. Usually we were all in the same time on the beach, but sometimes I was there with my mom. Once I was with my sisters. And it’s really weird why fun always happens when mom isn’t around.

By: Evergreen Forest

by: Nicolas Lannuzel

One day my oldest sister and my mom went to go buy new glasses, because there in Thailand everything is so much cheaper than here in Finland. I and my other sister went to the beach. It was an unusual day of the week, there were only very few people on the beach. Even the weather was good. Usually on beaches there are sunbeds owners, who “own” a small area of the beach. The owners try to tempt people to stop on their part of beach and they temp tourist to rent a sunbed. They are like the waiter or waitress, who “throws” the people inside to the restaurant to eat.  Of course those “beach waiters” also try to sell drinks, fruits and ice cream.  In our case, one guy begged me and my sisters to stay on his area. We stayed and paid the rent of the sunbeds.

We lay in the sun for a moment, but then the guy came to talk to us. I don’t know if he was bored or really interested in us. But then he run away and came back with three surfboards. He said we can use them to have some fun. No matter, it was really fun to try surfing, even waves weren’t so high.  The guy was gone – but only for a while. He came back with a couple of his friends, male friends. Then we thought it is little bit annoying and weird, that guy comes to us all the time. My sisters were a little bit confused; what did guys want… Should we leave? But it was totally unnecessary worry.  The guys asked us if we want to go the Jet Ski ride. Of course they offered it for free. We girls changed the looks and nodded. And how fun the ride was! Imagine wearing only bikini and hair flying wild behind your back, the temperature around 30-35 degrees and the warm sea breeze on your face.

After the jet ski ride the guys brought fresh fruits and some cold soft drinks. After that some Japanese tourist noticed us. They were amazed how tall we were and wanted take a picture with us. Felt like they took thousands of photos. It was awkward, but they were so excited and jumping around filled with joy, we were only able to laugh.
In this time of year I really miss those beaches. It would be so relaxing to go south and forget the school for a while. Is there anyone who would pay my tickets to somewhere warm? It isn’t anymore the darkest time of the year, so heads up.  Hey, it’s only 32 days to the winter holiday, 80 days to Easter and 133 days to summer holiday!  Am I impatient?

By: Zach Dischner

 

Angels and demons

Youth have a lot of freedom. We are able to do nearly everything. And why is that? One explanation can be having more money than earlier generations. Most of us have a cell phone, laptop and TV. We can afford to go the disco and to travel. With money people can do whatever they want. It’s not always a good thing; with money you can also get things, that aren’t healthy.

Gates and doors are open for us // Photo by: Lapse of the Shutter

Photo by: that one doood

It’s also challenging to be young. Parents complain how you should go out and do some sport. Adults tell you don’t know what’s best for you and you’re too young to understand. Sometimes it feels that older people think teenagers are reckless and careless, youngsters just waste their adolescence. That kind of talk usually has its own consequences, like revolting against parents and other adults. Finding, testing and crossing the limits are part of being young. Of course it’s understandable that parents want us to go in for sport and get high grades in school, they are just worried. But when you are feeling “oh yes, I can take care of myself and I can live on my own”, parents worrying is only annoying. Sometimes that’s a sign that a teen isn’t ready to let go off her or his parents. When you actually move to own apartment, you might be glad, if someone could cook for you and pay your bills.

It is a fact that we all have personal adolescence. It is a time when teens try to figure out their own personality. Identifying with friends and superstars is part of youth. We all are a bit different compared to each other. Some grow up soon, some get pregnant and have a baby in age of 13 and someone else celebrates all the time. We aren’t required as much as adults. That’s why parents set home coming limits and phone balance limits.

Nowadays teenagers don’t have to pretend to be somebody else. You can be yourself. You can dangle your pants and wear a lot of make-up or be a metalhead, without ending up to the police station. Still, it doesn’t mean that everybody thinks that you are ok. Talking behind the back, gossiping and discrimination are more common than we even have thought. That’s sad and irritating. If you have really bad luck, you might be the outsider. I think it’s not fair at all.

I would say, try to make your youth look like you. Be yourself, look for things you love and enjoy, even if it’s sometimes hard.

photo by: marfis75

photo by: marfis75

 

Millions of people have it, although I prefer my own

Two years ago in Christmas I got a bracelet as a present from my sister. It was Nomination, the bracelet, which has built up of pieces. My sister had bought me a one piece all ready. It was a heart and my sister said that the heart’s meaning is our family and our christmas together. She also said that I should buy next pieces only if I really have meaning for them. I was wordless. I have ever had anything like that as a present.

It took almost half of year before I figured out what kind of piece I would like to buy. I was on confirmation camp and after that I bought a cross. The camp was awesome, I got a lot of friends, staff was nice and I learned a lot and after the camp I had my confirmation. So the cross was the second piece. At the same time I bought a piece where is animal’s footprint as a describe my dog and cats. They are important for me. After few month, my the oldest sister had baby called Silja and she wanted me to be baby’s godmother. I spend a lot of time with Siljan, I see her at least twice in the month. So that why I bought a human footprint to describe Silja. During the summer in 2010, there happened a lot of things. My confirmation, I travelled around Finland, Silja’s birth, one of my sister get married and lot of more. That summer was totally great, like incredible! So my watermelon-piece means my summer 2010. My married sister gave me a one piece as present, because I helped her so much before the wedding. We made invitation cards, decoration, place cards  and a lot, lot, lot of more by our own hands. She gave me a piece where is scissors, heh, it’s like made for me. I like doing handicrafts in my free time.

Last Christmas my sister and her husband gave me a piece where is flying bird, and it means ‘peace’. Even my summer was fun, rest of the year wasn’t so easy and I and my family had a lot of things going on at that time. Which high school I choose, should I move out and what I actually expected for next year. On my birthday in this summer, my mom wanted to give me one piece for my bracelet. We desiced to buy I heart, where is three diamonds called zirconia. My mother said that means the strongest love in the world, mother’s love.

I have lost my Nomination couple times. Then I nearly freaked out. One time two pieces broke and I got really angry. Luckily I had saved guarantee receipt and I got pieces repair for free. I love my Nomination, every piece has a meaning and the bracelet very personal thing for me.

 

Nature paths, laavus and campfires

Some people like hiking and taking a walk in the forest. I’m one of those and also my family is one of those. That’s why we have had a tradition to hike some kilometers, make a fire and barbecue on Father’s days on November. And the main thing is to spend time together. It’s not that easy to get my 4 siblings, grandmother and my parents to the same place, without speaking about going to the middle of the forest. I can remember how it got my family members closer to each other. Sadly, nowadays it’s not that common that we go hiking every year.

I remember the places where we have been and some of the routes which we have followed. I have a lot of memories of those places. We have played games, talked and stumbled in the forest. I can’t forget campfires, home-made supplies, hot boiled coffee and lean-tos or in finnish ‘laavu’. They are small buildings in forests, usually part of a whole camp place. There is a roof, but there isn’t the fourth wall. There hiker can rest or sleep over the night. Sometimes it was rainy and everybody was soaking wet and sometimes it was cold and everybody had a lot of clothes on. There were usually laavus where we escaped the rain. Usually in laavus there is firewood, but often they are wet. And how difficult it was to make fire when we forgot kidlings at home and the firewood is wet! After a long walk we sat down and were quiet for a moment. I looked at and listened to the forest around me. Sometimes you cannot hear really anything, it’s amazing how quiet the woods can be. Typical Finnish camp place with laavu
Photo by: Shusso

Photo by: Veera

I also like nature paths. Curvy nature paths and duckboards on the swamp. It’s funny, how you ever know if the duckboards are going to fall into the swamp or if they are slippery. When you walk two kilometers only on those long wooden boards in the middle of the wet swamp and you look around you. You see only water, wet ground and a few small pine trees. That makes you wonder what on earth you doing there. But you feel relieved, when you arrive at the camp place.

It sounds like I’m some kind of nature freak, but I’m not, actually I don’t hike very often. I don’t know if I actually love those places, they are just places which I remember and they just come to firts in my mind. But I have learned something, it’s relaxing to escape to forest. You can forget all your worries or you can try to solve them in forest. Maybe in future I will do the same with my own family, go hike with them. At the end I remind you, the orienteering, the hobby where you have a map and the compass and you try to find correct places, is a whole different thing than hiking. Orienteering, it’s not my thing.. I barely can read maps… It’s so much easier to follow the marked paths!  But still I think my home is only place which I really love, even I have two homes. I love them both.