The Power of Collaboration

The Importance of Collaboration Among Finnish Teachers

• Finnish teachers value collaboration as a source of joy and professional insight.
• Nearly 50% of lessons in Finnish schools involve teachers working together.
• Collaboration includes planning and teaching lessons, sharing resources, discussing ways to support students, analyzing curriculum, and improving recess.
• Finnish teachers cooperate as a habit, not just to complete assigned tasks.
• Cooperation is about how they create curriculum and get work done, not just a temporary add-on.
• Vision and goals in Finnish schools are shared implicitly through daily acts of cooperation.
• Finnish teachers view collaboration as a necessity, not a luxury.
• Teachers in the US want to work together, but busy schedules hold them back.
• Adopting a different mindset can help teachers prioritize collaboration.
• Face-to-face interactions with colleagues are important for natural, casual collaboration.
• Collaboration among colleagues can lift up discouraged teachers and lead to professional triumphs.
• Collaboration in Finnish schools happens organically and often in the teachers’ lounge.