Teach Like Finland: A Must-Read for All Educators, A Book Review

What if the best recipe for creating successful schools was developing relaxed, safe, and joyful ones? What if the key to raising achievement (even as measured by standardized tests) was to have students engage in authentic, student-driven, choice-based, and fun learning? What of this isn’t a pipe-dream but is actually what’s happening somewhere in the world right now? And what if you had an actual teacher who could help you make small, reasonable, and practical changes in your daily practice to help you get there?

Enter Tim Walker.

Tim is an American teacher who moved to Finland and taught in a Finnish school. He got to experience, first hand, the system that has gained Finland international acclaim as the world’s best school system.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ve heard about the Finnish system. Perhaps you were inspired by The Finland Phenomenon, hosted by Tony Wagner. Or, perhaps you have read any number of articles that are out there. Unfortunately, much of what you’ve heard probably sounds idyllic and out of reach American educators. After all, a true national curriculum and a centralized and prestigious teacher-training program sound fantastic, but they aren’t likely in the US anytime soon.

This is Tim’s great gift. In his book, Teach Like Finland, while he touches on some of these broader structures in the Finnish system, his main focus is on classroom practices. He digs into what teachers in the US (and elsewhere!) can do to make their classrooms more like ones he experienced in Finland.

The book is divided into five themes: well-being, belonging, autonomy, mastery, and mindset. In each of these categories, Tim details practices that teachers can try, and the practices read like an exhausted and disheartened US teacher’s dream list. Here are just a few of the 33 practices he suggests:

Schedule brain breaks
Recharge after school
Simplify the space
Breathe fresh air
Know each child
Celebrate student learning
Pursue a class dream
Offer choices
Make it real
Teach the essentials
Bring in the music
Seek flow
Vacate on vacation
Don’t forget the joy

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”right” width=”60%”]What if the best recipe for creating successful schools was developing relaxed, safe, and joyful ones? What if the key to raising achievement (even as measured by standardized tests) was to have students engage in authentic, student-driven, choice-based, and fun learning? [/tweet_box]

Importantly, Tim writes in an easy, relaxed, conversational tone. You feel like you’re kicking back and hanging out on the couch with a friend as he shares stories of frustration, surprise, confusion, and joy.

I highly recommend this book for all educators. Teachers will find practical and powerful strategies—ones to try right away. School leaders will find ideas and themes they can use school-wide, along with the reassurance that what they’re doing can lead to greater achievement. This would be a fantastic book-study book for a school or district. Enjoy!

Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond. In 2004, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written eight books about great teaching and learning. When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.