Our podcast journey
Making Europe Real: Teaching the EU in Finland pt.2
Our podcast journey through Europe continues in Finland, where Tuomas Kaihua business teacher at Ammattiopisto Luovi in Kuopio, shares his personal European experience and educational innovation in classroom.
Twenty years ago, he was an Erasmus exchange student in Athens—making his return forEUCLASS Alliance summer school, particularly meaningful. His European journey continued through various EU-funded projects: a course in Klagenfurt, Austria in 2011, and a two-week work placement in Portugal two years ago at a service design company. This international experience also shapes how he approaches teaching his 11 business students, many of whom have special needs.
During the Summer school he had conversations with colleagues from across Europe centered on security, European identity, and the dramatically different world today's students face compared to previous generations.
"The main souvenir I brought back to Finland was that we are in the same boat, and our students are living in a different environment than we did when we were in our 20s."
His approach combines short lectures with active conversation rather than traditional lecturing. Students explored what it means to be European today, discussing EU principles, values, and diversity. They identified EU countries, flags, capitals, and languages, then engaged in discussions about European values.
One particularly innovative activity involved bringing magazines to class—not business journals, but everyday publications—and asking students to find images representing European values and current events. "I was definitely challenging myself," Thomas admits. "I haven't used those methods for a long time. It's kind of teaching methods from elementary school. I think we were in the same boat with my students, because I was out of my comfort zone, at least a little bit, and also for them it was a new situation."
The result?
Students gave excellent feedback, expressing interest in more such activities.
Practical Advice for Teachers
- Start with current news - Use local and national newspapers to show why these discussions matter now.
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Recognising change - Discuss how the political landscape has changed from peacetime assumptions to current uncertainties.
- Make it conversational - Students appreciate action over passive listening. Balance short information sharing with active engagement.
Listen now to the full episode to discover more insights from Luovi and get inspired for your own classroom!
