Picture: Robyn in front of the education building, University of Jyvaskyla.
Actually being in Finland after all the preparation is quite surreal. My amazing mentor picked me up having hired a car and then transported me to our new home from the airport, she even had groceries waiting to ensure an easy transition.
Our apartment is a tidy little version of ikea-A family of 4 in just over 500 sqft- with no clutter- we’ve got this. My family arrived a few days later and it is soooo good to have them here with me. We’ve never travelled separately, so everything feels complete now that they’re here.
The work has begun. I’m slated to audit 2 courses: the first on the Finnish educational system and the second on special education around the world. I have been asked to lecture on special education in America. Just like at home a large emphasis on student teacher education in Finland is on ensuring that inclusive education is meaningful. I have also been asked to speak about our U.S. educational programs at various conferences. My hope is to promote CAPTAIN (California Autism Professional Training And Information Network) and EBP (Evidence Based Practices) as much as possible.
Today, my mentor and I had a lengthy discussion about a variety of topics and I was completely “geeking out” being able to discuss topics with a well respected and like minded professional. We touched on so many areas: inclusion, government control, teacher training, instructional assistant training, IA’s roles, maintaining high standards, systematic instruction, the difference between accommodations and modifications, grants, funding, collaboration with general education teachers, litigation, and the list goes on. How absolutely wonderful it is to be able to know that this gets to be my focus for the next 6 months. My hope is that the time goes slowly in order to absorb it all.