Studies tailored to career plans
Before studying in the Master’s Programme in English Studies, Susanna Rannisto completed her bachelor's degree in English at the University of Helsinki. She initially started studying English simply because it seemed interesting, but quickly found linguistics and applied linguistics courses in particular to be rewarding.
While becoming an English teacher was not something Rannisto was fully set on when starting her studies, it was certainly a very appealing option.
“I have thought about becoming a teacher since I was a child, and people told me I’d make a good teacher throughout my life. The job market also seemed more stable for teachers than for translators, for example.”
While keeping an open mind to other career options, Rannisto tailored her studies to benefit a career in teaching. She completed 60 credits of studies in Swedish, giving her the qualification to teach the subject. Having done her BA in the University of Helsinki, she was able to include 60 credits of pedagogical studies in her MA programme.
Evening classes influence scheduling
Rannisto first started in adult education during the final year of her studies through responding to an ad by the Helsinki Finnish Adult Education Centre on Facebook, teaching one course while finishing her MA studies. After graduating, she expressed a desire to take on more work, and also contacted the Vantaa Adult Education Centre. Currently Rannisto is teaching 9 courses between the two adult education centres – a standard amount for full time teachers by her estimates.
Class in adult education generally takes place in the late afternoons or evenings, though Rannisto does teach a few courses in the morning. With workdays usually ending quite late, discipline and scheduling are important. On the other hand, daily tasks tend to be quite straightforward.
“Between morning and evening classes I will usually spend time planning lessons and responding to emails. Even if I don’t have class in the morning, I still do that during the day.”
One thing secondary school teachers need to put a lot of effort into that is notably less work in adult education is assessment – courses do not have exams, meaning you also do not need to grade your students.
Happy students benefit everyone
When asked why she chose to go into adult education specifically, Rannisto doesn’t hesitate – it’s the students.
“I really like teaching adults. They are motivated to learn, they want to be there and are very active in class, which is extremely rewarding as a teacher. I love going to work because of them.”
She elaborates that students in adult education are there voluntarily, meaning they treat studying more like a hobby. The teacher does not need to discipline students nearly as much, because those not enjoying their time in class can simply not continue taking the course. On the other hand, this does put pressure on the teacher to make sure the students are having a good time and find the class beneficial, but seeing students be excited to come to class only further motivates Rannisto to ensure lessons are engaging and rewarding.
Adult education is not all roses
One downside of adult education noted by Rannisto is the seasonal nature and lack of stability compared to secondary education. If courses don’t meet their student quota, they will not be organised, so you cannot be sure about how much work you can do. You also only get paid for what you teach, and courses can be as short as 12 weeks with substantial downtime between them.
“Coordinating teachers are on payroll year-round, but there aren’t many of those positions and they require a lot of experience.”
If you feel like you are working too much, it is easy to give courses to other teachers, but getting more work can be quite difficult. Budgeting your salary and taking on other work such as substitute teaching gigs during downtime between teaching may be necessary.
Be brave and network
When asked about job prospects for language teachers in Finland, Rannisto finds them to be good, though English teachers may find more opportunities in secondary education. Language teaching is, however, popular in adult education, and if you are qualified to teach languages less commonly taught in secondary education, such as Italian, adult education may be more lucrative. Knowledge of Finnish is also not a must in adult education, but it certainly helps. While some of Rannisto’s colleagues are not native speakers of Finnish, they tend to only teach more advanced students.
Rannisto advocates strongly for networking and gaining more experience during your studies if at all possible. Having more teaching experience is extremely beneficial for landing jobs, and more importantly, it gives you an opportunity to practice your teaching skills. She herself used to be quite nervous for presentations, but through repeated practice she can now stand in front of a classroom full of students with no issues.
“I’ve been teaching the same group for around a year now, and they have commented on how much I have improved as a teacher over that time.”
The best way to gain experience for new teachers is through substitute teaching positions. Rannisto is also clear about best way to get work offers and network – the cold email.
“How else are these schools going to know about you? Be proactive – tell them about yourself, your teaching experience, and say you want to take substitute positions. Some of them might not respond, but others will keep you in mind and offer you work when they need substitute teachers.”
Pedagogical studies are a worthwhile effort
English Studies have given Rannisto valuable tools for teaching. One example she brings up is translation – she often talks to students about how to find suitable equivalents in English and avoid translating phrases word-for-word. Rannisto’s MA thesis, a task analysis comparing upper secondary and adult education textbooks, has been valuable for improving her awareness of task types and building a critical eye to the types of tasks the textbooks she uses may be missing.
The key takeaways from pedagogical studies carry over between secondary and adult education. Rannisto recounts a rule of thumb that she has found beneficial – class time should be used for interaction, and writing tasks can be done at home. The main thing you gain is experience, and that is more valuable than anything else.
Pedagogical studies in Finnish have tracks designed for those going into adult education as well as those aiming for secondary education. Rannisto asserts that this decision does not determine your future career prospects – she herself did the pedagogical studies for secondary education. The best way to learn to teach is by teaching, and pedagogical studies gives you the opportunity to see different teaching techniques in use and take the first steps in a controlled environment.
At the end of our discussion, Rannisto encourages prospective teachers to go for pedagogical studies even if it seems nerve-wracking.
“Everyone is extremely nervous for their first few lessons. You’ll gain more confidence as you continue teaching. If you are even a little interested in becoming a teacher, I would wholeheartedly recommend doing pedagogical studies.”