Alma Nuutinen’s blog
We have got through third period of the school year 2016-2017, so I thought it would be a good time to write about exam weeks, exam-free weeks or ending weeks. (The terminology still manages to leave me a bit confused.) Beforehand and right at the beginning of my journey through Klassikka, I and doubtlessly many others were more than a little stressed about the daunting concept called an exam week.
After overcoming this great challenge with rather pleasant results, it naturally got easier to wade through the exam weeks. That was, until the rumours about the Finnish upper secondary school system’s novel innovation started to spread. Oh, how the cadence of an exam week-free period rang peacefully. Unfortunately, as it later turned out, there was no peacefulness included at all. All sorts of little projects and exams of my personal periodus horribilis made the fifth period of the past school year the hardest one I have ever experienced. (Touches wood.)
The feedback received from various sources seemed to tell our revered teachers that this new model did not work well and should be drastically altered or better yet, forgotten altogether. Thus, the sudden, simultaneous gasps and murmur in the gymnasium after the dreadful announcement considering wholly exam-free periods at the opening of this school year, was something quite understandable. More periods like the 5th one of the 2016? – I think not.
Now, I feel it is safe to say, we have achieved quite a good balance. No more school weeks of five different exams, the little projects in addition. No more seemingly affected assignments just for the sake of the progression. Now, it seems, there is a practical stability between refreshing, innovative studying methods and the traditional, admittedly tedious at times, but nonetheless well working ‘standard’ school.
Good luck with the 4th period!
Some hate projecting whilst projecting does good. (Game of Thrones, S6 E10).
Alma Nuutinen
