Estonian teacher: schools must teach young people how to think
A history and social studies teacher at Viimsi Gymnasium, Reesi Kuslap, says the most important skill schools can give students is the ability to think for themselves. She also shared her experience with burnout risks in teaching.
Reesi Kuslap, who has taught history and social studies at Viimsi Gymnasium in Estonia for 13 years, spoke on the radio programme "Vikerhommik" about her experience and views on education.
Burnout and self-care
Kuslap says the risk of burnout is especially high in the early years of a teaching career. She recalls her third year of teaching as the hardest — at the time she had taken on more responsibilities, including serving as a homeroom teacher at a different school, and developed serious health problems, including sleep disorders, compounded by students' social and family issues.
After having a child, she had to reduce her workload, which also led to a lower salary. Kuslap stresses the importance of being able to say "no," staying self-critical, and taking care of one's own health, even if that means working less than one is capable of.
Supporting new teachers
Viimsi Gymnasium runs a mentoring programme for beginning teachers, in which an experienced teacher monitors their work, observes their lessons, and organises meetings for sharing experience.
The school also focuses on helping new students settle in — the first week of the school year is dedicated to adaptation activities, with particular attention given to tenth-graders. Older students take part in an excursion, a cross-country competition, a quiz, and a day devoted to organising the school year, as well as a sports day.
Teaching students to think in the information age
Kuslap emphasizes that the most important skill a school must pass on is the ability to think, especially in a world where all information is available at the click of a button. Teachers face a separate struggle with artificial intelligence, which students often turn to first when doing schoolwork.
According to her, older students understand that they won't develop if they don't do the work themselves, yet they still often choose the more convenient option. This year the school introduced an initiative against phone use in class — students place their phones together in holders in the classroom.
