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Personal Reflection/Anecdote

democratic life, common values, and civic engagement.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development implemented the Programme for International
Student Assessment (PISA) more than 20 years ago. Students in
more than 70 countries around the world take the PISA assessment,
which measures reading, math, and science knowledge. Once
the results were released in 2018 showing Finland comfortably
at the top in performance, other countries took notice. What
were the Finnish people doing differently? Their first step
was that they decided to treat teachers as professionals, allow
for personalization of curriculum, encourage collaboration
and equity, and use trust-based responsibility. These efforts
contrast with what is happening elsewhere: fast-track teaching
certifications, standardization, encouragment of competition and
elitism, and test-based accountability. Finnish educators used
what they had learned to help schools in Latin America and Asia
by way of the Teachers for the Future program. The researchers
and educators noticed the lack of teacher preparation in these
specific Latin American and Asian schools and immediately set Virpi Matala (left) modeled traditional
the teachers up for long-term success through hands-on training. Finnish dress.
One interesting difference relative to the Finnish system is that all teachers must have a master’s
degree to teach grades above kindergarten. They also work closely with administrators, because in the
words of keynote speaker Dr. Carita Prokki, “teachers alone are alone.” Members of the society are also
taught to make reading visible to reinforce its importance. The tone is set for the importance of reading
to Finnish children as every baby born receives a bag of books at a variety of levels for early childhood.
Citizens are encouraged to read physical books, newspapers, magazines, and other print materials in place
of e-readers to make it more obvious that they are reading.
Dutch member Elsje Huij presented a workshop about the Dutch Association for Teacher Educators
system (VELON is the Dutch acronym). In the Netherlands, apart from typical employment requirements,
no training is required for university professors: one simply learns on the job and combines all the knowledge
they amass along the way. So how do the educators keep up? VELON is an association that allows
educators to meet and professionalize. It is an optional registry in which teachers at any level complete a
set of requirements and can apply to be part of the national registry. As part of the requirements, educators
must show evidence of competency in five areas: didactics, pedagogy, organizational development, group
dynamics, and personal development. The registry is made for teachers by teachers and acts as a repository
and way to share knowledge. In the first 4 years, 1,538 teachers had successfully been registered.

Relevance

The theme of relevance was also prominent throughout the conference. Relevance is the significance
of something in each situation and the state of being closely connected to the subjects at hand. Women
in this organization want to remain relevant and connected. International First Vice President Connie
Rensink presented ways to engage the leaders in each chapter. For example, members can keep experienced
leaders engaged by seeking them out for advice and supporting those who want to test new ideas. New
members can be kept engaged through determining their interests; involving them in committee work,
presentations, scholarships, and grants; and having them attend conferences and conventions. And there’s
still a place for the “middle members” who are not new but may have less leadership experience within the
chapter, state, and international organization levels. They can be crucial in assisting with networking and

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