Smart Teachers Play More in Finland with a school visit: How to integrate play, movement, and well-being in education
Join our 7-day course in Helsinki, Finland, with a full-day school visit to experience one of the world’s top education systems in one of the happiest countries. Discover the Smart Teachers Play More (STPM) approach, combining movement, storytelling, and mindfulness to create dynamic, inclusive classrooms. Designed for primary and early secondary educators.
Description
Enhance your teaching with the STPM approach—a unique method that blends play, movement, and mindfulness with academic tasks. This innovative strategy boosts student engagement and well-being while reinforcing academic achievement. Designed by Kristín Einarsdóttir and Sarah Jane Anthony, experts with over 20 years of experience in European education, the course integrates multisensory activities to support visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. Backed by the latest research in neuroscience, participants will explore physical games, storytelling techniques, and calming strategies to teach academic subjects through play.
Participants will enjoy a full-day school visit, meeting Finnish teachers and students to gain valuable firsthand insights. With Finland’s holistic educational approach, you’ll observe how outdoor activities, digital tools, and democratic engagement are integrated into learning, providing an inspiring model to bring back to your own educational environment.
Learning objectives
- Explore Finland's innovative teaching methods and their role in advancing a forward-thinking, holistic approach to education.
- Experience Smart Teachers Play More activities integrating mindfulness, movement, and positive psychology to enhance well-being, focus, and resilience.
- Gain classroom-ready activities that are easy to implement, empowering educators to create supportive and engaging learning environments.
- Embrace eco-choice practices by upcycling materials and using natural resources to help students value sustainability and engage more fully in learning.
- Build international partnerships to promote collaboration and support future Erasmus+ projects.
- Cultivate classroom democracy by fostering active participation, mutual respect, and collaborative decision-making, reflecting Finland's emphasis on equality and shared responsibility.
- Promote inclusion by utilising STPM activities adaptable to diverse classroom needs, ensuring every student feels supported and engaged.
Methodology & assessment
• School Visits: Experience Finnish classrooms firsthand, engaging with students and teachers while observing sustainability and inclusion through practical subjects.
• Peer Collaboration: Exchange best practices, insights, and innovative ideas with European educators, fostering meaningful professional connections and shared growth.
• Digital Collaboration: Utilise digital tools to share resources, facilitate group reflections, and support vision planning and evaluation, enhancing teamwork and digital literacy skills.
• Vision Planning: Create and present action plans for classroom transformation.
• Assessment Tools: Reflection, feedback, and goal-setting support continuous learning.
• Cultural Activities: Explore Finnish traditions and practice well-being techniques.
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Your well-being is our top priority, and we are committed to making your Erasmus+ mobility experience exceptional. To help you prepare and get to know us better, we’ve put together a range of resources under the following links:
Course Schedule
Our mission and methodology
Meet our outstanding team
Erasmus compliance
Certification details
- Certificate of Attendance
- Europass Mobility Document
- Learning Agreement (if applicable)
- Any additional documentation required by your National Europass Agency or National Office.
Pricing, packages and other information
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Price:595Euro
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Course package content:
• Interactive, high quality pedagogy and training.
• Course material and "classroom ready" activities to take away.
• Quality sharing good practice and networking opportunities.
• Expert support before, during and after your course mobility.
• Suitable venues in stunning destinations.
• Cultural evening and visit to the Helsinki City Museum.
• Local advice and support before and during your stay, including suggestions for hotels close to our course centre.
• Refreshments at breaktime.
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Additional information:Description of the services and activities included in the course package (such as accommodation, meals, transport) or available at extra cost.
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Cancellation & changes:
You can find our registration, payment, and cancellation policy here.
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Additional information:The options and conditions for change and cancellation, and the policy in case of unforeseen circumstances (force majeure).
Additional information
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Language:English
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Target audience ISCED:Early childhood education (ISCED 0)Primary education (ISCED 1)Lower secondary education (ISCED 2)
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Target audience type:TeacherStudent TeacherTeacher Educator
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Learning time:25 hours or more
Upcoming sessions
Past sessions
Provider
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