Those are the shares of Mr. Simo Veistola - Principal of Forssa Primary School (Finland). He attracted attention with his touching act - shared by a group of Vietnamese parents in Finland on social networks - driving more than 100km to the airport to pick up an international student who was late due to a delayed visa.

Students always have me when they need me.

The touching image of the teacher was shared by many parents and Vietnamese students studying in Finland on social networks. Taken from behind, the photo shows the teacher pushing luggage for the student. It is known that the teacher drove more than 100km to Helsinki airport to pick up an international student, although this is not required for a principal?

Teacher Simo Veistola: Because he received his visa later than his friends, this student arrived in Finland late and had to go alone.

Everything was new to her: a new continent, a new country, a new language. So I really only felt safe if I picked her up myself and drove her back to the dormitory where her friends were waiting. We had a lot of fun and talked a lot on the way back.

A few hours driving on the road, talking with teachers and students is also a great way to make her feel warmer, and for me to get to know and understand my students better.

Teacher Simo Veistola drove more than 100 km to Helsinki airport to pick up Vietnamese students.

Image of principal pushing luggage for international students shared on social networks

But with over 400 students in the school, it is difficult to pay attention to each student like that. How is the teacher's time allocated at school so that each student always feels the teacher's attention like that?

I usually wake up at 6:30 and spend some time catching up on emails or text messages. My official work day starts at 7:30. My days are packed with meetings and it goes by quickly. I always arrange to meet with international students every week, but it is the quick meetings in the hallways that are the most important and heartwarming.

If I can't see them, I'll call them and talk about things. Sometimes they send me pictures themselves, telling me what they're doing or discussing the results of football matches.

Overall, the most important thing is that students always have me when they need me, whether in person or on the phone, whether it's during work hours or even breaks.

Principals must create trust in students.

Some people say that if we were stricter it would be easier to discipline our students?

High school is where every student starts to study seriously, to gain knowledge to enter university. Therefore, supporting them in all aspects is necessary.

The most important thing for a principal is to create trust in the students, that the principal must really care, really care for each individual. The principal must always be ready to support each student at all times, in all situations.

But it seems that he is only "strict" in studying. At the beginning of the last school year, when the international students first entered the school, they intended to choose natural sciences that require low Finnish proficiency, but he encouraged them to choose very difficult subjects that require high Finnish proficiency, such as Philosophy, Psychology, etc. Is this his way of being "strict", or does he want to set a high goal, a way to make each of his students work hard?

Foreign languages, like Finnish, can only be truly learned when we are immersed in that environment. I want students to be ready to live in that environment from the very first steps.

Learning Finnish through different subjects will make students interested and bring high efficiency. If you spend 6 hours/day just learning Finnish, it will be boring and not effective.

Encouraging students to learn difficult subjects from the beginning is an effective method. In fact, I am satisfied with their final exam scores.

Students are eligible to participate in the Teacher Recruitment Council.

Many people say that teachers in Finland have a very high social status, like lawyers or doctors. Is this true? How are they selected and trained?

Finland was a poor country after World War II. Finns understood that education was the only way for society and the country to develop. Respect for teachers and the teaching profession began at that time.

Most of the good students want to become teachers, this is also true now. I really don't understand why. Even my daughter, who has the ability to study all subjects and has many career options, is deciding to follow the path of teaching.

A great teacher is not only highly qualified, but also has love for students. It is not easy to find such a teacher. How are teachers recruited and what are your priorities?

- Teachers with good professional skills are not enough, they must have personal characteristics compatible with the pedagogical environment.

Mr. Simo Veistola (shirt) and teachers at a meeting with international students

All teachers are interviewed by a panel of students, who are also members of the school.

In the first year, you did everything you could to help the international students integrate: taking them out for ice cream, coffee, and outings to relieve stress after exams. Now they are in their second year, what are your priorities for them?

This year, I will support students more in focusing on important subjects according to their career orientation. The high school graduation exam to open the door to university is very important. This exam includes 5 subjects: Finnish, English, Mathematics and elective subjects, such as Physics-Chemistry, or Biology-History.

So, this is the time for my students and I to start working together!

Thank you for the chat!

Son Hung

Vietnamnet.vn