City of Helsinki invests in positive pedagogy
Photo: Jenni Tirronen
Strengths-based education in Helsinki
Helsinki's Swedish-speaking early childhood education has decided to focus on positive pedagogy, and specifically on strength-based pedagogy this year in a selection of Swedish-speaking kindergartens. We interviewed Jenni Tirronen, who is the head of Swedish-speaking early childhood education in Helsinki. The interview was conducted via email.
Staff shortages in early childhood education are a problem throughout the country, including Helsinki. Jenni Tirronen believes that the focus on positive pedagogy is an important counterbalance to the challenges facing the sector. Tirronen emphasizes that the initiative does not mean that the city is minimizing the challenges that exist. The city will continue to work to improve staff availability and working conditions. Tirronen emphasizes that positive pedagogy should not be an additional task for the staff, but rather an approach that should permeate the entire educational activity.
Strength-based pedagogy means focusing on the individual's strengths, something that you are, not what you can do. It is part of positive pedagogy, but with more focus on character strengths.
What was the challenge you wanted to solve?
Actually, there was no challenge that I thought should be solved, but I wanted to focus on what is most important. The child. I think it is important to focus on the basic task that we have in early childhood education. Mutual, open and respectful treatment is important when the goals of early childhood education activities are set based on the individual child. Children have the right to express themselves, their thoughts and opinions and to be understood based on their own ability to communicate and express themselves. Every child has the right to good teaching, care and encouraging feedback.
What do you hope to achieve?
We have chosen positive pedagogy as one of our development areas. I hope that staff focus on seeing children's strengths and acknowledging the good in a child or group. It's important that we all understand the importance of positive emotions, feedback and attention to a child's growth and learning. At the same time, it is important for staff to recognize strengths in each other as well. I believe that focusing on positive pedagogy can increase the well-being of staff as well.
Why was the "See the good!" service was of particular interest to you?
See the good was a familiar pedagogical approach that provides practical tools for staff, children and families. It was also important that the approach is based on research in positive pedagogy. I am very happy that we have been given the opportunity to develop a training package based on our needs.
How has this service been received? You are just starting out, aren't you?
We started training our daycare center directors and deputy directors on the method in the spring semester of 2023. The deputy directors have been tasked with becoming internal ambassadors for "See the good", which means that they support the staff in putting the positive pedagogy into practice. The leaders jointly selected common values that all daycare centers should focus on, and they were safety, empathy and joy. In addition, we have chosen five pilot daycare centers where the entire staff will attend a training course in positive pedagogy. This initiative has been very well received and I am very pleased about that.
What are the next steps?
We organize training sessions for all our daycare centre directors and deputy directors several times during the year. In addition, our pilot kindergartens receive support for the entire staff.
Children are naturally curious and are quick to notice when someone uses a strength. It is important that we all understand how important positive emotions, feedback and attention are for children's growth and learning. No one thrives on just pointing out things that don't work. Children learn better and more easily if we highlight their strengths. When we focus on strengths, they are also better able to respond to situations that feel challenging.
Do you have messages for your colleagues around the world?
Highlight the good things in early childhood education. Positive pedagogy is an approach that should be part of everyday pedagogical activities. We adults need to consciously see the good, because the negative and what doesn't work is often what takes up a lot of space. But when we work with this method, we stop and make the positive visible. So that every child and every employee has the opportunity to flourish and grow.
Thank you Jenni Tirronen!
