“I have never thought about leaving” - Petter enjoys being a teacher in Espoo

What is it like to work as a special class teacher at the City of Espoo? Petter Punnonen tells us what makes his work meaningful and why he has never considered leaving. 

For Petter Punnonen, two things in Espoo are superior to everything else: an excellent work community and smart management.

“The most important reason why I have never considered leaving here is this work community,” says Punnonen.

What Punnonen particularly appreciates is that help is always available with a low threshold both from his colleagues and from the management. In the rapidly changing situations, he can always trust that everything will work out.

However, he also enjoys the freedom teachers have and the trust placed in them. They can boldly try new ways of teaching in the classroom, and there is also room for mistakes.

“If I want to try a new kind of working method and it goes all wrong, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to worry about the principal suddenly walking into the classroom to judge even if the atmosphere is restless for a moment.”

While the management gives professionals room to work in their own way, supervisors are still always easily approachable.

"I appreciate the fact that the management is with us in the coffee room talking about this and that. It feels like you can discuss everything openly here.”

In his work, Punnonen appreciates being able to work with a wide variety of learners in different kinds of groups. Close cooperation with his work partner also brings energy to everyday work.

Although a teacher’s work is often demanding, working with children is also extremely fun and meaningful. At best, the relationship with the pupils is close, and learning is not the only topic of discussions at school.

“It is important that children have not only their peers but also reliable adults as their friends at school. That is why the most important moments for me are those when a pupil comes to have a chat with me during recess.”

The City of Espoo’s employer value proposition is crystallised in the following words: “Pioneering Espoo – Courage to innovate and ability to develop. It is not just a slogan, it is a principle that guides everyday work in practice.

In a teacher’s work, this means above all an opportunity to experiment and develop one’s own work. In Espoo, teachers are encouraged to look for new ways of teaching and learning, and support is available for developing one’s own competence. Professional development is part of everyday work, not something separate from it.

At the same time, working is supported through smart management: supervisory work is systematically monitored and developed to ensure that teachers have the best possible conditions for succeeding in their work. The aim is to enable teachers to focus on their core task trusting that support is available in the background.

The way people are encountered also has a central role. In Espoo, both the management and the work community are committed to ensuring that everyone can come to work as themselves. Appreciative encounters do not remain at the level of speech only, but are visible in everyday encounters and cooperation.