TeachProgress: EFEE’s PLA and School Visit in Helsinki

​In November 2025, I joined the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) in Helsinki to document their Peer Learning Activity (PLA) on career progression structures in the teaching profession. The two-day programme brought together representatives from ministries, employer organisations, and education institutions across Europe to exchange experiences on how to support teachers throughout their careers. My task was to capture the discussions, atmosphere, and learning moments through photography and video material.

Day 1: Peer Learning at the National Library

The first day took place at the National Library of Finland, where participants worked around round tables in an interactive format. Contributions from practitioners and policymakers focused on how countries structure professional growth, from induction and mentoring to leadership pathways. The PLA used group discussions, short presentations, and plenary exchanges to highlight differences and similarities across systems.
For me as a videographer and photographer, the setup allowed for a balanced mix of candid moments and structured debate. The event brought together people who work in different contexts but face similar challenges: maintaining teacher motivation, recognising expertise, and ensuring quality across diverse school environments.

Day 2: School Visit and Real-World Insights

​On the second day, the group visited a local school in Helsinki. The objective of the visit was to observe how Finnish schools approach career development, peer support, and distributed leadership in practice. The tour included classroom observations, discussions with teachers and school leaders, and a dedicated exchange session where participants reflected on what could be transferred to their own national contexts.
​Documenting this visit allowed me to show the environment in which Finnish teachers operate: collaborative staff rooms, modern learning spaces, and a culture of professional autonomy. These images will support EFEE in communicating the practical side of the PLA and in illustrating how peer learning connects policy-level discussions with daily school realities.

Why This PLA Matters

EFEE’s PLAs are designed to create shared spaces for learning among education employers across Europe. Helsinki offered a clear example of how policy discussions and school-level practice complement each other. As EFEE continues to work on identifying effective models of teacher career progression, visual documentation helps make these discussions more accessible for a wider audience especially those working in education systems where peer learning is becoming increasingly important.

My Contribution

I covered both days as a one-person production workflow, delivering:

• Full photography coverage
  
• Short video documentation for EFEE channels
  
• Visual material suitable for reporting, presentations, and communication outputs
  

This project fits into my broader work of visualising education, youth, and public-sector initiatives across Europe.
If you’d like to learn more about EFEE’s work, you can visit their website — and if you're curious about how visual documentation can support education-sector communication, feel free to reach out.