Teacher Johanna Lehtinen invited to Independence Day reception in Finland

When Johanna Lehtinen, a primary school teacher from Helsinki, received a letter from the President of Finland, she initially thought it was a joke. “I was completely shocked. I examined it closely, wondering how someone could forge such a letter,” she recalls with laughter. The letter was an invitation to the Independence Day reception, a prestigious event that emphasizes community this year.

Lehtinen, who teaches fourth grade at Keinutie School in Kontula, expressed disbelief over receiving the honor. She speculated that her involvement in promoting literacy among her students might be the reason for the invitation. “I’ve been actively working to inspire reading in my classroom and have also been involved in training teachers in Helsinki and Turku,” she noted, reflecting on the positive feedback she has received for her efforts.

The classroom proudly displays a heart with the number 9,410, representing the total number of books her students have read or listened to since first grade. Their goal is to reach 10,000 books by month’s end. Lehtinen previously led a similar project with her former students, collectively reading 5,000 books from grades two to six.

In her current class, which comprises 22 students speaking as many as 15 different native languages, a significant portion previously studied Finnish as a second language. “Their dedication to reading clearly correlates with their academic success,” she said.

Lehtinen has created a reading-friendly environment filled with books easily accessible to students, ensuring that the joy of reading remains ignited.