Interview with Jukka Sinnemäki

By Bob Spensley & Kim Barthel

While trying to learn everything possible between learning and movement, Kim Barthel came across “the most active classroom in the world” and the inspiring teacher behind it, Jukka Sinnemäki. What’s ironic is that it’s often occupational therapists who find themselves supporting teachers to appreciate the need for movement (it’s known to enhance the brain’s capacity to learn) and in this case it was Jukka who has won international teaching awards on this topic, and it turns out he’d never (yet) met an OT!

Kim being Kim, who has been encouraging excellence in sensory/emotional/cognitive supports in educational settings her whole career, she was determined to meet this man who was so dedicated to helping kids become their best selves. In the summer of 2022 she did just this, in-person, traveling all the way to visit him in his school in Jyväskylä, Finland. Their synergy was immediate. She learned that movement is just a part of his students’ success, that relationship really does matter in education, and that Jukka’s genius lies in helping kids individually to deeply explore how they learn best – which will stay with them forever.

This 45-minute conversation between Kim and Jukka highlights his pedagogical philosophy, his current research, and how along with movement, compassion and a sense of belonging are truly the keys in learning.

For reference, the awards Jukka Sinnemäki has been recognized for are the Global Teacher Prize ($1 million USD from the Varkey Foundation) and the Global Teacher Award, received in New Delhi, India. Jukka is currently doing his PhD in Education through the Johannes Kepler University Linz, in Austria.