Maybe you have just arrived in Estonia, or you have been in Estonia for a while, but you are finding it difficult to connect with the local culture. When I first arrived in Tartu, I found it difficult to leave my “international bubble”. All the students in my classes, as well as my roommates, were international students. While this was also a great experience, I felt like I was living on the outside of Estonia. I did not speak to Estonians and I did not personally know any Estonians— despite living in the country for over one month. I decided that I needed a change. Hopefully my experience can provide you with a new idea about how to experience Estonia as well as inform you about some of the things I learned while volunteering.
When I was looking for places to volunteer, I was specifically looking for places to assistant teach as I wanted to become a teacher. I was curious to see how teaching in Estonia was different, or similar, to other countries I have taught in. I eagerly started emailing various schools in Tartu almost certain that no one would turn down a volunteer. However, I quickly found out that it was quite difficult to get people to correspond. After about one month of searching, I thought that it was time to give up and only focus on my studies. However, one day, I decided that I would go to one of the schools in person without waiting for a response. This turned out to be one of the most rewarding things that I did. While I recommend emailing first and waiting for a response, I was quite impatient, and I decided not to take my own advice.
I met the director of the school that same day and we had a long discussion about what my goals were, why I wanted to volunteer, and what I expected from the school. I started volunteering that same week. Now, I have been a volunteer for over a year at the same school. My goal was to learn more about the teaching system in Estonia and learn more about Estonian culture. I will now share some of the things I learned about Estonia based on the specific school that I was teaching in.
- Customs
One of the first things that I learned while volunteering at a school was that it was normal to bring a second pair of shoes to school to wear while in the building. Coming from the USA, this is not a custom that we are used to, and it took me a while to become comfortable with changing my shoes before teaching. However, now I find myself wishing that we could adopt this custom back home as it allows the building to stay cleaner for much longer.
Something else that I learned was that people were very appreciative. I noticed that people in the school would often give a small gift as appreciation for small things. One time I substituted a class as the teacher was ill, and she gave me a chocolate bar and a thank you note. However, I noticed this happened quite often in different situations as well. Estonians were very happy to give small gives and show that they appreciate you.
Another small custom that I noticed was that on people’s birthdays they always buy them flowers. They did not forget, and it seemed like something very important. These customs are not popular in the USA, but they are very beautiful customs.
- Events and Traditions
While there are the normal holidays, there are also days that you can only learn about at primary or secondary schools. One of these days is the school’s birthday. This year, the school where I am volunteering is celebrating their 30th year of being open. The children made posters, the whole family was able to participate, there was food, and there was even a DJ.
The school also has its own talent show. The children sing, dance, or play an instrument. It was such an amazing experience as a foreigner as it provided an opportunity to meet families and also hear songs in Estonian that were not online or see traditional Estonian dances.
There were also many other events such as their Christmas ball, language day, fairs, and field trips. They were all a unique way to see Estonia as many of these events were not celebrated in Estonia, but rather only with children in the schools.
- Service
This might only be specific to the school where I volunteer. However, after a long winter the children help prepare the school yard for the Spring and Summer. They help to rake last year’s leaves, pick up sticks, and clean any garbage that used to be hidden under the snow. After this, they help plant new flowers and grass to make the school look nice. I think it is a great idea to let the children help with these tasks as it can teach a lot. In the USA where I am from, this act of service is not practiced. However, I think it promotes a sense of pride in the school knowing that you helped with some small part.
- Language learning
While I was mainly volunteering as an English teacher, occasionally, I also taught some German classes. It was amazing to see the children’s approach to language as it was quite different from other countries where I taught languages. The children were really excited to learn languages and were using them at quite high proficiency at a young age. I think the children already learned that Estonian is not a common language, and more than Estonian is needed to have global connections. Many children in the high school were already proficient in at least 3 languages.
The experiences that I have gained from the Estonian community through volunteering has left an incredible mark on my heart. Volunteering is a great way to feel like a part of Estonia, and if it seems like something you are interested in, I encourage you to try it. It has allowed me to connect to the local culture and experience how teaching is in this country. I am excited to continue volunteering to see what else I can learn.
For more information about volunteering, International House Tartu is looking for volunteers as well as Tartu 2024 which are good places to start looking, but there are many volunteer opportunities available in Tartu.
📍International House Tartu ⤵️
https://www.internationalhouse.ee/en/news/volunteers/
📍 Tartu 2024 ⤵️
https://tartu2024.ee/volunteers
All images belong to the author