6 Episodes: “Trainer Spotlight” Educational Talk Show Opening Season

Trainer Spotlight, or Koolitaja kolmapäev ("Trainer Wednesday"), is a long-form educational talk show series produced for Tallinn Folk High School since June 2025. Each episode introduces one of the school's trainers through conversation, practical challenges and behind-the-scenes moments connected to their field of teaching.

Video had actually been part of the plan from the beginning. At my job interview in early 2024, I proposed creating video content for the school, and soon started producing shorter videos around individual courses and trainers. An internship programme I later established with Tallinn Polytechnic School also brought additional help into our everyday marketing work and gave us more room to experiment.

By 2025, Kaidi Udris had joined Tallinn Folk High School and quickly brought plenty of ideas and enthusiasm of her own. Somewhere in that mix, the idea emerged to take our course videos further and create a regular long-form online show. Kaidi was a natural fit for hosting. She had plenty of performing experience and, despite having barely finished her trial period at the school, happily agreed to give it a try.

Making the Show

Producing the series has always been a team effort. Kaidi hosts and coordinates the guests, I take care of the technical production, and our interns help us keep the cameras, sound, lighting and everything else running. Ideas and content develop together along the way, followed by editing, publishing and promotion after filming.

We once tried making an entire episode without interns and gained a new appreciation for just how much work they do.

The resulting episodes combine interviews, documentary-style visuals and hands-on experiments – from tango dancing and public speaking exercises to patchwork workshops and beginner guitar lessons. Rather than focusing only on formal teaching, the series explores the personalities, creative processes and life experiences behind lifelong learning.

Across the series, one recurring theme has emerged naturally: Tallinn Folk High School as a place where people continue to grow, experiment and rediscover curiosity regardless of age or background.

Another fun part of the project has been coming up with and designing a different thumbnail for each episode.

Episode 1: Tango Teacher Maria Zujeva

A video that almost never started…

The first episode of Trainer Spotlight took an unexpected turn when the originally planned guest had to cancel at the last moment. Fortunately, tango teacher Maria Zujeva stepped in with only a few hours’ notice. “Tango is improvisation,” Maria joked during filming – and the episode itself quickly became proof of that idea.

In the conversation, Maria talks about her path into movement and dance, the role of tango in everyday wellbeing and why people should sometimes choose dancing over simply staying at home to relax. In the second half of the episode, host Kaidi faces a practical tango challenge of her own.

Episode 2: Workplace Happiness Researcher Tiina Saar-Veelmaa

The second episode of Trainer Spotlight featured workplace happiness researcher and trainer Tiina Saar-Veelmaa, whose conversation focused on lifelong learning, creativity and personal growth in a rapidly changing world. One of the episode’s most memorable moments compared learning to nutrition – according to Tiina, lifelong learning gives people the equivalent of “broccoli and lentils,” while staying only within familiar routines can become the mental equivalent of “fries and sausages.”

Throughout the episode, Tiina reflects on learning not only as a way of gaining new knowledge, but also as a process of becoming more familiar with different versions of oneself. Alongside the conversation, host Kaidi takes part in a practical exercise exploring personal balance, creativity and working life.

Episode 3: Public Speaking Teacher Mihkel Kangur

The third episode of Trainer Spotlight featured public speaking and theatre teacher Mihkel Kangur. Together with host Kaidi Udris, the conversation explored self-development, communication and the role of lifelong learning across Tallinn Folk High School’s different study fields. One of the recurring themes of the episode was the question of why self-development courses often attract more women than men – and what might help more people engage with personal growth in everyday life.

The episode also introduced a new “assistant host” to the series – a soft and furry companion who unexpectedly joined the production. Alongside the discussion, Kaidi stepped into practical performance exercises connected to theatre, confidence and public speaking.

Episode 4: Patchwork Teacher Marja Matiisen

The fourth episode of Trainer Spotlight featured patchwork artist and longtime craft teacher Marja Matiisen, who has been teaching at Tallinn Folk High School since 1992. Filmed partly inside one of her patchwork classes, the episode explored creativity, recycling and the idea that even forgotten or discarded materials can be transformed into something meaningful.

Throughout the conversation, Marja shared stories from decades of teaching and reflected on the joy of seeing former students continue creating years later. Her passion for reusing materials has become so strong over time that she joked about even wanting to recycle airborne denim dust from her workshop. That’s dedication!

During the episode, we also revealed that Marja had been awarded the title of Tallinn Folk High School’s Teacher of the Year 2025 – recognition for her long-standing dedication, creativity and infectious enthusiasm for teaching.

Episode 5: Guitar Teacher Tiit Kõrvits

The fifth episode of Trainer Spotlight featured guitarist and music teacher Tiit Kõrvits, who has been teaching guitar for more than two decades and working at Tallinn Folk High School since 2015. The conversation explored learning, practice and the way music teaches people to break larger challenges into smaller, manageable parts before building them back into a complete whole.

Alongside reflections on teaching and musicianship, Tiit shared small details from music history – including his thoughts on the guitar performance of “Edelweiss” in the 1965 film The Sound of Music and what musicians notice when listening to it closely. In the second half of the episode, host Kaidi Udris took her very first guitar lesson, gradually learning to play a simple melody by the end of the session.

Episode 6: Christmas Special

The final episode of the first season of Trainer Spotlight combined studio sketches, street interviews and reflections on learning during the holiday season. Together with a special returning guest – the now familiar Mõmmi Karu from Episode 3 – host Kaidi searched for last-minute Christmas gift ideas while exploring Tallinn Folk High School’s upcoming courses for 2026.

In the second half of the episode, Kaidi headed onto the streets of Tallinn to ask people what they had learned during the past year and whether learning belongs only to classrooms and schools. The responses revealed a broader picture of lifelong learning – one connected equally to work, hobbies, personal experiences and everyday curiosity.

The Production Team

The series is filmed and edited by the Tallinn Folk High School marketing and communications team in collaboration with visual media interns from Tallinn Polytechnic School.

Kaidi Udris – Host
Erlich Lõwi – Camera Operator, Technical Editor
Robin Õuemets, Birgit Hanniste – Camera Operators (2025–2026)
Martin Vimberg – Production Assistant / Camera Operator (2025)