When is the best time for coffee in Norway? Anytime! The coffee culture in Norway is strong. People pack coffee thermoses for hikes and train rides. They enjoy extended periods of time sipping and sitting in cafes and they drink coffee throughout the workday.

When I arrive at schools, I am always met with a “welcome” and “would you like some coffee?” Truth be told, I only drink decaffeinated coffee because caffeine drastically increases my heart rate. However, decaf coffee is not often found in schools or cafes.

Schools typically have a coffee station of some kind in the personalrom (staff room). There are fancy, vending machine-type coffee makers that offer various coffees, lattes, hot chocolate and more. Then there are simple, single coffee makers and tall karafes. Teachers take turns preparing the coffee throughout the day as well as cleaning and decorating the personalrom. The schedule is created following the weeks of the year. For example, the first week in January is Week 1 and April 20-26 is Week 17.

Some schools include a cake schedule as well. To illustrate, a school that I visited in the mountainous center of Norway served cake prior to their staff meetings. Teachers took turns bringing cake and everyone met in the staff room, 20 minutes before the meeting, to eat cake, drink coffee, and chat. The school that I visited last week served cake on Fridays. The teacher who was in charge of making coffee and cleaning the kitchen space for the week also brought cake on the last day of the week. One of the teachers told me that “you certainly receive more than you give” with the cake routine.

Staff rooms have ceramic coffee cups for guests and a system of storage for staff mugs. Some personalrom kitchens have cabinets for personal cups and others have special racks or hooks for teachers’ mugs. Next to the sink is always a dishwasher for daily coffee cup and dish cleaning and plastic or paper plates and silverware are nowhere to be seen.

A special display for staff coffee cups.

No matter where I’ve been, I have ALWAYS been asked if I’d like some coffee. When I first started roving, I politely declined the coffee and explained that I tended to drink more water when giving presentations. However, at one school, the host teacher was scolded by an elder teacher for not fetching me a cup of coffee. Now I just accept the coffee and very slowly sip away at the hot beverage.

It's not just the coffee offers that are welcoming, but the personalrom and meeting times throughout the day. Before the school day starts, teachers typically meet in the personalrom to chat; not about school, but about life. Often, the room lights are dimmed, or the dark room is illuminated with candles on the tables.

Early morning candles, quiet conversation, and coffee to start the day.

I recently arrived outside a school personalroom to notice the lights were off and someone was standing at a podium-looking stand. I did not want to interrupt the staff meeting, so I walked around the school for a bit. Well, it turns out that there was no staff meeting at all. It was just the teachers enjoying their coffee and conversation, along with fruit and chocolates, as they do every Friday morning. When I asked a teacher why the room was so dark, they responded that it can be a bit jarring to walk into school in the morning with bright lights. The dimly lit room with coffee and conversation helps teachers to calmly prepare for day.

With a coffee cup in hand, I navigate to my classes and return at the conclusion of each session. In Norway, students and teachers leave the classrooms at the end of class and the doors are locked. Students go outside for a break, and teachers go to the personalrom to refill their coffee cups, chat, and use the toilet. This is the routine every 60 or 90 minutes.

A pupil wanted me to have coffee, so fetched it for me with a special mug. Hverdagshelt means ‘everyday hero.’

Once, a teacher came to get me for the next class, so I quickly stood up and grabbed my backpack. Immediately, the teacher waved their hand at me and said, “oh, please sit. We have 5 minutes before class starts. Would you like a cup of coffee?” There are no copy machines or paper cutters anywhere in sight. The space is for breaks and teachers leave the personalrom only a minute or so before class starts.

The rush, urgency, and strict time schedules of the United States schools are not present here. Teachers aren’t isolated in their classrooms working without respite. Most teachers in Norway start their day in calm conversation with colleagues. They take regular breaks to refill their coffee cups, use the bathroom, and catch their breath before their next class.

We know that students need regular breaks in the school day, but in the United States we neglect to prioritize the moments of rest that teachers need as well. Norway schools have a healthy perspective on balancing teaching, work time, and repose. Though my tolerance for caffeinated coffee is low, I embrace kaffetid, with its conversation, occasional cake, and regular periods of rest.

Kaffetid (Coffee Time)

Norwegian Parkour