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Elementary School
Japanese Teacher

Yusuke Nakaura

 

#01 Reasons for application

Education for children, Education I couldn’t receive

To teach IBPYP (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme) bilingually, both in Japanese and English. This is the biggest reason why I chose to join KIA. PYP doesn’t aim to teach knowledge and skills just to pass exams, but to teach how to apply what they have learnt to solve their problems and social issues. 
At KIA, by teaching PYP bilingually, we have an environment to share in different perspectives and languages regardless of complications. This is the kind of education I wanted to receive, but now that I cannot go back in time, I decided to take part as a teacher at KIA. 

#02 Rewarding

To open new doors inside children

For children, daily experiences and learning is full of “first time”. That is the moment I feel pleasure, being able to experience their “first time” together. Especially in IB-unique subject UOI (Unit of Inquiry), children inquiries on their own initiative. They find questions, which leads to new findings, and it becomes their first knowledge (skill). 
I myself have to be knowledgeable to be able to teach, therefore I also have inquiry, and I feel pleasure when I get to deepen childrens’ knowledge. 

#03 Unique

Innovative ideas will make a big step forwards to new education

We can challenge. This is what I feel KIA is unique to. KIA has an environment where we can challenge things like something that “no one else has done before” or “things that are interesting”. Having teachers from different countries, we discuss ideas that are interesting and unique, which enables us to have new outcomes. 
Also, ideas from international staff are influenced by their own culture and customs, which makes it very innovative. Being able to accept these innovative ideas will be the key challenge for Japanese education. I am only in my second year of teaching, however, I am willing to make more discussions to challenge myself. In addition, everybody plays the main role. Being able to challenge myself regardless of their length of service is what I appreciate from KIA. 

#04 Relationship

Influencing each other

We are all in one team, sharing joys and funness, and thinking together when in difficult times. We have a mentor system in KIA, where we get to ask for help to mentor. Of course, we can ask help about work, but also about life and mental health, which I am very grateful for having. 
As we are in a multicultural working environment, I was surprised in different cultures and perspectives when I just started my job. However, because we all accept and respect each other, we get influenced by each other leading to my own growth. 

#05 Message

Contribution to children’s life

My goal is to take a part in the Curriculum Lab in the future, and to revise and practice learning. Not only that KIA has different curriculum from what the Ministry of Education requires, it has developed their only-one curriculum in Japan by researching and visiting many schools including elementary and secondary from different countries based on the idea of “the very best education”.