Significant Learning Event:
Wisdom inside the Pewter Box
I recently opened a small box made of pewter which was given to me more than forty years ago. It was a farewell gift from Mrs. Grey. She was my homeroom teacher in Boston, and I received it when I was about to return to Japan for long. Last week, when I was visiting New York, I understood what she had given me inside the box at last.
Since the city commemorated the fifty-year anniversary of Stonewall Movement, rainbow colored decorations of LGBTQ were everywhere. The Stonewall Inn in New York led the protest by the gay community against police raid. The displays reminded me of an old classmate in Boston. More than four decades ago, I was the only Japanese in second grade who did not comprehend English. Soon, a classmate called Cindy started taking good care of me such as holding a door for me or ushering me to a classroom. She wore boy’s clothes and she was often running around with a boy called Tony, so I was not sure if she was a girl. She used girl’s bathroom, she wore a girl’s bikini, but she acted as a nice gentleman to me.
Mrs. Grey had special caring character. I think I accepted Cindy as Mrs. Grey treated us equally. Even though I did not speak English, I felt I was accepted and recognized as I was. One day, I asked her to let me perform in front of the class a short drama which my friend Sarah and I improvised from a picture book. After performing, Sarah and I also asked her if we could visit my little brother’s class to show it as well. She thought for a while and allowed us to do so. I did not expect to get a permission, but she accepted our proposal. This incident changed me to value myself as Mrs. Grey did.
A flash back of Mrs. Grey, Cindy and me which was triggered by rainbow displays in New York opened the pewter box given by Mrs. Grey. The lid had not opened for so long, but now I could see what was inside. The gift was her wisdom of respecting people and accepting as they are. Sometimes, the lesson takes almost half a century to be understood. I hope I can inherit Mrs. Grey’s attitude that enjoys the diversity of people and gain empathy as a teacher.
Significant Teaching Event
Last week, I was in a room that I usually do not use for a lesson. I reserved it for a lunch time make-up class, and I started consultation with my writing students. During the lunch time, some students stay in classrooms to have lunch, so there were people other than my students. I was not paying attention to them, when one boy came up to greet me. It was one of my former writing students I had two years ago. He told me happily that he was accepted to a company near his hometown. Job hunting is one of the main concerns for fourth-year students, so I was relieved to know it as well as to see him reporting his success to me in joy.
The reason of my relief roots back to two years ago. He committed plagiarism. As what he submit was perfect and different from the former essays of his, I searched and found the source. After finding the evidence, I needed time to consider how to discipline him. I consulted other professors to know the school rules for plagiarism, but they had no written rules. Thus, I was responsible for proper treatment. I needed a week to consider his misbehavior. The next week, I had private consultation with him. During the talk, since I really wanted him to open his heart and to decide to start again, I watched his eyes, chose the words carefully, and waited for him to tell his thought. Gradually, he showed regret and he seemed to notice the seriousness of his misconduct. Hence, I decided to give him second chance to rewrite from scratch. He wrote hard after that and passed the course, but I did not know how he felt about my discipline until we met after two years last week.
Finally, his happy face encouraged me to teach discipline when students make mistakes. He also taught me the key to successful advice is to show that I care for him.
The reason of my relief roots back to two years ago. He committed plagiarism. As what he submit was perfect and different from the former essays of his, I searched and found the source. After finding the evidence, I needed time to consider how to discipline him. I consulted other professors to know the school rules for plagiarism, but they had no written rules. Thus, I was responsible for proper treatment. I needed a week to consider his misbehavior. The next week, I had private consultation with him. During the talk, since I really wanted him to open his heart and to decide to start again, I watched his eyes, chose the words carefully, and waited for him to tell his thought. Gradually, he showed regret and he seemed to notice the seriousness of his misconduct. Hence, I decided to give him second chance to rewrite from scratch. He wrote hard after that and passed the course, but I did not know how he felt about my discipline until we met after two years last week.
Finally, his happy face encouraged me to teach discipline when students make mistakes. He also taught me the key to successful advice is to show that I care for him.
Influential Teacher
From a Stay-at- Home Mom to a Teacher
There is a key person for me that supported my start of a teaching career from a stay-at-home mom. Ms. Kamimura is the director of New York Japan Society Language Center where I enrolled in a series of Japanese teacher training courses five years ago. Although I never directly learned from her, she taught me how to seize the day when she accepted my request to be a reference for my job application. In detail, we shared our personal histories via e-mail, which gave me strong influence on my career pursuit.
When I decided to take the course to teach Japanese, I happily imagined myself instructing my native language to New Yorkers. Every lesson took an active learning style such as students taking turns teaching the assigned unit and receiving peer feedback. After finishing two courses, I was qualified to volunteer as a teaching assistant (TA) there. Thus, my dream came true to teach Japanese to a former soldier, an art student, and a movie director in New York.
This experience motivated me to apply for a teaching position when I came back to Nagoya later. I searched for educational facilities and prepared my regime. It was when I was looking for teachers to list up as references and referees that I e-mailed Ms. Kamimura for the first time. Because I regarded her language school trustworthy for the quality education, I was sure that I could believe the director as well. Hence, I honestly told her that, as a housewife, I had no teaching career but only as a TA in her Language Center, and I waited for her reply. Amazingly, she gave me back a thoughtful mail with a personal message that she was also once a stay-at-home mom. She mentioned that she had sent multiple applications for college positions when all her children grew up. Eventually, she was accepted as an assistant professor of The New School. Her age was over fifty then, so she told me not to worry about my age. I was deeply moved by her story and I sent my application to Nagoya International School (NIS).
As a result, I bravely started my teaching career at NIS just before I turned fifty. If it had not been for her encouragement, I would not have applied for a teaching position. Thus, I am grateful for the considerate e-mails from Ms. Kamimura, which influenced me to seize my own career.
Here is more of her perspectives on language learning in a global society. She gave me another extra support this month (August, 2019) by kindly introducing me this site when I asked her permission to upload this essay. Please click the link below.
https://www.iibc-global.org/ghrd/frontline/02.html
When I decided to take the course to teach Japanese, I happily imagined myself instructing my native language to New Yorkers. Every lesson took an active learning style such as students taking turns teaching the assigned unit and receiving peer feedback. After finishing two courses, I was qualified to volunteer as a teaching assistant (TA) there. Thus, my dream came true to teach Japanese to a former soldier, an art student, and a movie director in New York.
This experience motivated me to apply for a teaching position when I came back to Nagoya later. I searched for educational facilities and prepared my regime. It was when I was looking for teachers to list up as references and referees that I e-mailed Ms. Kamimura for the first time. Because I regarded her language school trustworthy for the quality education, I was sure that I could believe the director as well. Hence, I honestly told her that, as a housewife, I had no teaching career but only as a TA in her Language Center, and I waited for her reply. Amazingly, she gave me back a thoughtful mail with a personal message that she was also once a stay-at-home mom. She mentioned that she had sent multiple applications for college positions when all her children grew up. Eventually, she was accepted as an assistant professor of The New School. Her age was over fifty then, so she told me not to worry about my age. I was deeply moved by her story and I sent my application to Nagoya International School (NIS).
As a result, I bravely started my teaching career at NIS just before I turned fifty. If it had not been for her encouragement, I would not have applied for a teaching position. Thus, I am grateful for the considerate e-mails from Ms. Kamimura, which influenced me to seize my own career.
Here is more of her perspectives on language learning in a global society. She gave me another extra support this month (August, 2019) by kindly introducing me this site when I asked her permission to upload this essay. Please click the link below.
https://www.iibc-global.org/ghrd/frontline/02.html
The Teacher I Want to Become
Three significant events I recalled through the course taught me what teacher I would like to become. At the end of the course, I can define the teacher by their features: to respect every person, to explicitly tell what is wrong, and to support others one step further than regular interaction. These can be paraphrased by technical terms in learner autonomy, which are being a facilitator, a role model, and a moderator.
First, my significant learning from Ms. Grey was that a teacher’s attitude can deliver an essential idea to students, though it may take decades for them to notice. She did not explicitly talk about her idea of respecting each other but she showed me how by treating people in minority groups the same. Since a role model is a person who teach by being oneself, I witnessed the one at the age of seven and I was influenced by the one when I grew up.
Second, my significant teaching event to bring a student on a right track happened when he committed plagiarism. He bravely chose to stop copying after we talked explicitly of what was wrong. He also understood why it was wrong. Two years later when he found me and reported me his successful job hunting, I could tell that my choice of explaining him and offering him chance to start again improved his awareness of plagiarism as well as his responsibility. Thanks to this event, I found myself being a moderator who guided him toward success.
Third, my language school director influenced me by being extra supportive on my request to become my referee. She taught me by her action that being thoughtful to others can encourage people. Her personal history she timely told me motivated me to continue applying for a career I pursue. A great facilitator as she was, assisted me toward my goal.
In conclusion, my elementary school teacher was a role model who allowed me to reflect on her attitude after forty years. My former student rewarded me after two years by showing that I had been a moderator for him. My language school director facilitated me by encouragement that affectively strengthened my motivation. All three people eventually cheered me up to go higher to become respectful to others, to bring them from off track, and to offer extra support. Thus, the teacher I want to become turned out to have the three features that enhance learner autonomy.
August, 29, 2019