1. Our Main Mission: Helping Kids Find Themselves
As educators, our job is not just to teach knowledge. Our job is to create an environment where children can discover who they are, learn how to relate to others, and grow into active members of the community.
2. The Learning Environment: A Place for Growth
The place where kids learn should be:
*Safe and welcoming — A place where kids feel loved, understood, and trusted.
*Structured but flexible — A place with clear rules, but also freedom to explore within those rules.
*Community-minded — A place where kids learn that learning is not only for themselves, but for others too. (When kids learn to think of others, they grow as people.)
3. What Kids Should Learn First: The Foundation Before School Subjects
A. Knowing Themselves and Managing Emotions
**Many kids struggle because they can’t handle their emotions like fear, indecision, and frustration.
**Before we teach school subjects, we need to help kids recognize and manage their feelings.
**For example: How to say “no” without anger, or how to deal with the fear of making mistakes.
B. Basic Relationship Skills: Trust and Manners
***Trust comes first — before real learning can begin.
***We should teach and show kids basic manners: Politeness, Respect for others, Give and take — learning not to be selfish, but to think about others too. (Teachers’ first job is to help kids build these basics so they can learn smoothly and happily.)
4. How to Approach Kids: Step by Step
Step 1: Build Relationships First — Not Teaching, Not Pity
*Do not start with teaching academic content or skills.
*Do not start with pity — feeling sorry for them doesn’t help them grow.
*First, get to know each child:
- *Who are they?
- *What do they love?
- *What are they struggling with?
Step 2: Clear Topic and Goal
**Always have a topic and clear purpose for what you want the child to learn.
**Example: “Today, we are learning how to ask for help politely.”
Step 3: Tailored but Balanced Approach
***Customize the learning to each child’s level and needs.
***But do not over-customize — students need to adjust to others, learn common rules, and build trust in community.
***Too much individualization can prevent them from learning social adaptability.
Overemphasizing one student and using too many customized teaching approaches are common tendencies among educators. But we need to decide and remind ourselves that it’s not about us — it’s about the students. That’s why we should focus on what is best and consistent in the long run. Choosing one or two consistent approaches will help create a stable environment for students.
5. What to Do First: Before Teaching School Subjects
*Let kids experience being:
*Loved — by showing care and attention.
*Understood — by really listening to them.
*Trusted — by giving them small responsibilities.
Teach kids basic life lessons: “You don’t know everything — and that’s okay.” “If you’re not sure, ask an adult — that’s how we learn safely.”
(Too much praise, kindness, or understanding may stop kids from growing. Teachers need to know their role, use appropriate authority, and balance kindness with leadership. Working together with kids as a team is the best way in today’s world.)
6. Understanding Japanese Cultural Context: Authority for Growth
*Kindness and consideration are seen everywhere in Japan, but keep in mind that they are often part of marketing and business practices.
*In education, we must use appropriate authority and leadership to help students:
*Know themselves.
*Build healthy self-esteem.
Authority does not mean controlling kids — it means guiding them so they can grow.
(Teachers are also learners. We keep learning how to be better teachers, which means sometimes correcting and teaching kids firmly when needed.)
7. Final Thoughts: Learning and Growing Together
*Learning is something we do together — as a community.
*Our goal is not just to raise smart kids, but kids who are kind, respectful, and able to live well in society.
*Be patient — real growth takes time, trust, and steady support.