Every teacher has a story to tell.

Every teacher is different.

Every teacher has their own story to tell.

What is your story and how do you define your teacher identity?

The teacher identity we talk here is not stereotypical images of teachers nor social and cultural expectations of how a teacher should be. Instead, it is the professional identity teachers define by themselves based on their real life experiences and values.

No one else other than you has the same journey to become a teacher.

Each teacher has their own story to tell and there are as many stories in Japan as there are teachers in Japan.

If you are a teacher reading this, you are one of them.

Sometimes, teachers in Japan are described in a monolithic manner with less power to make an impact on education. However, teachers of Japan are much more diverse in nature and have full of possibilities for better changes.

Let us once again shed lights on our potential, our values, and our teacher identity that WE define.

About Us

What kind of teacher do you think you are? Why?

Being aware of their own educational values and self-awareness is one of the important teacher qualities.

By reflecting the path and experiences that led you find your educational values, you will not only be able to clarify what you want to convey to your students in your daily lessons, but you will also be able to think more clearly about what changes are needed to achieve your educational goals.

It may not be easy especially in Japan with tremendously busy working schedules, and in the peculiar teacher culture that hardly provide an opportunity to ask your individual self as a teacher.

This website invites you and share your stories about your "teacher identity" from teachers who are involved in Japanese education regardless of school type, age, background, gender, race or nationality.

Let's get more people to know about our real teacher life and share more diverse values so that we can think together about a better education.

Our Missions

Share diverse teacher stories in Japan and beyond
Reconsider teacher identities of Japan
Support innovation from the field
Build a new network

Latest stories

January 2022

Start questioning common sense - Everything is right and everything is wrong

Twice as a teacher, I have come to a turning point to change my outlook on education, values, and outlook on life.

The first time I met a person. I was the director of the baseball club at that time, and I always think about results. If a player makes a mistake, he gets angry, and if he loses the game, he gets sullen. If you play well, you will be complimented, and if you win the game, you will be in a good mood. The practice menu is a copy and paste of the menu that a strong school is doing. I was satisfied with practicing until I was exhausted for a long time, and I think I did not give any grounded guidance.

READ

June 2021

Vision and Hard Work

Keep going, and you will eventually get there.

This is what I would like to write about.

First of all, let me look back to when I was in high school. Unfortunately, I wasn't a diligent student. I didn't participate in any club activities, and I didn't put much effort into my studies. I would go home, sleep, eat, and go to school again the same way the next day. It was very disappointing. I cheekily thought that it didn't matter whether I did or didn't study, and that I didn't feel the need to study. As I entered my senior year of high school and started to prepare for the entrance examinations, I was trying to study to a certain extent, but it was clear that I was feeling tentative.

READ

April 2021

Keep Challenging

This is what I want to teach my students, and this is also a reminder for myself as a teacher. Sports and exercises have been the key components that connect me with my students as a teacher of physical education. Especially sports are useful to teach the importance of the challenge. I hope that students become able to appreciate the “changes” through a series of challenges they chose to make in their lives.

Ever since I was a junior high school student, I had a vague idea that I wanted to be a teacher in the future.

READ