I LOVE MY NEW SCHOOL!

First I want to apologize for not posting on my blog much these first couple of weeks. It has been a bit crazy and I will try to do better. 

Here is a link to the website for The American School In Japan. If you click on Early Learning Center on the right side you can see where I will be working. :)

http://www.asij.ac.jp/

This past week was spent getting oriented with my new job and school.  All I can say is that I am so beyond blessed to be here because The American School in Japan is an AMAZING school and here are the reasons why:

1)      Location – Tokyo is a great city and Japan is a beautiful country

2)      No TEKS or Common Core

3)      Not a single session or meeting about data, scoring, evaluations, ratings, etc…

4)      Having a school director who is incredibly kind and amazing and who will teach me all sorts of things and the campus I am at is small enough that she can take the time to be involved with the teachers and students

5)      Awesome pay and benefits

6)      Meeting teachers from around the world and who have taught around the world and learning new amazing strategies that we don’t use in the USA

7)      Class size limit of 18 with a full time assistant

8)      Large classroom budget so I don’t need to spend my own money on needed supplies

9)      I am in a school that not only encourages creativity but requires it

10)   Observations by higher ups are not part of the teacher evaluation system

11)   You get to pick professional development sessions to attend that are in international locations

12)   Being with teachers who actually share and collaborate effectively – no time wasted

13)   Having children in an age appropriate environment where they get to create and play as part of learning

14)   Having a noisy and active classroom is encouraged and expected

15)   Failure is not a bad thing because we can learn through it and it can be a motivating force to continue to learn and it can build resilience

16)  We have special visits from various authors and artists such as Rosemary Wells and Yo-Yo Ma

17)   No filters on the internet for teachers and students and appropriate consequences for those who can’t handle that responsibility

18)   Being treated like a responsible professional instead of being micromanaged

 And last of all I want to say that the Head of School is an amazing man and I am extremely impressed with his attitude towards education and his openness and willingness to help and also listen to new ideas. During our meeting the other day he ended his presentation by presenting a movie clip from Dead Poets Society (in part to remember the great Robin Williams who passed away this week) to remind us to not be like the red headed guy in the classroom. I have attached the link to the clip below so you can recall this scene. It was made clear to us teachers that we are to be like this professor in allowing students opportunities to think and grow and it is okay and expected to NOT be rigid and exact in all things. So I guess I want to pass that idea on to my fellow teachers as this school year begins. Stand up for originality and for outside the box thinking. Stand up for creativity and excellence. Stand up for what an education should be instead of becoming a slave to unnecessary assessments and practices. I am so grateful to be in a place and at a school that is much more aligned with my own educational philosophy.