Kristian Moretto, PEG Division from Australia
In 2002 I met with the interview team in Brisbane where I was freely allowed to express my desires, opinions, and feelings. This gave me the sense that with this company I would be able to achieve many great things because the doors were open for its members to excel in self development of their skills. Since then I still find this to be true.
I began teaching which I thoroughly enjoyed, especially with our younger students. Seeing them learn new language and cultural skills through our teaching system gave me the pleasure and the conviction that I would like to continually be involved with children's education. Kohgakusha once again opened the doors for me to both teach and be a part of our student's lives.
After progressing to the position of senior-teacher of a formidably sized school I began to engage in system development within the school and the results were noticed in many areas.
Today, I still thank Kohgakusha for opportunity and freedom to express and apply myself in the development of this company and I hope that many may benefit from these works.
Reneka Sakashita, PEG Division from USA
Although I was interested in teaching children when I first came to Japan, I took a job teaching English to businesspeople. Having a degree in Economics and a little business experience, I thought this was the most logical choice. Although I enjoyed my work, I eventually decided that I wanted my work to make a difference. Therefore, when I decided to look for a new job, I was initially drawn to Kohgakusha because of its various charitable programs. At first, the transition was difficult because most of the classes I had been teaching consisted of detailed grammatical explanations, and discussion on business-related topics. Needless to say, this was not great training for facing a room full of five year olds. But I worked hard and with the support of my colleagues I quickly made the transition. Now, the real attraction in working for this company is in my classroom. Not only do I get to see my students grow and develop into smarter better people, but every day they also teach me something new and I in turn become a little bit better. Though I have only worked for Kohgakusha for two years, I can honestly say that I love my job and I still wake up every morning fresh and excited to go to work and teach my students.
Ana Sakiyama, SCA Division from the Philippines
I believe learning English is a start line for international communications and so, I choose to work at Kohgakusha to serve as a bridge for Japanese kids to learn, speak and join the "world of English".
It is a big challenge for me to live and settle in Japan. I’ve been here for fifteen years and had worked at different companies, schools and universities. Now I’ve finally decided what I wanted to do. It’s a teaching job at Kohgakusha. At SCA division, our focus is more on input method from infancy to nearly ten years old. Its theories emphasize on the child’s right brain stimulations and development. Right brain is the source of the psyche which opens the images and futures. For input methods, I start from greetings and usually do the image training, ESP (extra sensory perception) and use sets of flashcards. I also dance and sing with the children, which is my favorite part of my lesson. We read books and do some worksheets. Each lesson last for fifty minutes, sometimes it is extended chatting with Moms and kids.
Working at SCA division is really fun and like to be challenged. What I really loved to see is when the students are enjoying the lesson. I’m so happy when the kids (especially the babies) start talking and say to me the words “Hello” and “Good morning”.
Kohgakusha offers many opportunities to meet, learn and teach. This job has given me great satisfaction in what I do, as I can see results of my work everyday. Therefore, I’m proud to be part of Kohgakusha, SCA division.
Stephen Barrett, PRI Division from USA
Since starting at Kohgakusha I have learned a lot about teaching and children. My fellow coworkers have been a great source of encouragement and help since my start here.
Teaching in the classroom has been quite fun. Also, being prepared with something new and exciting for my students keeps me sharp. At Kohgakusha I have had various opportunities to develop my leadership skills. Going on trips and to camps with the kids has created opportunities to develop valuable leadership and planning skills.
I have had many magical memories at Kohgakusha: from nights out with the staff, to seminars and workshops with my fellow teachers. At Kohgakusha we are continually refining our methods and adding creative ways to teach English to children. It has been a great experience for me.
Chris Henry, ELC Division from UK
I've lived in Japan for 3 years and have recently started working for Kohgakusha. Everyday I visit a different Kindergarten and teach kids from 3-6 years old! I really enjoy my job. The kids are very cute and funny.
I went for an interview, met the Japanese manager and talked about my experience and attitude towards teaching kids. Straight away, I got the feeling of a relaxed environment and a company that looked after its teachers, as well as its students. I was invited to watch a teacher teach the morning class and it was so much fun! It was nothing like working in an English Language school. You basically are the highlight of their day! You play games and teach for around 30 minutes per class and the kids are sad to see you leave. This job is definitely rewarding and, you get out what you put in! The more fun you have with the kids, the more they love you.
Kohgakusha has gone out its way to help me out in difficult situations. If you have any problems they try their hardest to assist you and I am thankful they have! If I didn't have their support, then I could safely say my time and fun in Japan would be over!
