International Educators to Japan 2002

“Please think our relationship as a good one”

Pamela Butler

This greeting symbolizes my visit to Japan.

My relationships with everyone I came in contact with were always positive. I have traveled many places in the world and have never met a more well-mannered and gentle culture. My two weeks in Japan was truly one of the special times in my life.　

Many of you may not know but I am Director of Westchester Academy for International Studies預 two-year-old district sponsored charter school in Spring Branch Independent School District. We are a 6-12 campus focused on integrating curriculum and international studies such as world geography, history, languages as well as analyzing current global issues related to economics, crisis and conflict.　

Therefore my invitation to travel to Japan for two weeks on the International educators to Japan program was a gift to me as well as my students. I had an exceptional opportunity to experience your unique culture and learn about your educational system. My experiences there will provide me opportunities to share my knowledge with colleagues and students. I am investigating the possibility of offering a course in the Japanese language and will incorporate my learnings into our World Geography curriculum. I also understand the issues facing Japanese expatriates.　

Our school in SBISD is also the host site for the Japanese Saturday school in the Houston area. I am working on plans to create an authentic Japanese garden on our campus for all the Japanese families to enjoy!　

My trip to Japan began in Houston on July 3^rd with a twelve-hour flight to the Tokyo Narita airport. I experienced “soba noodles” for the first time as part of our dinner meal on the flight.　

Upon arriving at Narita airport, I was graciously greeted by a representative of the Kintetsu International travel agency who put me on an airport limousine bus to the Tokyo Capital Hotel in the political district of Tokyo. I was intrigued by the big city, obvious dense population and futuristic look of the city. I spent the afternoon that first day trying to stay awake until “bedtime” in order to get over the effects of “jet lag”.

I awoke the next morning and met our group of 42 educators in the lobby of the hotel. We greeted one another and discussed our excitement and what an honor it was to have the experience of traveling to Japan as part of the International Educators group. We walked a short distance to JETRO headquarters and learned the purpose of our visit to Japan. The purpose was to say “thank you” for educating Japanese students abroad and to understand the educational system as well as the issues facing Japanese expatriates upon their return to Japan. We also had a fun lesson in “Survival Japanese” which proved to be very beneficial to me over the next two weeks.　

We stayed in Tokyo for six exceptional days. I visited the Nishimachi International School and met with expatriate parents and teachers. We had a wonderful exchange of ideas and answered questions asked by two Japanese mothers about how to prepare Japanese students for the American educational system.　

Our group also visited the Tokyo Gakugei University school預 school for Japanese students that have lived abroad. This school was very interesting because it was a “lab” school for the university and quite innovative in its approach to schooling.　

In addition to visiting schools, our group toured various sites such as the Edo-Tokyo museum, temples, shrines, the Sony headquarters, “Media World” and NTT DoCoMo Magic World. Small groups of us ventured out on our own during free time and used the subway to visit various parts of Tokyo庸ish markets, Ginza, technology area, “Young peoples” area and more.

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皆様もご存知のとおり、ヒューストン日本商工会では、ヒューストンの学校から毎年、先生お一人を日本に招待しております。　このプログラムは、在米日系企業の駐在員の子弟を受け入れている現地公立学校の先生方への感謝と、対日理解を深めていただくことを目的として、日本商工会（ＪＢＡ）が費用を負担し、主にＥＳＬの先生を毎年日本に招待するというもので、日本国内での受け入れとお世話をジェトロが担当しております。

　招待される先生は国内での約２週間の滞在中、小中学校を訪問，欧米流のデモ授業を、給食を生徒と食べ、帰国した昔の教え子と再会し、また進出日系企業本社の人事担当者との意見交換を行います。その他に、地方でのホームステイを体験し、京都訪問等日本の文化、歴史、人々との出会いも経験します。

これは、19７5年6月海外子女教育をサポートするために米国ロサンゼルスで誕生した"ＵＳ Teachers to Japan Program"がその前身で、ロサンゼルスの先生10名を日本に招待することから始まりました。　その後、このプログラムはその後米国各地に広がり、現在では米国、カナダ、英国、オランダの１５都市が参加するまでに成長しました。名称も内容にふさわしい“International Educators to Japan”と変わりました。

　過去27年間にこのプログラムに参加した教育者は延べ７９８人になっております。参加した先生のほとんどは初来日であり、帰国後、ほとんどの先生が“親日家”として、日本で受けた貴重な異文化体験を大切に各地域の教育現場で活躍しています。