Fumie Hirayama: This is with Ms Valerie, she is the senior teacher at Mirai. We would like to ask her about Mirai’s English Education. Thank you for joining today.

Ms Valerie: Yes, of course, no problem. 

Fumie Hirayama: So first of all, could you introduce yourself to the readers? 

Ms Valerie: Yes, so I’m Ms Valerie. I've been working here for two and a half years now and currently I teach the age group from four to five years old. I've actually taught three to four as well and the five to six year olds.

Fumie Hirayama:  So you have taught a wide range of age groups. You taught Clover (3-4 years old) last year, and you are teaching the same students, Daisy (4-5 years old) now. I think you have both benefit and challenge having the same students two years in a row. 

Ms Valerie: Actually, I thought it would be a lot more challenging for me. But because I see them on a daily basis and I'm seeing their progress gradually. I know where I can challenge them a bit or where I need to step back and be a little more simpler with lessons but also because that relationship is built. I think there's trust there and it's easier for them to receive what I'm trying to teach and I think it's been a really good experience for both myself and them.

Fumie Hirayama: One of the importance of English education is building a good relationship with the students because we are teaching a language so we should create a comfortable environment where students can naturally talk.  And you mentioned that you didn’t need to focus on that factor when you started teaching the same group this year. I think we are doing a good job. 

Ms Valerie:  Yeah, sometimes it amazes me the things they say so I'm even proud of myself. Just seeing the result of how the students are speaking so much. Sometimes they don't wanna stop speaking, which is not a bad thing, but sometimes I can't even get through instructions. In that case, I just sit down and let them talk because again at the end of the day, it's about them speaking English and feeling comfortable and trying to challenge themselves. So it's all just great seeing it happen like this. 

Fumie Hirayama: You make a very comfortable atmosphere and we try to boost their confidence,  at the same time it’s important to have some certain structure to introduce new ideas, vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing and so on. Our idea about English education at Mirai is not teaching English, it’s “teach in English”. Could you tell us about what kind of subject you teach at each level? 

Here’s a polished version of Ms. Valerie's statements:

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Ms. Valerie: At Mirai, we have circle time and theme activities based on our monthly calendar, which we break down into weekly segments. We cover a variety of subjects, including math, science, computer science, art, and some sight words. 

One area that the students particularly enjoy is science. Activities like making slime or creating volcanoes often lead to exciting chemical reactions, and I find that these moments encourage them to speak the most English. Their excitement brings out questions like, “What’s going on?” 

Theme activities are also fantastic because they provide a lot of freedom for exploration. While we have a central theme to refer back to, the options are endless. For instance, one day we might focus on an art activity, and the students often engage with it enthusiastically. 

Ultimately, when the students are excited and enjoying what they’re doing, they feel more comfortable speaking English. I always encourage them by saying, “I don’t know Japanese; you all need to tell me in English! I want to understand what you’re saying.” They grasp this concept and try their best to express themselves to me. It’s a great balance: if they want to engage in fun activities, they need to communicate with me. This dynamic really helps to foster their language skills.

Fumie Hirayama: So you mentioned theme activity, What kind of themes do we have and how do you teach them at Mirai?

Ms Valerie:

We often have monthly themes that guide our lessons and activities. For example, if our monthly theme is "Animals," we might break it down into weekly focuses, like reptiles one week, ocean animals the next, and farm animals another.

Recently, our theme was "Our Body," and one week, we focused on "Illnesses and Hospitals." A memorable activity from that theme was teaching the children about germs. I used glitter to represent germs by rubbing it on my hands and showing how easily they spread. Then, I only washed my hands with water and showed the children that the "germs" were still there. I then asked the children, "What should I do to get rid of the germs?" They enthusiastically guided me, saying, "You need to rub your hands, use soap, and wash for 30 seconds." After following their advice and washing properly, I showed them how my hands were clean.

We did this activity right before snack time, and it was great to see the impact it had. The kids were taking extra time at the sink, counting to 30 while scrubbing their hands thoroughly. It showed they really understood the concept of cleanliness.

Fumie Hirayama:  That sounds like a very engaging way to teach an important lesson! 

Ms Valerie:  Yes, having a theme helps us cover concepts in a way that’s more about understanding than just memorizing vocabulary or sentence structures. It allows the children to see things from a wider perspective and apply what they’ve learned in real-life situations.

Fumie Hirayama: When teaching vocabulary, especially new concepts like "germs," how do you introduce these ideas to your students? How do you ensure they understand what germs are?

Ms. Valerie: I usually try to start off by having a conversation about the topic, I’ll ask something like, "Who knows what germs are?" This helps me gauge their existing knowledge. Then, I often use a picture to help them visualize the concept. After that, we discuss it further, and I might reinforce the idea with a video. So that's how I teach vocabulary. I integrate vocabulary into the conversation naturally, rather than making it the sole focus. Sometimes, I’ll add a bit of rhythm or emphasis to certain words, like "germs," to make them more memorable for the students. So, it's fun and cooler. But again, it's not my main objective to have them be able to pronounce it correctly and just know the word. Again,it's all about the concept. So it's nice to know the words. So hopefully they can navigate sentences better. But again Concepts.

Fumie Hirayama:  One of our goals is to foster critical thinking in our students. Earlier, you mentioned encouraging students to think when you discussed germs on their hands. How do you introduce or teach students to think critically in other situations?

Ms Valerie: I try to implement it in all areas of the class. For example, if the student is doing something that's not so safe,  I will ask “Is that safe or dangerous?” Having questions like that help the students consider their actions.Even with something as simple as eating during the lunch or snack time, I might ask, “Is it yummy or not yummy?” These questions are introduced casually, so students are constantly encouraged to think critically.

So, it doesn't have to just be when I'm trying to teach them. It could be as simple as when they're preparing for lunch. I might ask, "Should I be fast or slow? Should I hurry or take my time?" Through these interactions, they learn about consequences and everyday decision-making. Our aim is to help them become well-rounded individuals. I often discuss the concept of time with them, especially here in Japan where, if you miss the train, it won't wait for you. I teach them, "Your time is getting shorter. If you’re okay with being late, that’s your choice, but think about the consequences."

Fumie Hirayama: 

That sounds really interesting. You're incorporating a lot of real-life experiences, which is crucial since we're teaching English in the classroom. It can be challenging for the students to imagine how they’ll use English in real-life situations. Are there specific ways you're trying to make their learning experiences more authentic? 

Ms Valerie: So authentically I think for me I'm very humorous and I like to be laid back with the kids. I’m not saying that we're like best friends, but I want them to feel comfortable enough and not see me as a strict teacher. I mean, yes, they should be respectful because I want them to succeed but I also want our relationship to be such that they can relax and enjoy learning with me. And I would like other teachers to have those kind of relationships with their students.

 I think that's also coming from my real life experience, especially, I'm from California. My family's background is from Haiti, so I am introducing different cultures as well. Something that's important and especially being in Japan, where  the population is  over 90 percent homogeneous. So I want them to be aware of different ways of doing things. There isn’t always a single "correct" way, but as long as they are kind and true to themselves, that’s what matters most.

When it comes to bringing real-life experiences into the classroom, I keep things casual and natural, as if they were my little brothers or sisters. This helps them see English not just as a subject, but as a tool they can use in their everyday lives.

Fumie Hirayama: 

I completely agree with your approach. In Montessori program, it places a strong emphasis on using authentic materials, just like we aim to use natural and authentic English in our language instruction. By introducing real-life experiences and genuine cultural elements, we're not only teaching the language but also helping the students to connect with it in a meaningful and practical way. 

 Ms Valerie: It's interesting because one of my students actually inspired me to introduce older music to everyone. I was hesitant at first, thinking they might prefer more pop music. But this student kept requesting songs like "I want to hear Michael Jackson" or "Play 'September' by Earth, Wind & Fire," and I was like, how do you even know this music? It's from before my time!

So I thought, this is good—let’s incorporate old music. It’s amazing to see how it brings out the best in the kids, especially in the way they dance. I'm sure you've seen my phonics activity where they dance to the music, and when the music stops, they read a word. It’s such a fun way for them to learn, and at the same time, they're getting introduced to classic, worldly music.

I think it’s all about making them well-rounded students, and I’m so glad they enjoy it!

Fumie Hirayama: That’s such a good story and It’s really interesting that the student influenced and encourage you to have authentic music in class. I admire your flexibility as well.

I would like to move onto talking about subjects you teach in English time. One of the main subject we teach in English time is computer science, which the parents are really interested in since it’s a new program. While English instruction is something they can easily envision, computer science taught in English is a bit more abstract for them. Could you explain what computer science entails in our curriculum and how students are engaging with it? Specifically, what kinds of apps or tools are you using, and how are the students learning through them?"

Ms. Valerie:

 In our Daisy classes, especially for ages four to five, we focus on using Scratch Junior for computer science. While the Clover class uses it too, their approach is more basic, primarily centered on learning how to drag and drop—just the foundational concepts of computer science. In the Daisy level, we take it further. The students learn how to change backgrounds, add text, and code actions for their characters. 

For example, we've been practicing English by writing sentences like "I can jump." After writing the text, they create a character and code it to perform the action—like jumping, spinning, or hopping. They can also change backgrounds and have different characters execute various commands. There’s so much they can explore in computer science! 

Honestly, I’m learning alongside them because computer science is relatively new to me as well. I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed at first, but it’s been a lot of fun, and I think the kids really enjoy experimenting with different features. One aspect they're particularly excited about is adding voice commands. The program allows for creating characters and designing backgrounds—it's quite complex, but we're discovering it together. The kids look forward to these sessions, and it’s definitely a valuable program.

Another program we introduce towards the end of Daisy is Lego WeDo, which is incredibly fun for the students. I had a great time doing it with the Aster class. Lego itself is exciting, and Lego WeDo provides a step-by-step breakdown for building specific projects, like a snail or a recycling dump truck. The main objective is to follow the instructions closely, as any mistake can prevent it from functioning correctly. 

What’s really cool about Lego WeDo is that once the project is built correctly, you can program it to move or perform specific actions. It’s essentially like creating little robots! It’s fascinating to see, especially considering we live in a world where self-driving cars are becoming a reality. We need to equip the kids with the skills to keep up with these advancements.

Fumie Hirayama: Computer science is a completely new subject for us all, too. When you were little, this kind of subject didn’t exist. I believe it’s beneficial for children to learn coding and problem-solving from a young age. 

Ms. Valerie: Absolutely! It’s all really cool, and the students love it. We're cultivating the next generation of scientists and professionals in various fields, so it’s fantastic that they’re learning these skills here at Mirai.

Fumie Hirayama:

You’ve been in Japan for quite a long time teaching English to mainly Japanese children. In your opinion, do you find any difficulties or challenges for Japanese students learning English?

Ms. Valerie: 

Yes, I think the hardest part for most students is the sentence structure. English has a different order for subjects and verbs, which can be confusing. However, even if their sentences aren't structured perfectly, I find that students can still express themselves well enough for me to understand them. So, for teachers, it’s about being patient and helping them gradually correct their mistakes. 

Having been in Japan for three and a half years, I can relate to their challenges. I still struggle with Japanese sentence structure myself, so I understand how they feel. The kids often find the sentence order difficult, but the rest tends to come naturally, especially if they’re motivated to speak English. So, it really boils down to mastering sentence structure.

Fumie Hirayama: 

When your students make grammatical errors in speech, how do you correct them?

Ms. Valerie: 

I use a soft correction method. I try to rephrase what they say in the correct order or have them practice saying it again. 

Fumie Hirayama: I recently heard one of the students say, “No mummy come?”

Ms. Valerie: 

Yes, I would respond with something like, “My mommy isn't here.” That way, I softly correct them. Over time, if they keep hearing the correct structure, they begin to use it themselves. For instance, Taise has made incredible progress since he started. With patience and consistent gentle corrections, he’s improved a lot. It’s really about being patient and gentle. We don’t want to drill it into them, as that would take away the fun of learning.

Fumie Hirayama: I think this will be the last question. What do you enjoy the most about being a teacher?

Ms. Valerie:Honestly, I love laughing with the kids. They often say the funniest things! Just recently, one student was talking about fire safety and mentioned that smoke smells like "marshmallows." At first, I thought, "What?" But then I realized he might have been thinking about burnt s'mores from his camping trip. 

It’s those small moments of laughter that make teaching special. The kids are so goofy, and when I make mistakes, they laugh, which creates a wonderful bonding experience. Building relationships and sharing those lighthearted moments is the most rewarding part of being a teacher.

Fumie Hirayama: That was very fun. Thank you so much!