Tokyo Weekender - February 2017

Creating
Global Leaders
How Aoba-Japan International School (A-JIS) is introducing
unique methods to help build communities and prepare
children for success and happiness in an unknown future
As the world moves towards an
increasingly uncertain future,
helping learners become
empowered problem solvers
and innovators is essential. To that end,
Aoba-Japan International School (A-JIS),
is paving the way for a unique approach to
education. We chat with the school’s Secondary
Principal, Robert Thorn, and the Director
of Aoba-Japan Extension (AJE), Greg
Culos, who is responsible for community
and external programs, to find out more.
HOW DID AOBA’S DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO EDUCATION EVOLVE?
Robert: Many schools have mission statements
with big ideas, such as making an
impact on the world one day. We said, “Why
can’t we do that now?” We began to ask
ourselves, and the kids: “What is the point
of education?” The kids came up with things
like, “It’s to prepare us for success and happiness
in an unknown future.”
THAT’S INSIGHTFUL COMING FROM
SCHOOLKIDS…
Robert: Exactly. We took time to reflect
together on that. We then looked at how a
school and an education system can do this;
how does a learner go into an unknown
future and come out happy and successful?
To this end, we have learners
examine positive and negative
aspects of school. They look at the
relationship between teachers
and learners and, through
discussion and exploration,
propose how positive change
can be made. They begin to
see how to make changes in
their communities.
Greg: AJE was designed
with the notion that we create
opportunities for our
kids to become inspired to
learn about, in particular,
things that inspire them.
It’s a simple notion, but
it breeds relevancy.
Consequently, we strive to
ensure that AJE programs
are experiential first.
WE CREATE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
LEARNERS TO BE SOCIAL
ENTREPRENEURS
IN THEIR LIVES
Robert: We give more time to the topic of
global leadership than we do to the traditionally
important subjects, with the notion
that better holistic learners will learn content
knowledge better, and apply it better.
SO GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IS PART OF
THE CURRICULUM?
Robert: Yes, teachers challenge learners
about certain topics, and set up opportunities
for them to practice leadership and
coaching skills. The idea is to nurture
critical approaches to understanding
expected norms and behaviors, and to
generate learner-led forums and actions in
which they can present, test, question, and
perhaps modify notions regarding “global
leadership”: What is entrepreneurial spirit?
What defines a happy family life? What
is success? What am I doing now to bring
positive change to our community?
Greg: We may provide controlled situations
that can lead to conflict in life, and then
problem-solve those issues with others in a
responsible way. So, they become attuned
to the roots of what causes problems in life
and how those instances may be managed.
Robert: In many schools you get teachers
who love the subject they teach, but half
the kids they teach think of it as a waste of
time. Wouldn’t it be better if young people
understand that they’re going into any
classroom to become better learners and
leaders – and that this outcome is possible
even within the context of any subject?
HOW DO YOU EMPOWER THE
TEACHERS?
Robert: A good example is a course our
teachers took with Professor Philippe
Rosinski, who developed a system called
Global Coaching. His approach leads to a
more rounded coach. That said, we also
realized that, as teachers, we’re only just
learning these skills, so we thought, let’s go
on a journey with the kids. In this way, we
are helping to build our community and
relations between educators and learners
that empower both to develop the other.
HOW ELSE ARE YOU HELPING TO
BUILD COMMUNITY?
Robert: To be social entrepreneurs, you first
have to understand your impact on society. So
we’re collaborating with local schools. One of
the events we’re trying to organize is getting
teenagers and retired people to come
together to make things – anything from
conversation to calligraphy.
Greg: Families in Japan reach out
to international schools to provide
their children with learning
paths that are otherwise not
available to them: creativity,
independence, and critical
thinking being among those.
Both our mainstream and
AJE programs offer these
experiences. We also host
more and more international
students seeking
the same opportunities
to discover the world in
different ways. As a result,
all participants can experience
authentic instances of
socio-cultural difference.
More info at www.japaninternationalschool.com
40 | FEBRUARY 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER