I'd never been abroad.  I hadn’t even been further than the southern part of Australia.

I have loved every minute of this country since the moment I arrived and I believe this company has a lot to do with that.  I had applied for many English teaching jobs whilst still in Australia.  At the time, the thing that appealed to me most about Kohgakusha was that it was a small, friendly company, with a fun and interesting style of teaching.

The most satisfying thing about being a language teacher is that the more you teach, the better you teach, and the more your kids learn determines how well you get to know your students.  Being a language teacher is also satisfying because not only are you teaching them your language, but also your culture.  I wanted to teach English literature and History because these things interest me.  By teaching English as a language, I have an opportunity to talk about these interests in my high school and adult classes whilst also learning about their interests.  For me, the most important thing is seeing my students happy because I know if they are happy, then they will want to learn.  This is my prime aim for every class and I hope I never lose sight of that.

Living and working in Japan has been amazing.  It’s no secret that the work systems of Japan and Australia- and I’m sure England and America- are completely different.  Having all been in the workforce of whatever country we come from, we are more than aware of the rights and responsibilities we are used to and the differences here in Japan.  Dealing with our expectations and demands cannot be easy, but I think here at Kohgakusha, we are lucky in that the type of working conditions we are used to in our native countries has been considered and somewhat incorporated into our working situations here.

I had only planned to be in Japan for a couple of years and then move on to the next exciting adventure.  However, the longer I am here, the more comfortable I am becoming and the plans for my future become more and more Japan related.