Educator
Learn about CGK faculty, staff and our international community of educators
In school education, it is certainly very important to have an excellent staff of teachers and a high-quality curriculum, but it is also very important to improve and develop the staff community within the school. This is not just about improving salaries and other benefits, but about building a community that provides a foundation for teachers and staff. They are daily on the front lines with students and parents and need to work wisely within the school organization, gaining a sense of fulfilment with the knowledge that each and every one of them is valued.
Educators are also lifelong learners who are in a position to constantly practice input and output. In the world of education, where there are no "right" answers, it is educators who can improve each other through an exchange of opinions, which is why it is important to have a community not just within the school, but also a larger community that connects with educators from outside the school.
CGK International School will continue to focus on improving and developing such a community of educators.
Professional Development Training for CGK Teachers
In addition to training provided by external organizations, at CGK we also have teacher-training activities within the school.
The IB Workshop
As CGK is an International Baccalaureate (IB) PYP candidate school, all IB PYP teachers attend the official workshops offered by the IB Organization. These workshops, like the IB curriculum, are interactive, so the teachers that attend are active, not passive, participants, enabling them to learn the material in depth.
Besides these workshops, our IB PYP coordinator also conducts in-school workshops. This helps teachers to deepen their understanding of the IB and put its methods into practice.
Exchanges and Workshops with Other IB Schools
One of the benefits of becoming an IB World School is the opportunity to interact and learn together with other IB schools. There are many IB schools in the Kanto region, many of which have a very long history, and we are actively involved in meetings, visits and workshops with these international schools, giving us all the opportunity to grow together.
Nursery Teacher (Hoikushi) Training
There are many training courses available, including free training provided by public institutions and fee-based training offered by other organizations. OUr staff are happy to attend as long as these courses are beneficial for improving their daily childcare and school operations. The preschool teachers work diligently every day to care for their students and all of them have a very positive attitude towards solving their own challenges and improving their knowledge and abilities. These kind of training courses are generally only held in Japanese.
Training by TAIP
On the other hand, training provided by TAIP (Tokyo Association of International Preschools) is held in English.
At the CGK Preschool, we have a two-teacher system with a Japanese nursery teacher and an English-speaking foreign teacher working together. In most international preschools in Japan, the Japanese staff member is in charge of childcare and the foreign staff member is in charge of English education. In CGK's preschool, there are often situations where foreign teachers take the lead in English education, and situations where Japanese nursery teachers actively take the lead in childcare, but when providing daily care and education, both sides actively share opinions and cooperate together.
In education, not only from the perspective of English education, but also when practicing IB education, Japanese nursery teachers are involved in making curriculums and have daily opportunities to lead and practice teaching, and when it comes to childcare, foreign teachers are also involved on a daily basis because they are serious about the children's healthy development, both mentally and physically.
In Japan, there are very few training courses conducted in English, but in order to give such foreign teachers the opportunity to receive training in early childhood education and childcare, our school is a member of TAIP, which provides them with the opportunity to attend training courses in English.
Activities for CGK Faculty and Staff
In addition to social events such as after-school event parties, end-of-the-year parties, welcome parties and farewell parties, we hold a variety of other social events.
The Book Club
Each member of the club takes a turn to choose a book, then, before the next meeting the other members read the book in their favorite language, either English or Japanese. On the day of the book club meeting, which is held once a month, we have an enthusiastic exchange of thoughts and opinions about the book. The books we read generally tend to be biased towards our own interests and preferences, but we can make new discoveries by reading books recommended by others. We enjoy drinks and snacks and while gaining insight from the deep perspectives offered by other educators, and we ask each other real world questions about Japanese and foreign cultures after we have learned about them from the books.
Christmas Party
A Christmas party is held just before the winter break, where Christmas presents are exchanged.
Movie Night
This is a very simple event where people can enjoy food and drinks and watch a movie together.
Watching Professional Basketball Games
Yokohama Excellence is a professional basketball team based at the Yokohama Budokan, of which CGK is a partner company.
In 2001, Yokohama Excellence was founded as an amateur men's basketball team. After winning the Tokyo Championship and finishing third in the All-Japan Club Basketball Championships, the team turned professional and became Tokyo Excellence in 2012 to continue their growth and success.
On July 1, 2021, the club relocated to Yokohama and was renamed "Yokohama Excellence" to reflect its new home. In the 2022/23 season, the club finished third in the B3 League. With the 2023/24 B3 League season starting in October, Yokohama Excellence will continue to strive for its goal to win the B3 championship and advance to B2, and CGK staff, students and parents will be cheering them on!
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Bilingual Preschool Teacher Exchange
Community Management and Organization of Social Events
Management of the Facebook group 'Learning and Exchange Community for Preschool Teachers and Staff'.
This exchange community provides opportunities for bilingual preschool teachers from CGK Preschool and bilingual preschool teachers from other schools to interact, exchange ideas, and also to improve their skills through workshops and other activities. International preschool teachers are required to have a variety of skills involving English, childcare and understanding global perspectives, which is why we believe it is important to have an environment where they can grow together.
For information on the teaching staff of CGK International School, see the Faculty & Staff page, and for information on employment opportunities for teachers and staff, please see the Employment page.