Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson (K-12 category)
Yoko Kano (Post-secondary category)
Please join us in congratulating the 2021 AATJ Outstanding Teacher Award recipients:
Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson from Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School in Waterbury, CT and Yoko Kano from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC. The AATJ Teacher Award recognizes outstanding teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, advocacy, and leadership, both locally and nationally. The awards would have been presented in-person at the AATJ Awards luncheon at the ACTFL Convention in San Diego. However, due to COVID-19, the conference is once again being held virtually; we are recognizing Yamashita sensei and Kano sensei during an online networking reception on November 20.
Kazumi Yamashita-Iverson, Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School in Waterbury, CT
I would like to thank AATJ Teacher Award Committee for accepting me for the 2021 AATJ Teacher Award. I am very honored and humbled by this award.
My sincere thanks to Ms. Donna Cullen, my former principal, for nominating me for the award. She has been the Japanese Language and Culture Program’s biggest supporter. Whenever we needed something, she was always there for us. Maloney students, families, staff, and my colleague, Emiko Nomoto, have become a part of my family the last 20 years. I am so thankful that I am at Maloney, where everyone supports the Japanese program. Our program has survived for 26 years even though there are only a few Japanese programs in our state of Connecticut.
I also thank my family for their unconditional love and support. There were many days when I ran out of patience and energy in school and they had to deal with a not-so-nice person at home.
I cannot thank enough Jessica Haxhi, my mentor, colleague, and best friend. My journey as a Japanese teacher started when I was sent to Maloney as Jessica sensei’s assistant for the JALEX Program. She taught me everything I know and do now and keeps inspiring me as a Japanese teacher and beyond. I still think I am the luckiest JALEX assistant of all. JALEX, the forerunner to the J-LEAP Program, funded and operated by the Japan Foundation and the Laurasian Institution, changed my life. It gave me an opportunity to live in the U.S. and to learn from the best teachers how to become one. During my career, I was fortunate enough to attend many workshops and professional development opportunities offered by the Japan Foundation, NECTJ, AATJ, ACTFL, NNELL, and more. Over the course, I have met, connected, and learned from only only Japanese teachers, but also other language teachers. The more I teach, the more I am desperate for new knowledge and help. Learning from colleagues is the only way I could have kept teaching. Especially now, when language education is facing the crisis of being cut, even though it is vital for social justice/multicultural education, our connections with colleagues are more important than ever, There are days I feel hopeless because what we do is not valued, but then I talk and listen to my colleagues who believe in teaching Japanese — and any world language. The connection makes it possible to keep going, so I would like to thank all the Japanese teachers, language educators, and people who believe in language education I have met during my career for their guidance and support. Without them, I am not where I am today We are stronger together!
Yoko Kano, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC
Kano sensei has been a pioneer teaching at a high school via distance education starting in 1992 and then has been the sole Japanese language instructor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) since 1996, starting with one beginner’s course, and now the program has been established to instate the Japanese Studies Minor and a tenure track position at UNCW. She has been providing unique experiences to students via virtual Japanese courses as well as Applied Learning and international exchanges for the students to be productive members of this global world in the 21st century.
このような栄誉ある教師賞を頂き心から感謝しております。日本語教師学会を通して一生懸命がんばっていらっしゃる良き先輩方と同僚の皆様から刺激を受けて頑張って参りました。 皆様と共にこれからも尽力し続けます。
