If I taught the way I did in 2006, I’d be left behind.
Updated: Oct 5
When I started teaching at the Montessori School of Tokyo back in 2006, conversations with parents looked very different from the ones I have today.
Montessori parents weren’t asking me, “Can you help my child get better grades?”
The conversations were much more about the child as a whole their development, independence, self confidence, and how they were learning.
Honestly, I think that was ahead of its time.
But... education has continued to change.
Open up any Tokyo international school prospectus today, and you’ll see how much the expectations have broadened.
Students aren't just expected to master academic content.
They are expected to manage their time, collaborate, think critically, adapt to challenges, and take ownership of their learning, all while navigating technology and AI effectively.
That changes what children need to succeed, and it sure changes what learning support looks like.
If I had kept doing exactly what I was doing in 2006, I would have been left behind.
In the dust.
Like a Commodore 64.
I’ve had to keep learning, too.
Right now, I’m studying Instructional Leadership at Harvard, diving deeper into how children learn, how schools are evolving, and how technology is shifting education.
It’s made me think a lot about my why.
Why do I keep learning?
Why do I keep adapting?
The world our children are growing up in is changing of course, international schools in Tokyo are changing, and what children need from the adults supporting them is changing too.
Man, I love teaching. Let's go!!
Kinota Braithwaite - Learning & Assessment Specialist
More Than Just Tutoring Tokyo
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