Sessions

Classroom Challenges: Your Hard-to-Reach Students

How do students actually experience your classes? Your hard-to-reach students may be among the over 10.8 million Japanese people with hidden neurodiverse learning differences that they, their teachers, and family may not even be aware of. In this workshop, you’ll get to experience these barriers first hand. What experiences have you had with these kinds of students? Come and share your ideas, and learn some best practice techniques to help these students achieve.

Inclusive Learning Communities Theory and Practice

The first presenter will discuss a variety of learning theories including behavioralism, cognitivism, and constructivism, and a number of language learning strategies such as cognitive and meta-cognitive awareness-raising, that form the basis of inclusive education. The second presenter will introduce some concrete examples of how learners with different learning needs can individualize their study of English through the use of these theories and strategies as well as additional, personalized resources.

The Quarter Speaks Out: Women in Japanese Academia

Out of the 5,351 foreign full-time university teachers in Japan, only 967 are women (Huang, 2018). This eight-women panel addresses personal and professional issues influencing the careers of women teaching English in Japanese universities. These issues include career-building, balancing personal and professional lives, being in the minority, workplace harassment, and membership in professional communities. In addition to providing mentorship and inspiration, the panelists will invite the audience to be active participants in this innovative forum.