A Challenge to Transform Education from the Front Lines: A Public School Teacher Who Experienced Classroom Collapse Now Supports Young Teachers
A public school teacher, who experienced classroom collapse early in their career, has established the NPO "Education New Future" to address systemic issues in Japanese education. Through monthly study groups and active social media presence, the NPO provides practical support and fosters a nationwide community for young teachers.
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Observations from a lecture sharing challenges and practices in education.
April 2015.
My life as a teacher began.
On that day, full of hope, standing before the children.
I was frozen in the classroom.
"How should I guide them...?"
I hadn't learned this in university.
But the field wouldn't wait.
As a result, in my first year as a teacher,
I experienced classroom collapse.
Classes didn't go well.
I couldn't build good relationships with the children.
Every day was spent worrying, "Is this really okay?"
And most of all,
in the dysfunctional classroom,
I repeatedly apologized to the children in my heart, saying, "I'm sorry."
"I want to be a teacher who can conduct classes normally and manage a classroom normally."
That was my desperate wish at the time.
Observations from a lecture engaging with education professionals nationwide.
## Not an individual problem, but a "structural" problem
However, was that classroom collapse truly solely my problem?
In the education field, there is a structure that relies too heavily on individual capabilities.
Surveys by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also show that long working hours and mental burden on teachers are major issues, and the number of teachers taking leave due to mental illness is increasing.
Furthermore, the departure of young teachers is serious.
It is said that teaching only truly becomes enjoyable after the third year.
However, many teachers quit before then.
I want to change this situation.
Now, in my 12th year as a teacher, my days as a homeroom teacher are filled with drama and fulfillment.
The time spent facing the children has become fulfilling, as if the classroom collapse of those days was a lie.
But I will never forget.
Spending sleepless nights.
Repeatedly thinking, "I want to quit."
And—
In the dysfunctional classroom,
feeling sorry for the children,
the time I repeatedly thought, "I'm sorry," in my heart.
Observations from a training session learning together with young teachers and students.
## The Field That Starts Unprepared and the Limits of "Individual Dependency"
The background to this is a structure that demands immediate competence from the moment one enters the field.
For example, on the second day of the new school year.
Lunch supervision begins.
In a survey targeting university students aspiring to enter education,
only about 15% responded that they had received classes on food education or lunch supervision at university,
while about 79% responded that "such classes were necessary." (Based on materials from the National School Lunch Promotion Association [Kyuken])
In other words, the skills required in the field are not sufficiently developed beforehand.
Furthermore, this problem is not limited to lunch supervision.
For example, "phone handling."
Teachers daily handle phone calls from parents and external parties, but systematic training and manuals are rarely in place.
In contrast, in general companies, phone handling is established as a basic skill with training and manuals.
In the education field, there is a situation where tasks that should ideally be supported by systems are entrusted to individual experience and effort.
In this state, can a classroom, as an organization, be managed for a year?
First-year teachers struggle and quit.
Substitute teachers are not replenished.
The remaining staff become even more exhausted.
This "structure of individual dependency" is repeated every year.
Observations from a study group where teachers discuss and learn together.
## That's why I took action.
Currently, while working as a public elementary school teacher,
I established the NPO "Education New Future."
Based in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture,
I hold monthly study groups for teachers.
Approximately 40 teachers continuously participate in the study groups, both in-person and online.
Recently, the number of participants from outside the prefecture has increased, expanding it into a learning platform that transcends regions.
In addition to teachers, adults and students interested in education also participate,
making it a place to consider education from diverse perspectives.
Bringing together, sharing, and refining practical experiences from the field.
The goal is to create that cycle.
Instagram Live, where practical insights and teaching tips from the field are broadcast in real-time.
I am also focusing on disseminating information via social media,
with a total of about 8,000 followers.
(Instagram, Facebook, LINE Open Chat, etc.)
The content primarily consists of
"practices that can be used immediately tomorrow" and
"concrete hints for teachers struggling in the field."
I am creating a system where learning circulates in both online and real-world settings.
Observations from a lecture at Kikuchi Dojo Saga Branch (August 16, 2025, Akamatsu Community Center, Saga City).
## Education Community Expanding Nationwide
Through these initiatives,
connections are being formed across regions and school types.
"No longer struggling alone—"
April 2015.
My life as a teacher began.
On that day, full of hope, standing before the children.
I was frozen in the classroom.
"How should I guide them...?"
I hadn't learned this in university.
But the field wouldn't wait.
As a result, in my first year as a teacher,
I experienced classroom collapse.
Classes didn't go well.
I couldn't build good relationships with the children.
Every day was spent worrying, "Is this really okay?"
And most of all,
in the dysfunctional classroom,
I repeatedly apologized to the children in my heart, saying, "I'm sorry."
"I want to be a teacher who can conduct classes normally and manage a classroom normally."
That was my desperate wish at the time.
Observations from a lecture engaging with education professionals nationwide.
## Not an individual problem, but a "structural" problem
However, was that classroom collapse truly solely my problem?
In the education field, there is a structure that relies too heavily on individual capabilities.
Surveys by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also show that long working hours and mental burden on teachers are major issues, and the number of teachers taking leave due to mental illness is increasing.
Furthermore, the departure of young teachers is serious.
It is said that teaching only truly becomes enjoyable after the third year.
However, many teachers quit before then.
I want to change this situation.
Now, in my 12th year as a teacher, my days as a homeroom teacher are filled with drama and fulfillment.
The time spent facing the children has become fulfilling, as if the classroom collapse of those days was a lie.
But I will never forget.
Spending sleepless nights.
Repeatedly thinking, "I want to quit."
And—
In the dysfunctional classroom,
feeling sorry for the children,
the time I repeatedly thought, "I'm sorry," in my heart.
Observations from a training session learning together with young teachers and students.
## The Field That Starts Unprepared and the Limits of "Individual Dependency"
The background to this is a structure that demands immediate competence from the moment one enters the field.
For example, on the second day of the new school year.
Lunch supervision begins.
In a survey targeting university students aspiring to enter education,
only about 15% responded that they had received classes on food education or lunch supervision at university,
while about 79% responded that "such classes were necessary." (Based on materials from the National School Lunch Promotion Association [Kyuken])
In other words, the skills required in the field are not sufficiently developed beforehand.
Furthermore, this problem is not limited to lunch supervision.
For example, "phone handling."
Teachers daily handle phone calls from parents and external parties, but systematic training and manuals are rarely in place.
In contrast, in general companies, phone handling is established as a basic skill with training and manuals.
In the education field, there is a situation where tasks that should ideally be supported by systems are entrusted to individual experience and effort.
In this state, can a classroom, as an organization, be managed for a year?
First-year teachers struggle and quit.
Substitute teachers are not replenished.
The remaining staff become even more exhausted.
This "structure of individual dependency" is repeated every year.
Observations from a study group where teachers discuss and learn together.
## That's why I took action.
Currently, while working as a public elementary school teacher,
I established the NPO "Education New Future."
Based in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture,
I hold monthly study groups for teachers.
Approximately 40 teachers continuously participate in the study groups, both in-person and online.
Recently, the number of participants from outside the prefecture has increased, expanding it into a learning platform that transcends regions.
In addition to teachers, adults and students interested in education also participate,
making it a place to consider education from diverse perspectives.
Bringing together, sharing, and refining practical experiences from the field.
The goal is to create that cycle.
Instagram Live, where practical insights and teaching tips from the field are broadcast in real-time.
I am also focusing on disseminating information via social media,
with a total of about 8,000 followers.
(Instagram, Facebook, LINE Open Chat, etc.)
The content primarily consists of
"practices that can be used immediately tomorrow" and
"concrete hints for teachers struggling in the field."
I am creating a system where learning circulates in both online and real-world settings.
Observations from a lecture at Kikuchi Dojo Saga Branch (August 16, 2025, Akamatsu Community Center, Saga City).
## Education Community Expanding Nationwide
Through these initiatives,
connections are being formed across regions and school types.
"No longer struggling alone—"