Tsuchiya Akari, a Japanese teacher with more than six years’ experience in teaching children, has contributed to improving the education quality of preschools in Vietnam.

Tsuchiya Akari came to Vietnam in March 2017 as a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer. She has been working at Huong Sen preschool run by the Center for Women and Development for the Vietnam Women’s Union in Hanoi.

At Huong Sen preschool, Tsuchiya Akari teaches two classes with children in the age groups of 0-3 years and 3-6 years respectively. She often prepares the curriculum in Vietnamese and makes teaching tools from cost-saving materials to get the children interested in the lessons. 

Akari Tsuchiya is a skilled teacher with more than six years’ experience in Japanese preschools. Tsuchiya Akari not only teaches preschool children but also studies Vietnamese by herself.  She prepares the teaching curriculum in Vietnamese. In her art class for children of the 3-6 age group. The Japanese teacher makes teaching tools from cost-saving materials to get the children interested in the lessons.  A drawing lesson. The preschool children quickly understandi the lessons with Tsuchiya Akari’s teaching skills.  Tsuchiya Akari helps the students draw a fish with special ink from Japan.  After the drawing and painting process, the “fish” are water-sprayed, making a different color effect for the students’ paintings.  Tsuchiya Akari and other Japanese volunteers introduce Japan’s traditional origami paper folding art to Huong Sen preschool’s students. Showing her origami samples.  Tsuchiya and her students now are very close to each other.

Tsuchiya Akari has explored interesting things while teaching children in Vietnam. She found children in Vietnam become independent at an earlier age than children in Japan. Meanwhile, Japanese children are closer to their teachers than Vietnamese children. Comparing the differences between preschool educations of the two countries, she has combined the advantages of the two teaching approaches. 

During her music and movement activities as well as art classes with children, Tsuchiya Akari has introduced Japanese games and arts to them, including Japan’s traditional origami paper folding art. After one year working in preschool education in Vietnam, Tsuchiya and her students now are very close to each other.

“Teachers in Vietnam have many things to learn from Japanese preschool education. When Tsuchiya Akari joined our staff, our preschool teachers had a chance to learn from her experience. Tsuchiya Akari does her teaching meticulously. Tsuchiya and Vietnamese teachers have exchanged ideas to seek the most suitable teaching methods for the children,” said Mai Lan Huong, manager of Huong Sen preschool.
 

Story: Ngan Ha, Song Tam Quyen – Photos: Cong Dat