To the children's "I want to do it!"
I want to be a teacher who can be there for others.

College of Health and Welfare Graduates
Nursery Teacher (Singapore Preschool)

Eri Kudo

Main content

I went to Singapore thanks to connections I made during my university days.

After working as a childcare worker at a nursery school in Japan for a year, I moved to a preschool in Singapore in the spring of 2022. Currently, I am in charge of what would be called the "junior class" in Japan, and I spend fulfilling days with the children, teaching them Japanese and playing games together.

The reason I changed jobs was because I was contacted by the headmistress of a preschool. When I was in my third year of university, I traveled to Singapore alone and visited several preschools. That connection led to her contacting me. I had always hoped to work overseas someday, so I decided without hesitation to take on the challenge of working abroad.

We will learn about childcare not only in Japan but also overseas.

Since childhood, my dream was to work in a nursery school or kindergarten. I participated in a childcare worker experience class in middle school and worked part-time at a nursery school in high school, so when I went to university, it was a natural progression for me to choose childcare as my major.

I chose J. F. Oberlin University because I was attracted to the opportunity to deeply study childcare at a four-year university and to be blessed with an environment for studying abroad and learning foreign languages. When I actually attended classes and seminars, I was able to learn about childcare from a broad perspective, not only within Japan but also overseas. What particularly impressed me was the German concept of "supervising childcare." I resonated with the values and stance that promote children's independence and value their independence. I feel that this is also useful in my current work.

I aim to be a teacher who fosters independence in children.

I strive every day to be a teacher who can help children develop the ability to think for themselves and become independent.

Interacting with so many children in Singapore, I'm keenly aware of the rapid pace of globalization. Situations without absolute answers are increasing, and the importance of thinking for oneself will only grow. While I strive to help children develop independence, putting my ideal childcare into practice is often challenging. However, I try my best to support their "I want to do it!" attitude as much as possible.

I encourage all students to actively choose classes that interest them and deepen their learning independently. Even if you don't feel it's that important now, what you learn in class may be useful in the future. All you need to learn is curiosity and the courage to take a step forward. My current workplace also came about because I took the plunge and contacted a preschool. Student life offers more choices than you might think. I hope you'll try many different things so you have no regrets.

Yori Kudo

Profile
Graduated from College of Health and Welfare Childcare Major in 2020. During university, he traveled alone to Singapore and visited several preschools, showing great initiative. Through that connection, she now works as a nursery teacher at a preschool in Singapore.

Interview date:
This took place in December 2023.

To the children's "I want to do it!"I want to be a teacher who can be there for others.

Main content

I went to Singapore thanks to connections I made during my university days.

We will learn about childcare not only in Japan but also overseas.

I aim to be a teacher who fosters independence in children.

Related content

To the children's "I want to do it!"
I want to be a teacher who can be there for others.