[Karen Muramatsu, Speaking Japanese]
The job of a teacher is a very difficult, but it's also a very worthy profession.
For the children of the future and for your own learning, it is very fulfilling.
If you are interested at all in Science, I mean in teaching Science in Japanese, please … have a go.
[On-screen text]
Glen Eira College, 2024 Dr Lawrie Shears Outstanding Global Teaching and Learning
[Karen Muramatsu]
My name is Karen Muramatsu I am the science immersion teacher at Glen Eira College.
We teach science in Japanese from sevens, eights to nines.
I actually taught English in Japan, and I was also a science background and I always thought, oh, what if we taught science in Japanese in an Australian school?
I am now living the dream.
[Katherine Tanaka in Japanese]
My name is Katherine Tanaka
[Katherine Tanaka]
I think it's pretty interesting that we get to do science, particularly in Japanese, because then it's interesting to make lots of connections that you wouldn't have made if I didn't go to this school.
[Karen Muramatsu]
The staff, teachers, everyone is very excited about languages.
We've got very multicultural staff as well as students. Everyone's proud of where they come from and what kind of languages they can speak. And very keen to explore different languages.
[Roshna]
The thing I love most is probably all, like, my friends. We all have like, this sort of connection and that we can like, talk in Japanese, we can like, write Japanese and we learn a lot of Japanese culture in school as well.
So I always want to like, use that in my day, with my friends.
[Karen Muramatsu]
The staff at the school and the teachers have worked tirelessly but to actually receive the “Dr Lawrie Shears Global Excellence Award” feels amazing.
Having received that award really reassures us that we're doing a good job.
As a result of winning the award the teachers have been doing some extra, like, professional development and being able to get a bit more time to really invest in
how we can make our program better, how we can bring more excellence to the students and the school.
[Arthur]
The thing I enjoyed most about doing the Japanese immersion is learning a lot of new Japanese which I really liked.
There was one that I remember the most: O bento itadakemasu ka? is, ‘would you like your lunch heated up’?
And it really stuck with me.
[Karen Muramatsu]
To see the students come in in year seven, not sure, feeling uncertain to like, the year nines that they are now.
They’re so much more confident and they're so encouraging of each other and really wanting to use the Japanese language.
Yeah, it makes me happy. It gives me joy.
[On-screen text]
Victorian Education Excellence Awards
[On-screen text]
Victoria State Government logo
Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne.
[End transcript]
Updated