In this blog post, I will focus on the qualities required to become an elementary school teacher and the experiences I gained during my high school years.
Academic Experience
Applying the Perseverance I Developed Through Sports to My Studies I have been actively involved in sports since elementary school, consistently playing soccer, baseball, practicing Taekwondo, and swimming. Although I initially played sports at my parents’ suggestion when I was young, I now participate in them of my own accord. Through sports, I learned etiquette, manners, and sportsmanship, and I also learned how to put perseverance into practice. No sport can be sustained without perseverance. Through sports, I developed a personality that sees everything through to the end with perseverance, and this trait naturally carried over to my studies. I tend to plan my studies by setting a specific amount of work for the next day and sticking to that plan. I make it a point to complete the planned workload without fail. I believe there is no shortcut to studying; what matters is sitting at my desk with perseverance. That’s why I only engaged in hobbies or met up with friends after I had completed the study goals I set for myself. There were times when I wanted to be lazy, and times when I just wanted to go out and have fun. However, I made sure to keep the promises I made to myself, and I encouraged myself by always thinking about the thrill of seeing results after persevering through my studies.
If I were to look for another study secret besides studying with such perseverance, I believe it lies in “health.” A healthy body leads to a healthy mind and strong concentration. I’ve experienced this firsthand by consistently exercising. There was a time when I couldn’t exercise for six months, and my physical stamina declined, causing me a lot of trouble. As my body weakened, my concentration wavered, and even sitting at my desk for long periods became very difficult. On top of that, my mental strength weakened as well, and I often found myself thinking, “I’ll just do this half-heartedly.” Through that experience, I realized that good physical health fosters a healthy mind, cultivates a positive attitude, and serves as the foundation for studying. That’s why I’ve continued to jog in the mornings and swim in the evenings consistently to this day. I believe that maintaining top grades was made possible by studying efficiently with strong concentration, fueled by a healthy mind.
School Activities
Sports Day
As someone who loved sports, my strong physical stamina was my strength, and I was always a standout student during Sports Day. Whenever Sports Day approached, I would get excited and train even harder with the goal of winning first place. I was particularly good at strength-based events and running. Since I excelled at tug-of-war and the relay race, I was always selected as the class representative. Since I was representing my class at the sports festival, I took my responsibility seriously and aimed for first place. To that end, I increased my training volume a month before the event to build up my stamina. In the mornings, I practiced sprinting instead of jogging, and in the evenings, I swam using a sprinting technique—kicking with extra force—to build my endurance. Driven by a sense of responsibility as the class representative, I prepared thoroughly for the sports festival. My hard work paid off, and I achieved excellent results, leading my class to victory. My performance at the sports festival earned me recognition for my physical fitness and athletic ability, and I was recommended to participate in various competitions both on and off campus.
Sports Club Activities
Among the various activities at our school designed to boost student morale are sports clubs. I demonstrated a talent for soccer within these sports clubs and was selected as a soccer player, participating in matches. Soccer requires speed, agility, and stamina, and I possessed those abilities. Although I started participating in the sports club at my teacher’s recommendation, I eventually took the lead in organizing club meetings and even devised training plans to improve my physical fitness and soccer skills.
By actively participating in soccer, I helped spark interest in the sport on campus, which even led to the formation of a girls’ soccer group. As interest in soccer grew, the number of matches we played increased, and I was able to showcase my skills in games against other schools. In particular, I believe that through these sports club activities, I met a diverse group of friends, learned the value of teamwork, and was able to effectively share that value with others.
Mural Volunteer Work
In addition to physical education activities, I’ve also participated in mural volunteer projects as part of my school activities. I initially thought it would be as simple as just drawing, but I realized that painting murals was more labor-intensive than I expected because I had to consider the surrounding environment and ensure the artwork was visually appealing to those who would see it. Among the various mural projects I’ve done, painting the walls of a local children’s welfare center stands out the most in my memory. It wasn’t just about drawing; I created illustrations of characters, fairy tales, or cartoons that the children wanted, with the hope that they would help the children shake off feelings of loneliness or depression. I felt a great sense of fulfillment knowing that my drawings would inspire positive thoughts in the children, and I came to realize that the value of volunteer work isn’t limited to grand projects—it can be found anywhere around us where help is needed.
Consideration and Cooperation
Exercising Together While Being Considerate of a Classmate with Low Stamina In my sophomore year of high school, there was a classmate who was particularly weak physically. He approached me and asked how I built up my stamina and whether I took any herbal medicine or health supplements. I told him that I’d been building my stamina through exercise and emphasized that eating well and exercising are the best ways to improve physical fitness. However, because his stamina was so low, he found the very idea of exercising daunting. Wanting to help him overcome his lack of stamina, I suggested we try jogging together. I told them they didn’t have to run fast or for a long time—they just needed to do as much as they could—and since they were so eager to build up their stamina, they accepted my suggestion. So, we started jogging together consistently every morning. I didn’t tell them how many laps to run around the track or at what pace; I simply advised, “When you feel like you’ve reached your limit, just run one more lap.” At first, my friend struggled even to complete one lap, but by consistently following my advice—gritting his teeth and running one more lap whenever he felt he’d reached his limit—his stamina gradually improved. One lap turned into two, and two laps eventually turned into ten. He also told me that exercising had given him a better appetite, and he was now eating twice as much as he used to. My friend had been too weak to exercise, and because he wasn’t very active, his appetite had plummeted, so he wasn’t eating well. By jogging together every day like that, he not only became healthier than he had been before but also developed greater stamina than his other friends. I believe my friend was able to continue exercising without getting exhausted because, rather than trying to teach him like a teacher or push him too hard, I suggested exercises that were within his capabilities. I consider this a prime example of putting consideration into practice. By empathizing with and understanding my friend’s concerns, I used my own abilities to support him, and I felt a deep sense of pride when we achieved such positive results.
Qualities of an Elementary School Teacher
Physical Fitness Instruction
As a physical education teacher, the ability to help students build physical fitness. I believe that among elementary school teachers, physical education teachers, in particular, must be able to guide children toward healthy physical development. Furthermore, such physical development must be grounded in consistent exercise and healthy eating habits. I have personally experienced and confirmed this. I have built up my physical fitness through consistent exercise since childhood, and having been taught and influenced by my parents to adopt healthy eating habits, I came to prefer nutritious meals centered on carbohydrates, protein, and fat over snacking. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise not only promoted my physical growth—including my height—and various other healthy bodily functions but also helped me develop mental resilience that prevents me from tiring easily. As a physical education teacher and an elementary school teacher, I believe I can effectively convey and teach children the benefits of healthy physical development that I have experienced firsthand. Furthermore, as a physical education teacher, I will continue to study children’s physical development in depth so that they can lead healthy school lives.
Communicating with Children
How to Talk with Children I frequently interacted with children while participating in mural-painting activities at a local children’s center. Since the children at the community children’s center were often dealing with emotional pain, I was particularly cautious about approaching them. However, the children had such a positive outlook that my caution seemed unnecessary. Of course, there were also children who struggled with anxiety and depression. Through my interactions with children of diverse mindsets, I learned how to communicate and engage with them. In particular, I believe I learned how to reach out to children who were depressed or suffering from anxiety, offer them encouragement, and comfort their hearts. Based on these experiences, I hope that as an elementary school teacher, I can empathize with children and comfort their hearts.
Inspiring Dreams
Inspiring Dreams My friends often describe me as a “passionate person with a burning passion for dreams.” Studying and attending school without dreams or hopes can be very painful. I believe the most important thing for students is to have “dreams.” A dream isn’t about a grand career or a lofty aspiration—it’s simply what they want to do and what they want to be when they grow up. As an elementary school teacher, I want to present children with a variety of possibilities so they can develop their own dreams. I want to create an environment where they can discover their abilities and develop dreams through career field trips, various school activities, and inquiry-based learning. To become that kind of elementary school teacher, I am still working hard to gain as much experience as possible. I have accumulated diverse experiences by actively participating in volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and school programs, and through those experiences, I was able to find my own dreams. I hope to convey those dreams and hopes to the children based on my own experiences.
