Faculty of Education > Message from the Dean

Yoshinao Hirano

To achieve its aim of fostering new teachers for schools, the Faculty of Education at Shinshu University runs the Training Course for School Teachers and the Training Course for Special Needs Education Teachers. In addition to this, it also runs two new courses - the Training Course for Lifetime Sports Directors and the Training Course for Educational Counseling - in these new courses, some students get jobs other than school teacher wthout taking teacher license.

Following an educational policy of training teachers with the right balance of skills to both communicate with children and students and to teach them various subjects, the Faculty of Education has developed a curriculum that provides extensive experiences in practical and clinical education, and that provides students with the academic skills in teaching great lessons. To teach communication, the faculty has established a syllabus that provides continuity over a four-year course It provides first-year students with clinical experience in attached schools within the Matsumoto area and then lessons where the students are able to reflect on that experience. In the second year, the students participate in the education of children at elementary and junior high schools within Nagano City, which provides the opportunity to be close to children and to experience a range of school activities. This experience is then leveraged during the third and fourth years, ; students are provided with teaching practice in attached schools in both the Nagano and Matsumoto areas. To teach subject matter, the faculty provides extensive lectures in general education and basic specialization during the first year, and more advanced lectures building stronger academic skills from the second year, which all lead towards the students' senior projects during the fourth year. The Faculty of Education follows the education principle of "clinical knowledge." Even after the students become teachers themselves, they always remember this principle and apply it to their daily teaching lives.

To accomplish this education principle, Shinshu University's Faculty of Education provides students with small size class and caring, detailed training. Teaching staff entrusted with practical and clinical education are constantly involved in research in cooperation with local schools and schools attached to the university, while teaching staff entrusted with lectures and lessons on theories of learning, art and physical education are constantly achieving excellent results through research and art activities, which in turn comes to fruition in the student education and training.

The Faculty of Education at Shinshu University enables students to enjoy the beauty and nature of Shinshu Prefecture, providing a satisfying life following the spirit of "Work well, Live well." We look forward to welcoming students who want to become the educators of tomorrow.