Miho Izumi: The Power of Language is the Foundation of Everything—Expressive Activities in NY

As Zoom classes were coming to an end and students were about to return to Keio Academy of New York, I thought about creating a club unlike any before. I wanted to talk with the students, whom I had only met on screen, outside of class hours. The response from the students was significant, and three years have passed since I launched the club called Creative Workshop. We produce a club magazine once a year (twice last year). The members decide on a theme, and as long as it fits that theme, they can submit anything: essays, short papers, novels, poems, tanka, haiku, rap, and more. Submissions can be in either English or Japanese. They choose their preferred method of expression. Headmaster Takayuki Tatsumi and I, as the advisor, also write pieces alongside the students. I had a desire to leave something behind in "print" that goes beyond text and chat. One member mentioned that when they took the booklet home, their family sat in the living room reading it leisurely. I want to create moments like that.

I also became involved with the Keio Academy of New York newspaper, the "Keio Journal." Students write about school events, sports, or issues in modern society in both English and Japanese. An increasing number of students write articles while participating in sports clubs, making match reports feel more immersive. There has also been an increase in articles analyzing world affairs in English. We include special features in the newspaper and put effort into the editing; among these, the "Fukuzawa Speech Day" feature became something special. This is a school event held every February where student representatives give speeches in either English or Japanese. As the lead advisor, I collaborate with the students to manage the speech day. Soon, the time will come to recruit students for this year's speeches. I enjoy "building" something together with students, so I am grateful for these opportunities. The same applies to my Japanese literature classes. I want to learn from the students. This summer, the Japanese Department assigned a reading record task that included a list of teacher recommendations. Thanks to this assignment, I was able to reach for 20 books myself. Based on these results, the Creative Workshop is planning to collaborate with students to publish a "Reading Newsletter." Of course, we will also report on reading English books.

"learning while teaching, teaching while learning." At Keio Academy of New York, keeping the teachings of Yukichi Fukuzawa in my heart, I intend to continue enriching expressive activities together with students, remaining conscious of the venues for expression in English and Japanese—the three cultures of Keio, Japan, and New York.