サンフランシスコ市の公立小学校教諭 田中淳子が 「Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award」を受賞

2021年2月26日 米国カリフォルニア州サンフランシスコ発

　カリフォルニア州サンフランシスコ市の公立学校である「クラレンドン小学校」(Clarendon Elementary School, San Francisco Unified School District)の田中淳子教諭が、2020年度の Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award (US-Japan Foundation 及びEngage Asia協賛)を受賞いたしました。同賞は日米の相互理解の推進に貢献した優れた教育者を全米から選出し授与されており、2020年度は田中教諭とアイオワ高校教諭の Daniel Carolin氏とのダブル受賞となりました。受賞式は日本時間2月27日朝にオンラインで行われ、以下のURLから登録しご参加いただけます。

https://www.elginheinzaward.org/ceremonies/2021-elgin-heinz-ceremony

Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award 授賞式バナー

＜受賞の背景＞

　今回 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award賞を受賞した田中淳子は滋賀県出身で、地元で小学校教諭の勤務を経て、1999年にESL(英語以外を母国語にする人たちのための英語指導)の指導法を学ぶために University of San Franciscoに留学、同分野で修士号を取得。その後、サンフランシスコ市のクラレンドン小学校日本語日本文化プログラムの教諭として通算20年にわたって勤務しています。

　クラレンドン小学校は公立校でありながら、通常の小学校主要教科に加えて日本語・日本文化を教えるというユニークな小学校であり、田中教諭は4年生の担任として教鞭をとる傍ら、同校の日本語カリキュラムの開発にも貢献してきました。同教諭の「ヘリテージ学習者」(日本語を母国語とする児童)と「日本語を外国語として学んでいる学習者」を組み合わせ互いに学ばせるという日本語指導法は、サンフランシスコ教育委員会の中でもこれまで高い評価を得てきました。また、フィールドトリップ(遠足)の一環として和食レストランを訪れ、ウェイトレス役をする日本人の保護者ボランティアと児童たちに会話をさせ、臨場感のある中で日本語で注文させるなど、創意工夫を凝らした日本語学習を実践してきました。

　さらに、田中教諭はアメリカの日系人の歴史に興味を持ち、第二次世界大戦時の日系人の強制収容を違憲として長い間戦い、ついには日系人の名誉回復とアメリカ合衆国からの謝罪と補償を引き出した「フレッド・コレマツ」の生涯を題材とした劇を作り上げ、毎年担任しているクラスの児童たちに上演させています。このフレッド・コレマツの劇は、今やクラレンドン小学校の恒例の全校行事となり、2016年にはクラレンドン小学校がカリフォルニア司法省より公民教育賞 (Civic Learning Award)を受賞する要因となりました。

　田中教諭は「今回の受賞を通して、クラレンドン小学校日本語日本文化プログラム関係者全員の努力が評価された。」としており、同賞の助成金はプログラムの一層の発展のために使いたいと述べています。　

＜クラレンドン小学校概要＞

Clarendon Elementary School (500 Clarendon Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA)

　San Francisco Unified School District内の公立小学校。1973年に創設された同校の日本語プログラム (JBBP - Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program)の在籍児童数は現在262名。児童たちは、週に合計2.5時間ほどの日本語の学習の時間がある他、児童たちの日常生活の中に「立ってください」「教科書を出してください」など、日本語を積極的に取り入れている教育を行なっている。また、年間を通じて、お正月やひな祭りなどの年中行事に加え、茶道のワークショップなど、様々な形で日本文化に触れる機会がある。校長は Peter Van Court。

https://www.clarendonjbbp.org/

https://www.sfusd.edu/school/clarendon-alternative-elementary-school

＜参考Link＞

- 外務省によるクラレンドン小学校の紹介ページ

https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/kids/kuni/usa_sf_2014.html

- Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Awardについて

https://www.elginheinzaward.org/

- 過去の受賞者

https://www.elginheinzaward.org/awardees

- 田中教諭指導、クラレンドン児童による「フレッド・コレマツ」の劇　(2016年版)

https://youtu.be/jPVoh9oDfyQ

＜本件に関するお問い合わせ先＞

クラレンドン小学校日本語日本文化プログラム

プログラムコーディネーター　橋本由佳　hashimotoy (at) sfusd.edu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Junko Tanaka, a Teacher at Clarendon Elementary School in San Francisco

Wins the Prestigious Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award

Online Award Ceremony February 26th PST3:30pm (Feb 27 08:30 am JST)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA on February 26, 2021 - Today, Clarendon Elementary School, the United States-Japan Foundation and EngageAsia announce Junko Tanaka, a 4th grade teacher at Clarendon Elementary School, a public school in San Francisco (San Francisco Unified School District, Principal Peter Van Court) has been awarded the coveted 2020 Elgin Heinz Award (co-administered by US-Japan Foundation and Engage Asia). The Award recognizes exceptional teachers who further mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese. The 2020 Award was presented to Junko Tanaka and Daniel Carolin of Kenned High School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The Award ceremony, scheduled on February 26th, will be held virtually due to the COVID outbreak. It is our pleasure to invite you to this ceremony. Please register here.

https://www.elginheinzaward.org/ceremonies/2021-elgin-heinz-ceremony

The 2020 Elgin Heinz Award recipient Junko Tanaka is from Shiga, Japan. She taught at an elementary school in her hometown and later came to the U.S. to study at the University of San Francisco where she earned her master’s degree in ESL instruction. She became a teacher at Clarendon Elementary School (Japanese Bilingual and Bicultural Program). She has worked there for the last 20 years.

Clarendon Elementary School Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program (JBBP) is a unique offering within the public school system teaching Japanese language and culture to both Japanese heritage and non-heritage students. As a fourth grade teacher, Ms. Tanaka teaches Japanese language and culture to her students in addition to standard subjects. Ms. Tanaka contributed greatly to the broader Japanese program at Clarendon Elementary School. Her language instruction model where students are put into small groups with one heritage student leading the non-heritage students has earned a positive reputation within the San Francisco Unified School District. Ms. Tanaka has also actively developed unique and creative language activities. In one such activity, students go on a field trip to a local Japanese restaurant and order food, have table conversations, and figure out the price of their order in Japanese. Japanese-speaking parents from the school volunteer to serve the students as waiters during this trip.

Furthermore, Ms. Tanaka is committed to teaching about social justice. As one of her projects, she wrote a play about Fred Korematsu, the civil activist who was convicted of defying the government’s order to turn himself in when the Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. 40 years later, Fred Korematsu fought to have his previous conviction overturned and to win redress and reparations for the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated. Ms. Tanaka’s 4th grade students put on this play for the whole school every year. Ms. Tanaka’s work with the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II played a significant role in the school receiving the Civic Learning Award for California public school (Co-sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction and California Chief Justice) in 2016.

Ms. Tanaka comments that “I was able to receive the honor of being presented with the Elgin Heinz Award not just because of my work alone but also because of all the efforts that my colleagues have put in to make our Japanese Bilingual and Bicultural Program a wonderful program.” Ms. Tanaka plans to use the grant she received from the award to further enhance the program.

＜About Clarendon Elementary School>

Clarendon Elementary School (500 Clarendon Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94131, USA)

Clarendon Elementary School is a K-5 public school in the San Francisco Unified District. (Principal - Peter Van Court.) The Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program of Clarendon Elementary School (JBBP) was established in 1973. The current number of students enrolled in Clarendon JBBP is 262. In addition to the 2.5 hours/week of Japanese instruction, classroom teachers also use Japanese phrases throughout the day such as “Please take out your textbooks”, and ”please stand up”. As part of the curriculum, students experience Japanese seasonal events throughout the year such as Oshougatsu (New Year) and Hinamatsuri (Dolls’ Day). Cultural workshops such as Tea Ceremony Workshops are held several times a year as well.

https://www.clarendonjbbp.org/

https://www.sfusd.edu/school/clarendon-alternative-elementary-school

＜Related Links＞

-Introduction of Clarendon Elementary School on the homepage of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/kids/kuni/usa_sf_2014.html

-About Elgin Heinz Award

https://www.elginheinzaward.org/

-A play about Fred Korematsu performed by Ms. Tanaka’s class in 2016

https://youtu.be/jPVoh9oDfyQ

＜Further Inquiries ＞

Contact: Yuka Hashimoto hashimotoy (at) sfusd.edu

Curriculum Coordinator, Japanese Bilingual and Bicultural Program, Clarendon Elementary School