Tatsuya Seo (Akita West High School)
Updated: Mar 15, 2022
The ultimate goal is to contribute to society
through the job you have.
Seo Tatsuya has been teaching English at Akita West High School for three years, and is studying his Masters of English Education at Akita International University. The care he has for his students is evident as soon as he begins to talk about his work. But how was it that he decided to become a teacher? When he was a student, what kind of student was he? Why, when teaching is a job which allows you to work almost anywhere, did he choose to live and work in Akita? Through this interview we are given a rare insight into the lifestyle and work of a teacher, as well as being offered some wise words of advice.
Authors: Phoebe Staats, Yuhan Qiu (Kevin), Yota Kawatake
January 2021
Personal Life
―What was your dream when you were a child?
When I was a child I didn't have a dream really, but from middle school I was interested in becoming a teacher.
―Did something happen in middle school that inspired that?
I'm not sure how much I should say on this, but I had a period of time when I was a bit of a delinquent. I pierced my ears, dyed my hair and rebelled against my teachers. But my homeroom teacher never gave up on me, so I’m really grateful to her, and want to repay that kindness by paying it forward to future students.
But there's also another thing that motivated me. I had decided I wanted to go to a particular High School, so I asked for a recommendation. But I heard a teacher saying that I'd never be accepted there. When I heard that I thought 'I'm definitely going to get accepted into this high school and become a teacher!'. So I guess both those things drove me forward.
―What do you like to do in your free time?
I supervise the Soccer Club so when I have free time on the weekends I am often at practise with my students. We also have a competition match every week which I coach for. So I don't have much time on the weekends. But right now club activities aren't being run as usual so I clean a lot and do maintenance at home.
―You said that you often clean, do you enjoy it?
I don't like cleaning but I do it while my wife is looking after our child, and she does it while I look after them. We have that kind of relationship where we lean on each other so I do what I can. There's still that stereotype in Japan where the woman stays at home with the family and the man works but I don't like that. You don't see that kind of thing overseas, and anyway since both of us are working we're in the same situation. Since we’re the same, why is there this extra burden on wives in society? I saw her give birth to our child and we're both working together to raise them so I don't want to put that extra pressure on my wife.
Questions about the way teachers work
―What did you like and dislike the most after you became a teacher?
I like spending time with my students because they make me feel younger. Through them, I can better understand the popular things in this generation. When carrying out club activities, I need to exercise with students, which is good for my health. I think the hard thing is that I work too long. Although the working time is until 5 p.m., I can't go home because of club activities. It's almost 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. when I arrive at home. In addition, there are club activities on weekends as well. Monday comes before I can rest properly, so it's really hard.
―Why do you think teachers are so busy?
There are many reasons. Club activities take up a lot of time after school, and we need to deal with all kinds of students' troubles. In school, there are many students who are worried about the relationship between their parents and their friends. When they quarrel with their friends or their girlfriends, they often come to talk to me. It takes a lot of time to deal with these things, which is also the reason why teachers are very busy.
―Do you think that this is something teachers should be expected to do?
I think dealing with students who don't focus in class is my job. I'm like a jack-of-all-trades. I don't think I should have to referee football matches on the weekend.
―Was your decision to live and work in Akita influenced by your family?
Yes, my parents are in Akita so I wanted to be close to them. When I graduated from university I thought about staying in Sapporo but since both my sisters had moved away from Akita without me there would be no one to look after my parents. So I decided to come back and teach.
―What kind of teacher do you want to be?
In terms of educating, I want to keep up to date and constantly find new ways of teaching in order to provide students with the best. In terms of life, I want to be a teacher who can motivate students, who can let them feel happy and who can let them be very willing to talk with. I hope to tell students what can be done rather than what cannot be done. I know many students hate to be forbidden to do something, so I don't want to do that. When I was a student, I didn't like to be told that I couldn't do this or that, so now I don't want to bring that to my students.
About your students
―Do you think the students you teach have less opportunity than students living in the city?
Yes they do. For instance, English speaking and proficiency tests like TOEIC aren't held in Akita Prefecture, so they don't get that opportunity to improve their English. There is also the fact that there are very few students in Akita comparatively. Therefore, while city students can compare themselves and be encouraged by many people, the Akita students only have the students in their immediate circle. That also means the students who are going worse are more likely to be judged.
―How do you try to compensate for this discrepancy?
I always tell them not to compare themselves to their neighbour. Definitely don't compare yourself to others, especially since beyond your field of vision there are the other students from all over the country. As well as that I try to recommend that they always take opportunities when they are available- like seminars. They should be motivated by outside of school opportunities too I think.
―Do you think English teaching is necessary in Japan?
On social networks these days anyone can express their opinion. So communicating with people who speak different languages is normal. For instance, if you're talking to someone who speaks Korean, you should use English as a common language. Therefore it's the best tool for communication. Sometimes my students say 'But there aren't any foreigners in Akita anyway', but because of the declining population here it will be important to talk to foreigners to keep our businesses open and expand overseas. Because of that, English is important.
―Why did you become a high school teacher? If you compare it to Primary and Middle school what are the differences?
I'm also qualified to teach in Middle School, and considered it for a while so there's not a strong reason for me. I think if I had to say it would be because in high school they have a better command over English. In Middle School the focus is more on basic grammar right? So in high school I have to teach about communication and work together with my students. I also think I have more of an impact on my students' lives as a high school teacher.
―Do you have a vision for how you want your students to turn out?
I always say I want my students to become people who help others. That their job is to help not only themselves but do things others don't want to- to help people do what they can't do alone. The ultimate goal is to contribute to society through the job you have.
―Why do you think contributing to society is the goal?
I got some advice from a man who became a teacher around when I did. He said that when they trained new workers at his old company they always said that "Just doing what you're told isn't your job, it's doing what other people can't do. Think about how you can contribute to society." Until I heard that my only goal had been to go to university and then get a job. However, that I realised that if my goal end was just having a job then as soon as I began working I wouldn't have the opportunity to grow as a person. So, I think that if you can think of your job as a means to an end you can keep growing and maturing as a person. Similarly, if your only goal is to get into university then as soon as you are accepted you have no goal left. I want people to keep growing as people, so it's better to have a big goal like this and think of education and working as a means to that end.
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