×
 

Daniel Patterson

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedInShare to EmailPrint this page
Daniel Patterson
Daniel Patterson

Daniel Patterson

Position in School: Kindergarten Learning Assistant

Nationality: Canadian

 

What year did you come to YIS, and where were you working prior to YIS?
 
In August 2021. Previously I was at the Daizawa International School, and before that Tokyo International School Kindergarten Nakameguro.
 
 
What attracted you to come work at YIS?
 
Its long standing reputation of being one of the best International Schools in Japan and its integrity to be up to date in the ever growing field of education.


What do you love most about the subject that you teach?
 
The joy young learners have when they have agency in what they learn and take pride in their accomplishments.
 
 
What sports or non-academic activities are you involved with at school?
 
This year I am helping out with the gardening club and sometimes teaching ikebana to compliment the curriculum in the primary years. 
 

How would you describe the IB Program, and its value, to parents?
 
It is an internationally-minded education with a framework of learning that is transferable across the curriculum and IB schools around the world. 
 
 
What are your hobbies and interests outside of school, and what do you enjoy most about life in Japan?
 
Outside of school I am heavily involved in ikebana, it is a large passion of mine. Hand in hand with ikebana I love gardening, I appreciate the power of music and I play the harp with a focus on harp therapy, using music to help produce relaxation and meditation for those who hear it. I also like making wax seals for letters. Living in Japan there are countless places to explore, and always new things to see and plenty of international opportunities to experience. 
 

If you weren’t a teacher, what would your profession be?

Pastry Chef.
 

If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be and what would you discuss?

Britney Spears, discussing what her life has been like with a conservatorship and what she plans to do after she is released from her conservatorship.
 

Which YIS event(s) do you enjoy the most, and why?

I love the Food Fair, it’s a large part of the Yokohama community, and you can see all the effort people put into the festival. 
 

What advice would you give to teachers looking to work in Japan?

Forget all of your preconceived thoughts about what you think you know about Japan and start from the ground up when you get here. Be open to all of the new experiences you will encounter.
 

What excites you most about the new YIS campus?
All of the new facilities that have been made with the intention for optimal facilitation of education.