Introduction

I’m honored to be asked to contribute to the Soapbox b/c I believe helping others learn can only lead to good things. Anyway, before I post my first actual article I thought it best that I let you know a little about myself. I was born in a small town in England but ended up spending most of my childhood in South East Asia thanks to my father’s work. From the age of 8 to 13 I called Manila my home and then moved to Bangkok where I stayed till college came calling. In both these cities I attended International Schools soaking up the different cultures around me. I guess that’s why I found it slightly tough to adjust to living in America when I attended college in California. During my college career I chose to come to Japan on a foreign exchange program and that’s where I got my first taste of Japan and that’s when I realized how much it had to offer. After graduating I came to Japan and like most of the teachers here I started out working at an English school in the area. They taught me so much but in the end I felt that they didn’t put the students first which is what made me look into opening my own school. Before opening my Smith’s school I was lucky enough to have experienced working at elementary schools, nursery schools as well as teaching privately. These experiences all helped me improve as both a teacher and a person so I’m glad I did a little of everything because they helped open my eyes to the varied customers we encounter. I’m very proud that my school has been open for 6 years now and hope my knowledge and experiences can be of value to those of you that want to succeed in this industry.

I would also like to mention that my wife and I were in the tsunami that hit Indonesia two years ago and it forever changed my life. Maybe one day I’ll post it here for those that are interested.

Anyway, now you know a little about me and where I’m coming from. I trust you’ll enjoy reading my articles.

Many thks.

-Adrian