Passionate about the learning and teaching of languages, Katherine has taught Japanese at tertiary level, and in comprehensive and selective secondary schools. Katherine has a strong interest in student retention, engagement and motivation at all levels of learning and is always looking for more effective strategies, techniques and approaches to further increase student uptake of languages. She is currently looking at how we can use the target language more effectively in the classroom and how formative assessment can be used to increase student achievement and confidence.

Sally Mizoshiri is a dedicated, focused and passionate high school teacher of Japanese. She commenced her teaching of Japanese in 2009 at North Sydney Girls High School and has worked consistently to obtain outstanding student outcomes in Stages 4-6 including Extension Japanese. She has previously served as JTAN NSW Workshops Co-ordinator and as JTAN President and is highly committed to mentoring younger teachers and her students of Japanese. She was awarded a Regional Director’s Beginning Teacher Award for the NSW DEC Northern Sydney Region in November 2012. Sally has presented on Japanese Language Education at school conferences, JTAN NSW Workshops and Conferences, DoE NSW Japanese conferences, the 2012 and 2014 National Symposiums on Japanese Language Education and other Australian conferences on Japanese Language Education.

She is particularly interested in the work of Professor John Hattie (Visible Learning), Professor Maryanne Wolf (https://www.maryannewolf.com/), literacy and scaffolding in language learning, and supporting the specific needs of Gifted and Talented students.

Kurtis is an educator based in the Northern Beaches with experience in teaching in sports, selective, co-educational and boys schools. While Kurtis was on exchange in Japan in 2017-2018, he briefly worked in a tertiary setting, as well as volunteering as an Assistant English Teacher at a primary and junior high school in Tokyo. He enjoys every opportunity where he can learn and grow and is passionate about supporting pre-service and early career teachers, as well as student inclusivity, identity formation and wellbeing. Kurtis’ interests include Eurovision, KPOP and learning languages.

Aaron McLuckie is a passionate educator who has worked as a Japanese teacher in a range of co-educational and single-sex schools for 20 years and is currently the Head of Languages at Central Coast Grammar School. His mission is to work with educators to build a shared vision of providing personalised, authentic, and innovative language-learning experiences for all students. Leading educators to reflect and develop their practice underpins Aaron’s philosophy of education. In his spare time, he loves to travel the world, learn new languages, and immerse himself in new cultures.