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.

Jennifer currently teaches Japanese at Castle Hill High School after working in Adelaide for four years as a Japanese teacher. She likes to meet up with Japanese teachers and share information to deepen her knowledge. She is always willing to have a chat and especially enjoys helping new members network and connect.

Rebecca is currently focussing on teaching the Japanese Beginners course. She spent two years working as an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET program from 2014 – 2016 and has experience working across various primary and high schools in the Government system since 2012. Her interests are in networking with teachers to learn more about Languages teaching.

Kurtis is an early career educator based in the Northern Beaches with experience in teaching in partially selective sports, fully selective academic, 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 Suginami, Tokyo.

He is also a qualified modern history teacher, specialised in European history and World War II.

He enjoys every opportunity where he can learn and grow and is passionate about inclusivity, student identity formation and wellbeing. Kurtis’ interests include singing, Eurovision and learning Korean.

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.