College of Education alumnus selected as top 10 finalist for Global Teacher Prize
Kazuya Takahashi, an English teacher at Kogakuin University Junior and Senior High School in Tokyo, Japan, and an alumnus of the College of Education, was selected as a top-10 finalist for the prestigious Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize for his innovative work in the classroom.
Takahashi was selected among 8,000 candidates around the world and is the first person from Japan to ever be nominated for the $1 million award. The Global Teacher Prize is the largest of its kind and is presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession.
My teaching style is based on learning science and constructionism," said Takahashi. “I believe educators have to teach not only the subject, but also how students should take responsibility for their learning and contribute to others using what they learn.
The winner of the Global Teacher Prize will be selected later this month. If Takahashi wins, he will establish a foundation to help students in the Tohoku region, which was hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. He also hopes to establish a school one day.