Speakers
Description
What does it mean to navigate identity while teaching in a society that often values conformity? In this session, we will explore the lived experiences of five Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in Japan who identify as neurodiverse, gender-diverse, sexually diverse, and racially diverse. Each speaker will share their personal journey of identity development, resilience, and connection while living and working in Japan.
We aim to highlight the nuanced and evolving identities of ALTs and the ways in which these identities have deepened through their time in Japan. Specifically, our discussion will focus on three areas:
- How living in Japan has shaped or reshaped our understanding of who we are.
- The tools, communities, or perspectives that have helped us grow in different contexts.
- The impact our identities have had in the classroom—how students, teachers, and communities respond to difference, and how that response can shape broader worldviews.
Speakers will include:
* A Black queer ALT navigating intersectional identity in school and using it to open discussions on global citizenship.
* A nonbinary ALT who has created inclusive language-learning materials and found small ways to model authenticity within a rigorous system.
* A neurodiverse ALT who will share strategies for coping with sensory overload in the workplace while also advocating for accessible teaching environments.
* A mixed-race ALT who explores switching and belonging, both inside and outside the classroom.
We will also reflect on how the presence of ALTs from underrepresented backgrounds challenges traditional narratives and expands what students believe is possible in the world around them. Through authentic representation, students will gain exposure to new ways of thinking, being, and connecting—often resulting in powerful conversations, increased empathy, and even subtle changes in how they see themselves and others.
To close the session, each speaker will offer a takeaway: a personal strategy, support system, or mindset shift that has been meaningful in their journey. There will be time for audience Q&A and small-group discussion, creating space for attendees to reflect on and share their own stories. This session aims not only to amplify marginalized voices but also to foster a sense of community and possibility for all who navigate the edges of identity while living and teaching in Japan.