#1 A School-Hater Becomes a Teacher, and a Teacher-Hater Decides to Save Teachers | Finding My "True Self" After Hitting Rock Bottom During Leave
Hello, my name is Goto.
Introduction
To start, I experienced a leave of absence during my time as a teacher.
It has been almost two years since I resigned, and although I hadn't spoken about the details to anyone other than my family, I have finally reached a point where I can accept myself, so I decided to write about it in this note.
In this article, I write about 1) Who I am, and 2) The world I aim to create in the future.
For those who have no interest in my past, this content will be completely irrelevant. For those who have been involved with me or have an interest in education, I would like you to read until the end.
Who am I?
I am 31 years old, born in 1993, and I run a company that will enter its second term in January 2025.
My background is quite ordinary, but I sometimes feel that my way of thinking is a little different from others.
From Elementary School to University
My dislike for school grew steadily, peaking in elementary school.
It wasn't just that I was bad at group activities, but more than that, it was because I couldn't fit into the atmosphere that demanded everyone be the same. I always just put on a friendly face and acted like I got along with everyone, while living my life with the mindset that others are others.
Working Life 1: My Time as a Teacher
As someone who hated school, I became a teacher with the desire to provide the education I wish I had received as a child.
What I did was simple: I faced the children with all my might and as equals.
The more I engaged with them, the more the children grew through their own power, and I became captivated by that sight. I loved those children so much.
Why did I take a leave of absence?
The atmosphere in the staff room was something I couldn't fit into.
Adults were difficult for me to deal with.
That was the reason, but by the time I realized it, I had lost my "true self," and by the time I realized it, I was on leave.
The children did nothing wrong.
I hated myself for suddenly disappearing from in front of the children just before their graduation.
I cannot express it well in writing, but they were children I truly loved.
I chose to resign.
I caused a lot of trouble for my family, my workplace, the colleagues who supported me, and the children.
I spent every day genuinely thinking, "Whatever happens to my life, so be it."
Working Life 2: IT Venture Era
I bought a MacBook while on leave. I tried programming to see if there was something I could pour myself into to forget the self I hated. There was no deep reason.
My first job hunt at age 30.
From this time on, I stopped obsessing over work.
I used my paid leave every month to go to Tokyo and started a radio show to see if there was anything I could do for the children.
From here on, my life shifted toward seeking a "true self" away from stability.
Established hitorigoto Inc.
We entered our second term in January 2025.
The world I aim to create
Education is created by adults.
I will create a world where educators shine and educational institutions evolve.
I will write about this in detail in my next article, but
"Teacher-likeness" is erasing the "true self" of each individual teacher.
Specifically, I will achieve the following by the end of January 2025.
Community exclusively for active teachers
We will create "true self" with themes of camaraderie, challenge, and reducing workload.Staff room improvement program
We will propose strategies to schools and educational institutions to create "true self" for each staff member.
If the lives of adults change, the lives of children will also change.
I will live not as a teacher, but as a partner who supports teachers and educational institutions.
As I said at the beginning, I have finally prepared myself to accept who I am in the true sense.
This was my first post with a lot of personal narrative, but thank you for reading until the end.
I will seriously change the lives of teachers.
Finally
I might restart two social media accounts that I have been meaning to work on but haven't been able to. Or maybe I won't.
Youtube
TikTok
It might be a slightly silly name, but the trigger for posting videos is the challenging goal of reaching 100 followers from all of you.
It is also a challenge to myself to push myself forward.
Last but not least
If you would like to hear more or have something you want to consult about, I will always make time.
I will create "true self" in your lives.
Yuma Goto