A Private Tutor That Faces Students' "Wants" and Guides Them Toward "Independence"
The power to think for yourself and survive in the future
Acquiring the ability to think for yourself and live through your own future—that is the greatest goal of us at WhyLab. In today's educational environment, students are often required to "complete what they are taught." However, we prioritize thinking and acting proactively rather than such passive learning. What we aim for is for children to find their own path to self-realization and acquire the strength to walk that path. To do so, they need the ability to overcome various problems and barriers in order to achieve their dreams and goals.
And to acquire that strength, one must correctly recognize their current situation, plan how to act toward their goals, reflect on the results, and move on to the next step. It is not just about reading school textbooks and memorizing what you are taught; it is like a journey to find a way of learning for yourself.
At first glance, this may seem difficult. However, by finding their own strengths and interests and utilizing those powers, each child can find their own unique path of learning. We at WhyLab support such a learning process, helping children envision their own future and move toward that future under their own power.
Education is not just about teaching knowledge. It is also a guidepost for students to face the world on their own and cultivate the power to create their own future. We walk with children every day, aiming to be that guidepost. And we hope that each child will find their own path and acquire the power to carve out their future with their own strength.
The Current State and Problems of Education
In the current educational environment, the teaching methods of general cram schools and private tutors have become mainstream. Their educational style is often a one-way street from "top to bottom," where the progress and content are decided by the teacher or cram school instructor, and the student follows. This style may seem efficient at first glance, as students gain knowledge directly through the teacher's instruction. However, there is a major problem hidden in this approach.
One of them is the limitations of learning that is not student-led. In a learning method where teachers or cram schools decide everything, students cannot obtain learning based on their own strengths, interests, and desires. In particular, a student's interests and desires greatly influence their motivation for learning. Without the freedom to decide the pace and choose the content they want to learn, their motivation for learning is likely to decline.
Furthermore, without student-led learning, students themselves lose the opportunity for self-awareness and reflection.Finding out for yourself where you are stumbling, what you do not understand, and finding solutions to those problems is an important part of the learning process. This skill is an ability required not only in academics but also in all aspects of future life.
However, in the educational methods of general cram schools and private tutors, there are fewer opportunities for students to acquire such self-awareness and reflection skills. Therefore, there is significant room for improvement in current educational methods, and a new educational style is needed for students to understand themselves and achieve self-realization.
WhyLab's Educational Style
At WhyLab, we believe that the subject of education should be the student. In general cram school and private tutoring education, the teacher decides the content and progress of the class, and the student follows. However, that learning method can reduce student motivation and deprive them of opportunities for self-awareness and reflection. At WhyLab, we encourage students to create their own learning plans.
WhyLab's educational style is that the student takes the lead and creates a learning plan that suits their own goals. The student themselves creates the plan, and the teacher mainly provides advice and support as a subject expert. With this method, students can create a learning plan that fits their lifestyle and goals. When creating a plan for the first time, the teacher will show the steps and key points, supporting the process for the student to learn how to create a plan that suits them.
In our classes, we emphasize the experience of "thinking." Many students tend to think "I don't know" when they encounter complex problems, but that is because they lack the experience of "thinking." In WhyLab classes, we teach the "way of thinking" and its procedures so that students can find answers on their own while using trial and error.
And finally, reflection is an important step to maximize the effectiveness of learning. By making a plan, taking a class, and reflecting on the results, even if things do not go as planned, you can apply that experience to the next time. Also, through reflection, you will deepen your understanding of yourself and acquire the ability to create a learning plan that suits you. By having instructors and families support this series of flows, continuous learning becomes possible.
At WhyLab, we carry out planning, classes, and reflection on a monthly basis. This allows students to deepen their self-awareness and actively participate in achieving their own goals. Also, through reflection at the end of the month, it becomes possible to look back on the process and results of learning and create improvement measures for the next month. We promote student-led learning in this way and help each student cultivate the power to carve out their own future.
Teaching "How to Think": Features of WhyLab Classes
At WhyLab, we emphasize "thinking." However, many students think "I don't know" when they encounter complex problems, and their thinking stops. The cause is that they lack the experience of "thinking" and do not know specifically what to do. In general education, the answer to a problem is presented immediately, and emphasis is placed on repetitive practice. Certainly, repetitive practice is an essential element for the retention of knowledge. However, that alone does not train a student's thinking ability.
To break through that limitation, we emphasize the "thinking" process of planning, executing, and reflecting in our classes.
Our teaching method is inspired by mathematician George Polya's book "How to Solve It." Polya proposed the four steps of "understanding," "planning," "executing," and "reflecting" as a procedure for problem-solving. This simple framework becomes the foundation for cultivating the power to "think" by consciously performing each step.
In WhyLab classes, we first ask students to deeply understand the problem. Grasping what is required and what the essence of the problem is is the first step. Next, we plan a solution to the understood problem. What is important here is to build your own thoughts and ideas. Our teachers play a role in guiding students here, but they do not present the answers; they provide opportunities for students to think for themselves.
Next is the execution phase. We solve the problem using the planned solution. Here too, our tutors support students in thinking and acting for themselves. And finally, the student reflects on the problem they solved. This reflection is an important time for self-evaluation to see if the obtained answer was correct, what went well in the solving process, and what can be improved.
Through this series of processes, students acquire the power and procedures to "think" deeply about a single problem, understand it, and lead it to a solution. As a result, even when faced with complex problems, students become able to reach the answer on their own initiative.
In other words, WhyLab's classes aim not just to cram knowledge, but to ensure that each and every student acquires the ability to "think" independently and trains their capacity to tackle problem-solving. We believe that this teaching method maximizes students' learning abilities and leads to fostering the power to carve out their future.
In-person and Online
WhyLab offers in-person classes by Shinshu University students and online classes by university students from institutions such as Kyoto University and Osaka University.
First, in-person classes are conducted primarily by Shinshu University students. By meeting students face-to-face, we can grasp each individual's level of understanding and specific issues in detail, and provide guidance tailored to them. By immediately catching students' reactions and providing precise advice to their questions, we elicit deep understanding and motivation for learning.
On the other hand, online classes are led by university students, including those from Kyoto University and Osaka University. By eliminating geographical constraints, it is possible to take classes from university students gathered from all over the country who have mastered entrance exam studies. Guidance from them, who possess high levels of specialized knowledge, broadens students' perspectives and stimulates interest in advanced academics.
WhyLab's education provides a learning environment optimized for each individual student by fusing both these in-person and online classes. Through more personalized learning, we foster students' autonomy and the joy of learning.
Message from the Representative
The ultimate educational goal that WhyLab aims for is the development of individual students who have the power to think and act for themselves. We are exploring what education should look like with an eye on the future, and we are fully committed to providing an educational environment where each student can achieve their dreams and goals.
We are currently living in an era called VUCA. VUCA is an acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. It is an era where social change is increasingly rapid, uncertainty is increasing, complexity is rising, and ambiguity is deepening. In such an environment, it is required not just to receive information, but to find one's own meaning from information and to have the power to think and act for oneself.
What is important here is the cultivation of the "power to think and act for oneself" based on WhyLab's educational philosophy. To achieve dreams and goals, no matter how difficult a problem stands in the way, it is necessary to go through a series of thought processes: breaking down the problem, understanding it, making a plan, executing it, and reviewing it.
At WhyLab, we systematically teach this series of thought processes and aim for students to be able to execute them naturally on their own. We believe this is an essential skill for students to carve out their own paths and move toward self-realization.
Finally, we wholeheartedly support each student as they overcome difficult problems and pursue their own dreams and goals. And we deeply hope that WhyLab can share a part of that journey and be a source of support.
Contact Information
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mail : whylab.study@gmail.com
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