NEW創設者より NEW was founded in 1994 by myself, a senior high school teacher and graduate of TUFS, Matsui Takeshi, and two students at TUFS who were planning to become teachers, Kurihara Sachiko and Ito Kazumasa. As I remember, we were talking after a presentation by Mr. Matsui (at a meeting of another teachers' association) about the need for a 'new', informal association which would provide mutual benefits for university-based teacher trainers such as myself (at that time I had been at TUFS for three years and was to stay for another six), student teachers, and practising teachers who had graduated from the university. We wanted to provide opportunities for non-hierarchical sharing of experience-based insights related to teaching (within a bottom-up, 'reflective' rather than more top-down 'applied science' or 'craft' paradigm of teacher development). In practice this meant that nobody's voice dominated: the ideas of all were equally respected, from student-teacher to teacher to teacher-trainer. I'm proud to have been involved in the formation and nurturing of NEW - and to know that it continues to provide opportunities for mutual support, sharing and learning which is of real value to its members and beyond. With your enthusiasm, NEW won't grow old! Richard Smith
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