Following the TAIP Spring Conference 2026 on Saturday, April 25, we invited participants to share their reflections. Here is what Divya Marie Kato had to say.
My first experience at a TAIP conference resulted in renewed connections with teachers I worked with over fifteen years ago! That we had met at the start of our careers and again at this stage highlighted TAIP's strength (and why it was more than worth it to dedicate a Saturday!): bringing lifelong learners together. In the sessions that followed, having this chance to meet, talk and share real-life experiences with other teachers (and bump into favourite authors!), proved invaluable. That these events are also conducted within school settings (thank you schools for inviting us in) provides a wonderful lens with which to view provision: many great ideas can be picked up simply by walking around.
The most recent conference, held this month, felt better timed within Japan's context and in terms of reflecting on the school year as we approach the summer. The panel discussions at the start provided an insightful opportunity to consider approaches in the current educational landscape — notably discussing limitations with respect and humility — so important! What I enjoyed most about the following information sessions and experiential workshop, was the hands-on aspect to them. We were able to meet new friends in our groups and experiment. We played with fresh ideas, rather than stifle yawns (!) over fixed ones. The excitement I saw on the faces as we engaged with everything from thermic tablets to projections on walls of insects said it all: this is what we wish to see in those faces we see at school.
Divya Marie Kato
FRSA, Artist, Atelierista, Art Educator