My Second University Graduation

I graduated from Teikyo Heisei University on March 21st.

I entered the distance learning course in April 2016 as a part-time student.

Teachers who want to obtain a computer science teaching license need to get 34 credits with 12 required subjects, and I registered for four subjects and got 12 credits in 2016.

Since it was my second year teaching computers, I also wanted to learn how to handle computer classes by taking lessons as a student. I also resisted the MS Office basics even though it was an optional subject for my computer science teaching license.

No Promotion for a CS Teacher in Japan?

It took me three school years to finish the 12 subjects for a computer science teaching license, but in March 2018, I decided to become a regular student and get a degree in management.
A year-end meeting with the principal in March 2018 completely changed my fate.

I apologize in advance;  we won't have a computer teacher from our regular staff next school year and forever.

---he announced to me.
I was disappointed then because I was a part-time teacher and struggled to become a regular teacher.
"I can't get promoted however hard I work", I almost lost my motivation to work hard and cursed my fate.
On the way home from work that day, I called the university student affairs office and told them I wanted to become a regular student for the next school year.
The SAO staff accepted me as a regular student entering in April 2016, with 38 credits I acquired in two years as a part-time student.

A New Job Offer

In April 2018, I registered for Internet network building classes and two English classes.
I finished all the lessons for my computer science teaching license and enjoyed studying two English classes.
The English classes I took in 2018 were essential subjects for regular students, and so were the MS Office basics, which I took in 2016.

In March 2019, I got transferred to my current workplace.
Moreover, the ex-manager suggested I teach intermediate MS Excel and business manners from the 2020 school year!
It's funny that a computer science teaching license covers only the basics of MS Excel; it requires a commerce teaching license to teach intermediate and advanced MS Excel, but I delightfully accepted this offer.

My university also offers classes for commerce teachers; I will register for a commerce teaching license course from next school year.

I submitted my learning progress to him, and the next month, a temporary commerce teaching license was issued to me.

Struggle with Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is one of the mandatory subjects for regular students, which many students take a couple of years to pass.
I looked for a reasonable bookkeeping course in my neighborhood and found one in Kashiwa City, Chiba, which was the closest to home.

The bookkeeping course I took in 2019 was provided at the computer school supported by the Chamber of Commerce; I went to the computer school, watched video instructions, and solved the problems in my textbook.
The university also provides a hands-on bookkeeping lesson in February: the regular students who entered in 2020 or later can choose a correspondence lesson or a 5-day hands-on lesson to acquire the bookkeeping credit.
I had no choice but to take a correspondence course because I needed to go to work during the hands-on lesson days.

Distance Learning in the COVID Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic news really saddened me, especially in 2020.
COVID-19 was considered a fatal disease then until the COVID-19 shots started.
I often felt helpless daily; I just went to work and studied very little.
In 2021, I got used to a limited lifestyle; I worked on my papers again and finished two essential subjects.
2022 was a very tough year for me: my youngest daughter had come down with COVID and I needed to quarantine myself.
I had to cancel my hands-on summer lessons, which postponed my graduation.
Moreover, I failed human resource studies, which took me two years to finish.
Finally, I made it to graduate within the term of study.

My Future After Graduation

I have a pending class for my commerce teacher's license even though I graduated from Teikyo Heisei Univ.
I will stay at my current university as a part-time student to finish studying OJT management.