Japan-Palau Alumni Series: Vol.28 Ms. Tanya Patris

Ms. Tanya Patris is an alumna of the Japan Government MEXT Scholarship’s Teacher Training Program (TTP). She was born in Koror to Mr. Thomas Patris of Hatohobei State and Ms. Mary Yangilmau of Pulo Anna, an island in Sonsorol State. Ms. Patris went to Japan in 2013 for 18 months to participate in the teacher training program. Before her departure, she was a teacher at Maris Stella Elementary School. She chose to join the program because she was interested in how mathematics was taught in Japanese schools. She also shared that, given Japan’s strong reputation in education, she applied immediately after reading about the TTP program in the newspaper.
 
Ms. Patris spent her first six months at Kobe University learning the Japanese language and was later sent to Hyogo University of Teacher Education. While there, Ms. Patris said the highlight of her experience was participating in the , “jugyo kenkyu” or lesson research, alongside other teachers. She and her colleagues visited local schools to observe various lessons and learn from one another’s practices. They exchanged ideas about teaching styles and discussed what might work in each other’s classrooms. Although she couldn’t teach due to differing educational standards, she was grateful for the opportunity to observe and share ideas. We asked Ms. Patris about her thoughts after the observations. She said that while “in Palau we often adopt outside strategies, in Japan, teachers used their own methods.” She also noticed that math wasn’t just limited to the classroom but was present in students' everyday lives. She found it interesting and refreshing.
 
Ms. Patris completed her primary education at Maris Stella School in Palau and then attended Xavier High School in Chuuk State, part of the Federated States of Micronesia. After graduating from Xavier, she went on to Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, where she majored in elementary education. She earned her bachelor’s degree and continued for another year to obtain her master’s degree. While attending university, she took Japanese classes at another nearby college. She completed all three courses but still wanted to continue learning the language. That’s why she was so happy to study it again during her first six months at Kobe University as part of the TTP Program.
 
Her first job was teaching at Maris Stella School, where she worked for four years until it was time for her to attend the Teacher Training Program. After completing the program and returning to Palau, she continued teaching at Maris Stella for several more years before moving to the Special Education section of the Ministry of Education. She later transferred within the Ministry to teach English at Palau High School, where she has been working for the past three years.
 
When asked what she liked most about Japan, Ms. Patris said she “doesn’t have a favorite… they all have different things to love.” For example, during her time in Kobe, she enjoyed the scenic views, mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. She also spoke about her travels during a short break while transitioning from Kobe to Hyogo. She visited Hiroshima and Kagoshima by train, then took a ferry to Okinawa. From there, she flew to Nagoya and took another ferry up to Hokkaido. Ms. Patris was pleasantly surprised by how affordable travel was in Japan. Every place was different but had something special to offer. Ms. Patris also couldn’t decide on just one favorite food, as she found them all very good. She mentioned that the takoyaki and okonomiyaki in Osaka were especially delicious, but again, it was hard to pick a favorite.
 
Ms. Patris formed cherished connections during her stay, especially with her host family, who welcomed her warmly and included her in many cultural activities and trips. She remembers their hospitality and kindness. Her classmates came from diverse countries including Laos, Iran, Honduras, Costa Rica, and the Solomon Islands, and she bonded with many through shared moments like when she and her Myanmar friend cooked a traditional Myanmar dish for their host family.
 
Another memory from her time in Japan was her climb up Mt. Fuji. She said, “I thought I was going to die. At one point, I was crawling, but I just kept going one step after another until I reached the summit.” She was glad she pushed through as it became a moment that she cherished because she and her friends experienced it together.
 
Ms. Patris shared, “I would love to go back to Japan and see everything again. It was always so beautiful, the flowers, the snow, the cherry blossoms, the maple trees.”

For our final question, we asked Ms. Patris about her thoughts on the relationship between Japan and Palau. She mentioned that Japan has done a lot for Palau and expressed her hope for Palau to in turn offer some support to Japan, especially in times of emergency. She also said she is very grateful to have had the opportunity to study in Japan and considers it a very special country.