グローテ ヨシ ジョアナ キャロライン

My current research theme is the application of positive psychology principles to the classroom. I am interested in the link between raising students’ well-being and confidence, and their academic success.

My current research is in happiness and well-being. I believe both are skills that we can learn to be better at. Research from the field of positive psychology has concluded that happy students work harder and learn more. In fact, Harvard graduate school of education neuroscientist and researcher, Dr. Christina Hinton, has concluded that happiness is positively correlated with motivation and academic achievement.
My previous research was in the field of intercultural communication. I have always been interested in how cultures interact together – not just national cultures but many varieties of “difference.” In particular, I am curious about how people find belonging in "created" communities. When I completed my Master’s in Intercultural Communication (over ten years ago now), I explored the concept of nation-less patriotism in adult third culture kids. I then became interested in how Japanese LGBTQIA+ students conceptualize their sense of belonging / liminality in terms of identity and environment. I’m involved in promoting the visibility and awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues in educational contexts in Japan. In the past few years, I've been learning more about crafting classroom cultures that encourage cohesion and belonging in conjunction with activities explicitly focused on raising student well-being and connectivity. Every year, I organize a conference called, “Living on the Edge” which invites people to share their stories of how they use diversity to connect with others.

I was born in the UK but lived there only for two weeks. I grew up in Poland, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Singapore and Egypt and have since lived in Tanzania, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. I have worked in the fields of publishing, public relations, travel and intercultural training but once I became a teacher, I realized that was my passion. I am married and have a 9-year-old daughter. In my free time I go for a run or a hike and to relax, our family loves to go bouldering, camping or snowboarding.

Life is short – get out and see the world. Most of us wait too long to start believing in what is possible – start now. Happiness can be found in adventure, strong relationships with family and friends, helping others and the planet, engagement with work, deep sleep, getting outside, exercise, and lots of ice-cream. The secret to almost everything is effort.