November 2024 Teacher-Scholar Spotlight: Naohito Miura

Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about and from teaching.

Naohito Miura, G7 in Religion

Summarize your research in 2 sentences.

My research centers on Japanese religions, new religious movements, and globalization, with a focus on Igreja Mundial do Messias Angola, the Angolan branch of Sekai Meshia Kyo, a Japanese new religion founded in 1935 by Okada Mokichi. My dissertation examines its transnational spread and expansion into Africa, informed by ethnographic fieldwork and archival research in Angola, Brazil, and Japan.

What have you learned from teaching?

I learned that intellectual humility is critical in teaching, since I myself am always learning and growing as a teacher, together with my students.

How did you get involved with the Bok Center?

Before starting graduate school, I taught at a middle school in Hawaii for two years. When I first heard about the Bok Center as a PhD student, I immediately thought about getting involved because my teacher instinct told me that it’s going to be really helpful to have a supportive group of experienced teachers around me so I can learn from them (and to have a safe space to vent and find solidarity after a challenging day of teaching). I also thought that working towards the Bok Teaching Certificate will give me a clear structure and helpful motivation to improve my teaching and communication skills.

What is something you learned in a Bok Seminar that you’ll use in the future?

There are so many things I could list here, but the first thing that comes to mind is time management and the importance of having enough time not only to prepare for class, teach lessons, and meet with students, but also to work on our research, do things that bring us joy, and sleep!

What would you say to PhD students about why they should get involved with the Bok Center?

I really enjoyed the process of working towards the Bok Teaching Certificate, and it was also fun meeting PhD students from other departments that I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. The Bok Center provided me with the opportunity to work as a Pedagogy Fellow for one year and co-facilitate a course called “Pedagogy in the Study of Religion.” That was a great experience that allowed me to learn about pedagogical issues specific to my field, together with other PhD students as well as faculty members in my department that I did not have the chance to work with previously. Teaching can be that connective tissue bringing people together from various backgrounds, and I appreciated having these valuable opportunities through the Bok Center.

What’s a fun fact about yourself?

I’m a proud graduate of Nu'uanu Elementary School (in Honolulu), and the school motto/vision is “learners for life” and the mascot is the nene goose.

Have you been working with the Bok Center this year? Do you want to be featured in the Teacher-Scholar spotlight? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch!