✦ Meet the Teachers

The people behind Bridgeway

ABC Bridgeway is a small, close-knit school — and that's exactly how we like it. Get to know the teachers your child will learn with.

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Alex Brock

Lead English Instructor
✦ From Maryland to Yamagata

A lifelong love of Japan —
and of teaching

Alex grew up in Maryland, USA, with a deep fascination for Japanese culture that started early — watching Dragon Ball and Pokémon as a kid, he was drawn into a world that felt both wonderfully different and genuinely exciting. That curiosity never faded, and eventually it led him all the way to Yamagata, where he has been teaching English to children and families since 2011.

Alex's approach to teaching comes from his background in Psychology — he understands how people learn, what motivates them, and how to build confidence in a way that lasts. His classes are warm, encouraging, and genuinely fun. He believes that when a child feels safe to make mistakes and try again, real language learning happens.

Outside the classroom, Alex is a musician and creative maker. He plays guitar and has a deep interest in design — an interest that has led him to create his own musical board games from scratch. His students often discover that English and creativity go hand in hand.

🎓 B.A. Psychology — Towson University, Baltimore
📜 TESOL Certified (100-hour)
👶 TEYL — Teaching English to Young Learners
📅 Teaching since 2011
🎸 Music Guitarist and lifelong music lover
🎲 Board Games Designer of original musical board games
✏️ Design Passionate about creative making
🐉 Japanese Culture Anime fan since Dragon Ball & Pokémon
Kyoko Sakurada
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Kyoko Sakurada

Japanese Instructor & School Administrator
✦ Yamagata Born and Raised

Bringing English closer
to home

Kyoko was born and raised right here in Yamagata City, and has spent over fifteen years helping local children find their feet in English. Her teaching career began in 2008 at Peppy Kids Club, where she developed a strong foundation in communicative English instruction for young learners.

From 2019 to 2025, Kyoko served as a 派遣外国語指導員 (dispatched foreign language instructor) for the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education — working across multiple elementary schools in the Murayama district, including schools in Ōe, Sagae, and beyond. She supported classroom English lessons for students from Grade 3 through Grade 6, working alongside classroom teachers to make English accessible and enjoyable for every child.

At ABC Bridgeway, Kyoko handles Japanese-language support, grammar instruction, and school administration — making sure every parent and student always has someone they can talk to, in the language they're most comfortable with.

🏫 Teaching since 2008
🏛️ 山形県教育庁 Dispatched Instructor (2019–2025)
📚 Elementary English Specialist (Gr. 3–6)
🗾 Yamagata City Native

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