One down, two to go

Today was the end of the first trimester of the 2010-11 school year. I had been looking forward to this day since mid-May, not because I don't enjoy teaching my students but because my schedule is such that I am exhausted all the time and had been anticipating the much-needed break. However, the realization came to me last week that not only does the summer break mean that I won't be teaching, although I still will have to go to school, but also that I won't see my students. (Some of you more experienced teachers out there may say that's a good thing. But if you'll just hear me out, you'll understand why it was so difficult to say goodbye.)

Last week as I was saying goodbye at the end of each English class, although I knew that we would all see each other today, it very much felt like a farewell since I knew that we all wouldn't be able to interact today. So when it came time for the students to line up at 11:30am today to head home for lunch after the closing ceremony and home room activities ended, I started to cry. At the time, I thought it was because there were some students whom I most likely would never see again - i.e., the two sets of Japanese-American siblings who'd been at school this summer while visiting their grandparents and the unrelated boy and girl who are moving to different cities. So I prayed God's protection on all of them this summer, whatever they may do or wherever they may go, as I was standing there waiting for them to leave and waving at them as they were waving at me. But later this afternoon, I realized that there was more to my sadness than just missing their cute faces over the next six weeks.

My adjustment to life in Japan hasn't been easy. I've been without car/scooter/bike for three months and have been dependent on public transportation and/or other people to get me around town, both of which have proved to not always be reliable. As such, it's been extremely difficult for me to connect physically with the other teachers in my group, since I've sometimes had to miss church or have not been invited to various activities due to my lack of wheels (or so I tell myself). As a result, I've consoled myself in the fact that while socially my life may be lacking here in Japan, vocationally I've been quite fulfilled, so much so that I've started to contemplate a career change for when I return to the U.S. So to not have that joy for the next six weeks left me feeling bereft.

The other experienced teachers tell me that students will be at school everyday this summer. Some of them, e.g., the prefecture's (nation's?) entire fourth grade population, will be doing summer school for math whereas others will just come to school to play with their friends. (Before moving here, I couldn't understand why kids would want to come to school during the summer. But now that I realize that many of them live in apartment buildings and that there isn't enough space for them to play, it makes sense.) And today I was informed about a neighborhood fair for my school's students that will occur this Sunday afternoon and evening at the school for which teachers are encouraged to work. So while I will not get into the habit that many Japanese teachers have of working seven days a week, I think I will work during half or all of the festival so that I can spend some more time with the kids.

Until next time...