Bowing Out

Today I left my last school with a tad more grace than last year, though still with plenty of awkward clapping and a few tears.

I've officially ended my position here as a teacher so I can admit this: I went out for 女子会 Girl's Night with Harue, Chisa, and guess what...the hair stylist who wants me to model!...last night. We started strong at Mountee and I stumbled out of Bar Roots close to 12:30am. I have my foolproof preventative hangover method (Ibubrofen, apple cider vinegar and water, and a banana before bed), so this morning I wasn't a total wreck, just a little hazy.

Still, I managed to pull out some fun last classes for first and second graders, if I do say so. On Friday, I brought in a CD and the third graders learned "Rude" by Magic. They were actually really very good! Today, the first and second graders got off just as easy playing games like Simon Says, a word-writing game called Shiritori where you write a word that starts with the last letter of the preceding word, and Fruits Basket. The second grade I challenged with a flag activity. I asked them to design a flag of themselves showing what they want to do in the future, their hobby and the most important thing to them (it followed some of the grammar points they learned: fun and functional!). Then, they can use it to introduce themselves to the next English teacher.

After lunch was my goodbye ceremony. I was escorted by the principal to the gym where the students and teachers were waiting. They directed me to a chair on stage and the principal gave a speech. He told the students I had lived in Japan for two years, thanked me for being there and making the classes enjoyable, and generally stated that the school would wish me luck in the future.

Or maybe I'm fantasizing.

After his speech, they asked me to give a few words. The thing about this little school is even though I was only there for two days every couple of weeks, and only for a single school year, I ended up crying a little at the end of my speech. They called themselves "a small family" when I met them last spring, and I actually saw that. I encouraged the students to challenge themselves, be a little crazy at times, and if they make a mistake, it's okay and to just smile.

I hope they saw me demonstrate all those principles over the past year, especially the crazy and the smiling.