ちょねむい (chonemui-something Haruka taught me, I think it's student slang for: I'm frekkin sleepy)

I've got to say, this year's graduation is going to be a doozy.

Gotsu High School used to have 4 levels of each grade. The 4th level students were the students in the English course. The year I arrived they got rid of the 4th level and now the 3rd level classes are the English course students. So with this graduating class goes the higher level of English conversation ability.

I really like these 3rd grade (seniors in high school) English Course students. The joy of working with this class is that I can be a bit more creative with their lessons than with the younger classes. I was able to do an environment class and now a current event debate, I love this kind of stuff (I fully admit to nerdiness and can show you a membership card). Today, watching them prepare for their conversation exam on current events, I was impressed by how brightly their individual personalities glow. Lately I've been able to help them prepare for exams so I've had the chance to talk to them one-on-one. I've heard about boyfriend and girlfriend problems, love triangles, study issues and dreams of traveling. I'm reminded of how small the world looked when I was a senior in my rural high school, but these students, with their remarkable ability to read, write and speak English have a perspective that is much broader. They see the opportunities that rise when a person masters another country's language. With a little more studying they have access to hundreds of countries around the world. It's inspiring, intimidating and so exciting to watch them become aware of that accessibility.

As thrilled as I am for them, I'm afraid that the more I get to know them the harder it will be when they graduate. However, I understand that I'm staying in Japan primarily for that purpose. I'm trying to rid myself of the habit of being cautious about what I shouldn't be cautious about and focus my attentions on the areas of my life which I always neglect to be careful. It's a learning process. A difficult, trying, thrilling and engaging process. I just hope I can be as forgiving of myself as others are.