Farewell to 塩沢商工高校 Shiozawa Shogyo

My last day at this visit school, students used the earthquake as an excuse not to come to school (even though there were no damages in this area). Students were playing truant as they found that their friends were not in school. There were 11 students in my 2nd-period class, 9 in my 3rd-period class and after lunch, there was a grand total of FOUR students in my 4th period class!! I started teaching at that school only last Sep, but I've enjoyed myself there. Although the students are not so good at English, they always welcome me enthusiastically and not too shy to be afraid of making mistakes when speaking English. The teachers of that school are also very supportive. I was disappointed that I couldn't bid my students a proper farewell.

Some students did, however, write some farewell cards for me in advance. A few messages made me scratch my head and wonder if I've accomplished anything at all in the last year that I've taught these kids. Look:

"I need the girl is Cindy"

"What I want for Christmas is the car"

"Dear Cindy

Thanks to Cindy

You are Cindy

I was Cindy"

Most were really sweet, even if there were mistakes:
"You are lesson was fun"
"Thank you. I enjoy English"

"I love Cindy"

"Please don't forget us"

"Your class is interesting"

"Very good teacher is Cindy"

"You are very cute"

etc.

One prophetic card read:

"You'll be back"

But the one that touched me most had just 3 simple words written in large bold print:

"Great Teacher Cindy (GTC)" (after the manga Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO))

I will miss these crazy & fun-loving students!

Yohei - tall, lanky boy with a crewcut who always has the class in hysterics. Once tried to crawl into class, commando-style, hoping that I would not spot him being late.

Yuutaro - a really sweet baseball player who invited me to his house when he heard that I was leaving. Helps me shush the class when they're too noisy.

Shunpei - convinced that I'm a Japanese trying to pass off as a foreigner. Ceaselessly asking me "実は日本人でっしょう?" (Actually, you are a Japanese right?) and "英語をどこにならった?" (Where did you learn English from?). Thinks that my "real name" is Sato Michiko. Was warned by the Japanese teacher that the Japanese words he was using to test if I was Japanese bordered on sexual harrassment (sakuhara, in Japanese).