Last Day

I'll write the same entry in English so that my students can read it.

Today is the last day of class in the spring semester. And it's my last day at the current university. As I emailed most of the readers of this blog, I decided to leave for Japan for good after this semester. I'll teach Japanese at a program in Kyoto. This program is affiliated with the institution where I work now, so I sort of got this position through the connection, but I'm happy to be able to go home.

As usual, the last day was spent on review for the final exam. In the first-year class, the students played Jeopardy! using a PowerPoint. When asked what activity they'd like to do at the beginning of this semester, some of my students said they'd like to do Jeopardy!, so I had the students create questions for the game and play it.

65 minutes passed quickly as the students played the game in a group. 5 minutes before the end, I thanked them for the wonderful semester and gave them some information about the final exam. Then, B-sa said, "We have a gift for you". As I wondered what it would be, he said it's a serious gift and to my surprise, he pulled out a Tiffany gift bag from his bag! I looked into the bag and found a jewelry box and a card. I opened the box, and there was a silver heart-shaped necklace.
I was so moved that I cried. I expected nothing like this, so I was so very much touched. They put up with an inexperienced teacher like me without complaining and chipped in to buy such a wonderful gift. Oh, just remembering it makes me cry... Before we left the room, we took photos together. Thinking back, I should have worn the necklace... It's my bad. So, here's the photo of me with the necklace---only my neck, though :P
I read the card in my office and cried again. My students filled the card with their messages, wishing me the best.
And it's time for the second-year Japanese class. The very last class of mine here... The students exchanged the texts they revised for the critical literacy project in this semester (I wrote I would report it in this blog, but I haven't...), reviewed some materials for the final exam, and watched a Japanese TV program that B-san brought for about 20 minutes, while eating Kobe Fugetsudo's sweets I purchased at Mitsuwa in LA (requested by B-san :-)). Unlike the first-year Japanese class, the second-year Japanese class ended as usual, and we took the photos at the end. No crying this time probably because we've known each other for a while and some of the students plan to visit me in Kyoto during the summer.

I concluded the last day by having a small party with my colleagues who was still working. I had a little beer, but others enjoyed the red wine that N-sensei got from her students. Over sushi and otsumami, we chatted away for about 2 hours.

So, this is my last day. What a nice day!!!