Halfway
September has come and with it the second half of the school year.
I cannot believe it has been three months now since I started teaching the students who took Matsutani-san’s lessons.
It is hard to tell how much they’ve grown because growth is not like a squall that isn’t there one minute and suddenly there the next. It is more like a constant drizzle that you barely feel on your skin, but will eventually soak your clothes if you stay under it long enough.
I cannot say how much they’ve grown in three months, but I can say that they have changed. 😁
Some of those who I thought were shy now laugh out loud when they find something funny. Those who I thought were too quiet complain when I do something naughty. 😆😆
There are those who try to speak less Japanese. There are those who are getting a better score in the listening test. There are those who are becoming less concerned about making mistakes and more focused in expressing themselves. There are those who are discovering strengths they didn’t know they had.
Of course, there are also those who continue to get a low score in the listening test or don’t remember what they’ve learned in their previous lessons.
They are not perfect.
But that’s okay.
As I have told students before, they are not supposed to be perfect. Their class is not a competition to show off their skills; it is an opportunity for them to practice what they know, learn something new and express themselves.
It’s only been three months and already they’ve changed, and I can’t wait to see how else they will change in the months to come!