01 • Choka only twelve years old her spirit has not blackened with grief:s residue or desiccated age-worn and thirsty for joy— gap-toothed and quick through the door she welcomes uncertainty 02 • Kouta her parents appreciate sea anemone sushi nattō and starfish sushi— she longs for mochi 03 • Gogyohka her mouth stumbles to take shape around foreign sounds while her eyes leap 04 • Boketto this evening in the classroom we celebrate with laughter years behind and yet to come hard-won progress as she turns thirteen sun sets quickly as she leaves but sunrise follows her steps everywhere
In Japan, I taught all levels of English proficiency. Levels started at 7c (just-now-beginner) all the way up to 1 (native speaker). One 12-year-old 7c student was named Junko. She had extremely low comprehension but an awesome attitude.
Low-level classes tended to be draining because the students couldn:t1 think of anything to say much of the time. I had to fill the gaps somehow. However, Junko wasn:t draining to teach at all, because she tried so hard.
She turned 13 on the 26th of July and I got to teach her on her birthday. We were laughing the whole time. I was teaching her new vocabulary, and after the lesson I recommended a level-up in her file. The next week, she bounded over to me with overflowing thanks, full of pride in her accomplishment.
When a colon takes the place of an apostrophe in this series, it:s a reference to the : key being in the spot on a Japanese keyboard where the ‘ key would be on an English keyboard.
What a fascinating sojourn. How many years did you teach in Japan?
This is really cool and you have inspired me to meet her!