Good morning, everyone! (Good morning, Ms. Miura.) Please have a seat.
This is the greeting I always use at the beginning of my English class. How many times have I said these words to Kou 3 students over the past five years? And how many times have you answered with your sleepy faces and sleepy voices?
When I started teaching you, Kou 3 students, five years ago, I never imagined I would be saying these words to you for so long. It has been such a pleasure to teach you English.
When you were in junior high school, you often imitated Tina’s high-pitched voice, and amazed me with how much you improved in the “retelling show”. And I loved watching you enjoy alphabet karuta and sing English songs at the beginning of class.
Can you believe how far you’ve come? You can now read passages filled with hundreds of difficult words, enjoy books in English, and some of you can have natural conversations with our native English teachers.
How did you make so much progress? Of course, you worked hard. But you also never lost your curiosity about English, and you never forgot to enjoy the stories in textbooks. And your imagination! Who said Eri and Hajin were dating? Who said Kota liked Tina? Your imagination made our English lessons so much more interesting. Your enthusiasm made me want to teach you even more.
You grew a lot in my English class. But I grew, too, thanks to you.
You taught me many things, but most importantly, you reminded me how important it is to interact with others. Through communication, we encounter new ideas, broaden our horizons, and develop our imagination. We begin to understand people whose lives are different from ours and see beyond our own experiences.
Kou 3 students, you know how to listen and respond. You’ve shown me that communication is not just about speaking English correctly. It’s also about understanding others and considering different points of view.
Now you’re preparing to enter a new world: colleges, universities, and new communities. You will meet people with different experiences and opinions. So please, keep your minds open. Listen to people whose opinions are different from yours. Let them surprise you. Let them challenge you. And most of all, enjoy building new relationships with the people you meet.
I have only thirteen opportunities left to say “Good morning, everyone!” to you. That makes me a little sad. But I still have thirteen more chances to learn from you, laugh with you, and enjoy being with you. And I intend to make the most of every one of them.