What I've Learned: Short and Simple

When you invest in the process as opposed to the outcome, every moment in and of itself is miraculous. Life rearranges itself in such a way that all your mental projections about the way you think things should be... lose their momentum; thus, leaving you with nothing else but the purest notion of the simple joy of being alive - namely, true freedom. It starts within you.

Spring: A New Beginning

Today marked the transition between the familiarity I had learned to be used to at Awano JHS and the thrill of the unknown. Coming into the office after having been away for only 8 days felt the same... yet somehow, it felt different. My desk was at its usual spot, but all the other teachers had been moved around/assigned a new spot for the next academic year. Furthermore, I was at once introduced to the new Kocho-sensei (Principal) along with 8 new teachers that were transferred to this school.

Outside of the office, the school overall also felt somewhat "different". Not only have the 2-nen-seis moved to their new classrooms as 3-nen-seis on the opposite side of the building, but also the 1-nen-seis have now moved to their respective new classrooms as 2-nen-seis. More importantly, however, 270 new 1-nen-seis attended their first official day of junior high school.

It was intriguing for me to really feel as part of the team now, a feeling which was only reinforced when asked to be one of the teachers taking attendance and welcoming parents and students at the gym's entrance for the Opening Ceremonies. Moreover, I was asked to take part in the careful process of planning out the new homeroom classes just a few weeks ago. That is to say, contribute in the discussions regarding the distribution of students into new classes according to their IQ level, discipline, academic standing, and musical and leadership skills demonstrated throughout the past two semesters.

Today I also had an opportunity to to introduce myself both formally (in a group setting) and informally (in the school's hallways) to some of my new students and their parents. The sakura trees have finally achieved "full-bloom" and thus, tomorrow will be the ideal day for each new homeroom to get their class portrait using these magnificent trees as their background.

In short, SPRING has finally arrived; thus, marking the beginning of this "new" adventure.