Omega Alpha

Today is the last teaching day of the month, which means it's the last day of classes.  Most students will re-register, and next month they'll be with many of the same classmates.  Those who decided to take--and managed to pass!--the exit test can re-register at a higher level; they'll join a new group of students.  Occasionally, with stronger classes, everyone passes the exit test, and they all move up together.  This tends to happen when students enjoy their class and they all get along well with each other; the stronger ones wait to move up for a month or so until the weaker ones are able to pass the test.  Of course, this is the most gratifying result--and probably the most desirable result all-around.  One of my colleagues had one such class.

Some students will choose not to re-register.  This is the worst case scenario from my employer's point of view (well, actually, the worst case scenario is when a student registers and drops the class before the refund deadline, but I didn't have any of those).  Sometimes, however, my preferences don't line up with theirs. For example, one of my students got the job he wanted, so he won't take another English class next month. That's a good result, as far as I'm concerned.  Though it's bad for business, and although I'm sorry to lose him, I'm happy for him.

My supervisor tries to rotate the teaching schedule, so that next month, I'll get new classes with new students.  It's nice to have a fresh start, and it's nice to be finished with classes that don't quite click, but it's sad to say goodbye to students and classes that are a pleasure to teach.  

I was particularly sad to say goodbye to one of my classes that ended this morning.  We held the class at a restaurant (which is my prerogative to exercise, once a month, for each class), and afterward we headed to Starbucks for coffee.  While there, they all thanked me for the class, expressing their gratitude for my patient and forgiving teaching style.  It was undoubtedly the most rewarding moment of my year--moreso, even, than my university graduation.  And I don't doubt their sincerity: It was my last class of the morning so I didn't need to get back to work right away; I, and almost everyone else, stayed to chat for hours after the class ended. We exchanged cell phone numbers before we went our separate ways. It made my day, which spurred me to write about it here.