My 3-5s

School grades in Japan are designated by years, as they are in North America. However, instead of Grade One, Grade Two...Grade Twelve (or First Grade, Second Grade, Twelfth Grade if you're American) It's First Year, Second Year...to Sixth Year and then when you reach Junior High School they start again -First Year, Second Year, Third Year. AND again when you reach High School -First Year, Second Year, Third Year.

In addition, there are usually multiple classes of each grade, so they are given a number. At my school there are 5 classes of each grade, so they are given numbers like 1-2 (first year, class 2), 2-4 (second year, class 4), and 3-5 (third year, class 5).

This is quite a useful system especially for schools who have multiple streams of study, such as Science, Math, English, and as is the case at my school, Agriculture. So, for example if you are in the Math stream you're in X-2 class and if you are in the Agricultural Studies stream you are always in X-5.

Nyuzen High School is the only Agricultural school in this district. We are not known for our academics, we are known for our rice and fresh produce! The Agricultural stream is a special curriculum designed to give students hands on experience at farming. All throughout the year the staff are offered bags of fresh produce like tomatoes, eggplant, onions, cauliflower and lettuce (usually a dollar a bag!).
Our school has it's own rice fields and green houses and there is a trained group of teachers who spend more time in the dirt and on combines than they do in the classroom.

Thirty students (as opposed to forty which is the norm in the other streams) are chosen every year from over 80 applicants. Because of the smaller class size and the type of studying they do (getting muddy together) they tend to form stronger bonds with each other as compared to the other classes. They really are a unique group of students.

When I came to Nyuzen High School I didn't know much about this 'special' class. Quickly I learned that these students really didn't HAVE to learn English -there was no big test for them at the end of the year like the other streams had. As a result, most of the English teachers who taught them didn't hold high expectations. I was told to just 'dumb it down' a bit when I taught this class. Yet when I walked into my first class with the 1-5s (two and a half years ago) they were the keenest, liveliest, most eager group of kids who wanted to communicate in English more than any other class I had. Every week I looked forward to teaching them. Every week they didn't disappoint. Sure, their English wasn't great, but they COMMUNICATED better than the academic students did.

Now they are my 3-5s. -sigh- And they are in their last month at Nyuzen High School, with graduation in exactly 4 weeks. I haven't taught them since last spring, but they have managed to keep me involved in their goings on. I've gone out to the rice fields to harvest rice, I've been invited to watch all of their special presentations and they are always happy to chat if I drop in to their classroom at lunchtime or after school.

I know that a lot of who they have turned out to be has been a result of an amazing homeroom teacher who has really nurtured them over the past 3 years. He is a very caring and involved teacher who taught them to be polite, generous and most importantly, accepting of others. Let's face it, they're teenagers and it's difficult to be inclusive at times. The other classes are full of cliques -the cool kids, the nerds, the quiet kids...they're different, they know it and they stick to their own. But the 3-5s are not like this. They don't discriminate, they don't talk down to others and they never exclude anyone. How could I not love them?

I'm writing this today because last week I was given an invitation by the 3-5s to a buffet lunch held in honor of all the Third Year teachers. I'm not a Third Year teacher, but it just goes to show that they still consider me one of their teachers. I felt very honored and special. Today was the luncheon! It was amazing to say the least. The students prepared all the food, which ranged from sushi roles to macaroni casserole to bibimba (Korean food) to roast beef. We had fruit salad and chocolate cake for dessert. The students were their usual bubbly selves as they went around making sure all the teachers got enough to eat. I was so proud of them for putting on such a huge event.

These 30 kids were the ultimate reason I stayed for a 3rd contract term. I want so much to see them graduate and go on to prove and improve themselves in whatever path they've chosen. Don't worry, they're not all going to be farmers! Some of them are off to university to study Art, Science, and yes, even English. I've already had an invitation to visit one of my students in Kyoto once she's settle into her studies.

March 2 will be a bitter sweet day. These students have defined my NyuKo (Nyuzen High School) life.