On the twelfth day of Giftmas, my teacher gave to me...

I came across an article on Edutopia called "Gifts That Last a Lifetime" in which Suzie Boss recounts the ways teachers in the past year had given to their students aside from the expected book-learning. These included the gifts of joy, optimism, empowerment, and hope.

It was nice to read an article that seemed to align with something that had been sloshing about in my mind over the past few years since I began teaching English in Japan - putting in the effort to make a human connection with your student is just as important as communicating the content of the lesson.

As an undergraduate student, I was most aware of the different teaching styles of my professors (and subsequently, their efficacy) than ever before. Regarding the gifts of optimism and empowerment, one professor (or, perhaps he was just a part-time lecturer) stands out. He was a particularly enthusiastic teacher - a rare breed among Japonica professor. It wasn't the content or the way he presented the content of his class that struck me, rather it was how he responded to a student's question.

"Oh, what a wonderful question!" he replied before elaborating on an answer. I wasn't even the one who asked the question, and I was moved by his welcoming voice and shiny, anime eyes. I think it was because since at least middle school, I had been somewhat afraid - no matter how many times nor how many teachers had tried to assure me otherwise - of asking a stupid question. Leaning into your ignorance can be quite daunting, especially when it seems like it's such common knowledge. But Prof. Shozugawa just cut so easily through all of that insecurity. Maybe I could ask a wonderful question, too. I may not know what I'm talking about yet, but my question is sure to get me on the right track. I want to ask more questions! --A gift, indeed.

Since that day, I've definitely tried to pay it forward and share that gift with my own students. It's a bit difficult to tell if I've been able to affect my students the same way I was, but I'll keep at it.

Another gift I would add to Boss' list is the gift of enthusiasm. This idea hasn't fully precipitated, so I'm not able to explain it as well as I'd wish just yet. The gift of enthusiasm is basically sharing one's passion with others. Have you ever met or conversed with someone and all of a sudden they pick up the pace of their words and only pause every other minute to catch a quick breath before they race off again on their lightning lips? I mean that kind of passion and enthusiasm. I think this is a particularly important trait for teachers - and any human who frequently interacts with younger humans - because it is important to model and convey to children that life is still amazing and fun when you grow up, and that there is plenty to look forward to in the future.

Happy Holidays.