This is our last week of teaching here at Colegio Dario Salas and I find myself awash in conflicting emotions. I'm excited about going home to Portland. I'm relieved to not have to do any more lesson planning or, more importantly, not having to put on a tie to go to work (imagine, I'm 54 years old and this is the first job where I have had to wear a tie to work). I'm looking forward to not having to hold the attention of 45 high school students in a classroom where maybe 4 or 5 of them are really interested in learning English. Teaching is the hardest job in the world, no matter where you are in the world. I am filled with renewed respect for Catherine and her dedication to this profession. I admit that I have struggled at times this year with my students - they are noisy and not particularly hard-working. I have lost my temper on a few occasions, one time even accidentally shattering a plastic clipboard on a desk trying to get their attention. But as I prepare to leave and begin to say my goodbyes, it is the students that I feel closest to. We have tangled at times, but they have remained open and friendly, and this has often diffused my frustration into laughter. They retain a twinkle in their eye even when they are 'being bad'. Students who have been disruptive and uncooperative in class will greet you warmly in the hall just minutes later, and it is totally genuine. We see our students all over town, and they invariably greet us, "Hello Teacher! How are you?" I am really going to miss these students and the act of teaching (but not the tie). My old friend Eric MacKnight, who has been teaching overseas for 25 years (most recently in China) was consoling me online a few months ago as I was complaining about the impossible job of teaching 45 students at a time. He told me, "You may not actually teach them anything, you can only hope to inspire them." As I say my goodbyes to my students I realize that they have inspired me. Looking at their pictures triggers deep memories that I will carry with me for a long time. Maybe we will meet up again somewhere down the road. I would love to see how these wonderful young people turn out as they grow into themselves. So maybe it is not goodbye, but hasta luego, ojalá.
