2:18

I've been teaching at the local junior high school and two neighbouring elementary schools in Motomiya for almost two years now. Sometimes, I can't believe how fast time slips by. At JHS alone, I think I've taught about 500 students. And I can't even tell you how many cute, little Japanese kids I've met at the elementary schools.

While I've never really joined in their club activities, I do my best to learn all of their names and some of their stories. As a result, I think I'll start writing profiles of the ones who I've somewhat gotten to know over the past few months...

***

Sweat dripping off his forehead, Te-chan looked down at the stopwatch he had grasped in his left hand. He shook his head, and walked off the track for a quick rest. I praised him for his efforts, as I had been watching the track team doing laps around the dirt soccer field.

"I fail!" he said with a chuckle. This was coming from a kid whose personal best is 2:18 when running the 800-metre track event. (I don't know all that much about running, but that's a pretty good time in my books).

Te-chan continued to rifle through a plastic basket, looking for some new spikes to attach to his running shoes. He took this opportunity to ask me some questions in English. Bless his little heart! He even asked if I liked running, but I had to laugh and truthfully say no.

I see a bright future for this kid. Even though he's only 14 years old, he has already demonstrated he's a natural-born leader. This year, he is the vice president of the student council. He is also the captain for the boys' soccer team. When he's not the captain for the track team, you can hear him loudly screaming, "ICHI! NI! SAN!" as he weaves the soccer team in an orderly running fashion around the soccer field.

He wants to go to Asaka Reimei, one of the more prestigious high schools in Koriyama. They expect only the cream of the crop, and I've heard the English component of their entrance examinations is killer. But I have confidence in Te-chan. He can do it. I've seen how his skills in reading, writing and speaking English have increasingly improved since I first met him.

Two years ago, I rang the doorbell of my landlord's house because I needed some help. Te-chan, who was a mere 1年生 (that is, a 7th-grade student), shyly curried away from the door and whispered to his older siblings: "Gemma-sensei!! Gemma-sensei!!" My landlord happens to have a family of four kids - A-kun (who graduated in March 2008); Te-chan (who will be graduating in March 2010) and little M-kun (who just started his first year at JHS). They also have an older sister, but I've never taught her.

Now, Te-chan isn't scared to speak in English with me. He's the friendly kid who will strike up a conversation with me in the hallways or the classroom. He's the kid who has a lot of admirable drive. He's the kid who used an in-class freewrite session to express his honest opinion on the dilapidated building we call 2chu. He's the kid who runs laps in the evenings, even after spending all afternoon running up and down the soccer field during club activities. He's the kid who can run 800 metres in 2:18.