同窓会で感激（１） Moved at Nanzan Reunion（１）

 同窓会で感激（１）

本日、南山中高男子部・２００１年卒の同窓会があった。43歳である。彼らが、高1、高2生だった時に英語を教え、担任もした。

嫌な思い出がある。一部の生徒が、授業中にトランプをしたりして授業妨害した。注意しても聞かず、私は次第に、連中を相手に授業をするのが辛くなり、登校拒否ならぬ通勤拒否になった。朝、通勤の時に校舎を見るだけで吐き気を催した。しかし頑張って、頑張って、休まず高1、高2の二年間を何とか勤め上げた。

今日。乾杯の音頭で同窓会が始まると、妨害生徒（特に石田君と若松君[共に仮名]）が私のところに来た。妨害生徒だったとは、とても思えないほど人間的に成長しており、親しく歓談した。石田君は同窓会の発起人で、幹事として同窓会の開催に漕ぎ付けた。また同窓生の人気があり、司会も見事にこなした。

若松君は、優しく素直な青年になっていた。あの若松とは大違いで、考えられないほどに大成長していた。彼と話している内に、彼は「家庭がとても厳格で、そのせいで、ひねくれた」と言っていた。家庭の締め付けを学校で解き放っていたのかも知れない。

そう言えば、当時の担任群に体育と数学の怖い先生が二人おり、その先生の前では大人しくしており、怖くない私の授業では、鬱憤（うっぷん）を晴らしたらしい。

嫌な学年であったから、同窓会に出るのを躊躇したが、出て良かった。

 

Moved at the Nanzan Reunion（１）

Today I attended the reunion of Nanzan Boys’ High School. My former students graduated in 2001, so they are now 43 years old. I taught them English when they were first- and second‑year students, and I also served as a homeroom teacher for one of the classes.

My memories of those days are not pleasant. A few students used to interrupt my lessons by playing cards. I scolded them, but they didn’t listen to me. Gradually, teaching them became extremely difficult. I suffered a kind of nervous breakdown—not because of students refusing to attend school, but because of the stress of teaching them. Just seeing the school building in the morning was enough to make me vomit.

Even so, I endured and somehow managed to teach them for two full years.

Immediately after the toast that opened today’s reunion, two of the “bad boys,” Ishida and Wakamatsu (both pseudonyms), came straight toward me. To my surprise, they have grown into fine young men. We talked warmly. Ishida, who had once caused me so much trouble, was actually the one who proposed holding the reunion. He took charge of the event and worked hard to make it successful. He is popular among the former students and did an excellent job as master of ceremonies.

Wakamatsu, too, has become a gentle and considerate man—quite different from the mischievous boy he once was. While we were talking, he said, “My parents were very strict and severe. I guess that’s why I became a naughty boy.” Perhaps he had been releasing his frustration at school.

His words reminded me of two very strict teachers—one in physical education and one in mathematics. The troublesome students behaved properly in front of them, but they “relaxed” during my classes because I was not a strict teacher.

I hesitated to attend the reunion because of those painful memories, but in the end, I am truly glad I went. I had a wonderful time.