There's a lot to be said about teaching English in Japan but one of the most rewarding parts, IMO, is correcting my students' writing. It's also one the most challenging.

On some days, I'll go through about 100 student notebooks to correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. It's tedious and monotonous, and inevitably, way before #100, I'll want to quit.

Thoughts of lightly skimming or ignoring "minor" mistakes will creep into my mind. But each time, I recommit to diligently push forward and check each one as if my life depended on it. We're laying their English foundations here, and if I don't show them the error of their English-writing ways, who will?

The reward comes over time. There is a direct correlation between their ability and the edits I make with my mighty red pen. When I see that Asami is no longer spelling "beautiful" with a 'd' or that Kosuke now writes "I like to play basketball" instead of "I basketball like", you realize just how vital these edits truly are. 

And so I enjoy the struggle. It's challenging, but there's also a great feeling of accomplishment when I use purpose--their English improvement--as motivation to overcome my own lacks. There's a definite blessing in that struggle.

I love Taylor Mali's poem "What Teachers Make", but first heard it before entering a classroom as a teacher. When I listen to it now, the truth in what he says is much more clear.