Today is the beginning of the Fall semester.  Neil’s class will start at 8:30 this morning.  Yesterday he was writing an email message to everyone in the class.  He is a well-experienced professor, but even so, he apparently feels a bit nervous on the first day.  He was crafting his message carefully using positive words and expressions… and read it to me.  It was a very nice message.

Oh yeah… today, his new students will have the same experience as what I had on January 8, 1997.  It was my first day of his class.  I opened the classroom door with a mixed feeling of fear and hope.  I stepped in the room and stopped breathing for a second.  There was an extraordinarily tall person in the middle of the room.  “OMG, is he the professor?”  The class was very interesting, but very demanding.  I could not catch up in the discussion if I hadn’t done the work beforehand. However, if I had done the work, the class was amazingly interesting.  Time went by so quickly.

Yes, I can see…. this morning, his students will come to the classroom for the first time, and be surprised, then, will enjoy his unique jokes for four hours.  Hey, students, do you know that you are so lucky to be in his class?  Don’t forget to study the case before the class for the next three months!

今日から秋学期のはじまり。ニールの４時間授業も今朝８時半から始まる。きのうは一生懸命新しい生徒達にメールのメッセージを書いて送っていたニール。もうベテラン教授だけど、それでも年のはじまりはちょっぴり緊張するみたい。出来るだけポジティブな言葉で。。。と工夫をこらしてとても素敵なメッセージを書いてた。

そうか、今日生徒達は１９９７年の１月８日の私と同じ体験をするんだと思った。私は緊張と期待の入り交じった気持ちで教室のドアをあけた。一歩足を踏み入れてハッと息をのんだ。教室の真ん中に立つ異様に大きな人物、「え？この人が教授？」と思った。授業は面白かったけど厳しかった。ちゃんと予習をしていかないとついていけない授業。でも予習をしてあると信じられないくらい面白い。時間があっという間に過ぎた。

そうだな、今日生徒達はみんなまず「え？」と驚いて、ニールの独特のジョークに笑いながら初めての授業を受けるんだな。生徒達よ、あなた達はみんな本当にラッキーなんですよ。これから３ヶ月ちゃんと予習をするのよ。