I don't want obligatory thank yous

There was a short "Thank the Teachers" ceremony at the gym after classes today. I wasn't informed earlier (as usual because AETs are normally left out of most things. Although my first school wasn't like this when I was there.) and was suddenly asked to leave the almost empty staff room to go to the gym. I was standing at the last of the line before a few lines of 3 nensei who are graduating next week. Each of them stood up to give a thank you speech to a different teacher. Some teachers had a few students thanking them. I received a short, "Thank you for teaching us English" speech. As I was listening to the longer speeches before my own, I was already expecting something like this. We also received a handmade gift(table mat) and card from the students. I got mine from ３年１組. The messages were written in Japanese. Although I got a few personal messages that are pretty funny (:0), the majority are obligatory thank you messages. I don't even know who are the students that made the gift because I don't recognise their names. And I wish things were different. I wish that I don't just stay in a school for 2 months and not teach them anything (if the JTE sucks and doesn't plan me into his/her lessons well) . I wish I knew almost all their names. I wish I could at least have half a period where I can teach the students something that I planned myself and not stand in class and do nothing for 50 mins. I wish they could get to know me better and vice versa. I wish I could just stay in a school that I like for at least a whole school year so that when students thank me for teaching them English, they can really mean it.

But I'm grateful for those few messages that put a smile on my face. Those are the students that talked & laughed with me in class, making me feel warm and accepted.