kids! gotta love em.

i've been at shogakko this week and let me tell you, it has been a hoot. the students continue to be "bikuri-ed" (surprised) at the gaijin amidst them, saying "o ashuri sensei da-" whenever they see me from a distance. i feel like i've finally established myself as a full-fledged elementary school teacher since i've, as of recent, been able to conduct class (for the most part) without the assistant of the japanese teachers.

with that said, i still can't remember what beetle is in japanese even though most of my students absolutely love them. thus, my japanese skills are not quite as awesome as i'd like to imagine.

as part of their special "life lessons and future occupations" class, the 5th graders planted, grew, and harvested their very own field of rice. i was lucky enough to participate in the harvesting, or as we'd say in the midwest "harvestin'". the group of local farmers (old men) taught the kids and i the proper way to cut the rice with the miniture sickles. of course they said i was amazing. they say the same thing when i say konnichiwa. i suppose it could be some of that previous farming experience (see previous post "you see, old macdonald had this farm").

it was a humbling experience as one of the farmers cruised up in his high-tech, mini-combine, rice-harvesting tractor. i had to document this for my farming grandpa and uncle. they don't make machines quite so big here as they do in south dakota.

i spent the rest of the time frog-hunting with the students. japanese kids love them some lil critters. we took pictures of my "pretty shoes" and their boots. gotta love go nen sei.