20 June 2014
I tagged along with the staff to Bouken Adventure forest for a day trip. 19 children signed up (or rather their parents) for this trip to experience and learn about nature. Their age: 7 to 12 years old. The day began with logistics such as taking attendance and taking safety measures (wearing helmets and putting on name labels). It very much reminds me of what I did in school. A briefing by Otoosan followed next and the kids were off to pick sansai (wild vegetables) to make tempura.
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| Settling down |
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| Midori taking attendance
The children learnt about edible wild plants and picked them to go with their bentos. What followed next awakened my Singapore teacher anxiety. The kids were using nata and nokogiri (鋸)! They were ultra sharp. When I was teaching in Singapore, we had a manual for art teachers - Art Room Safety Guidelines to comply. Words such as must, must not, do not, strongly recommended, comply etc were repeatedly highlighted in clauses after clauses. For example, "Primary school children must not use penknives in class". Perhaps the fear of accountability that the unimaginable may strike put teachers in this state. Imagine my discomfort when I encounter Japanese children using the tools. Even though there were demonstration prior to the usage of sharps, it's still nerve-wrecking to see them with the tools. The older children were able to use the tools with care without adult supervision. They seem to enjoy themselves without being too boisterous.
 Kids using the nokogiri  Kids were falling selected trees to build a tent   The kids were eating the sansai tempura faster than we can cook! |
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