Snapshots with First Graders

We had some extra time to kill in class today so I let every one of my kids take a photo with my camera. (Hey, I figure my Canon digital cam is pretty indestructible, right?) I ended up with some really great photos and the kids seemed to have a great time goofing around for a little while. Korean kids work sooo hard all the time so it is nice to see them happy and having fun!

My extra special student, Edward just being his usual weird-o self.

The class suck-ups Catherine and Suyeon. Very nice girls but such teacher's pets!

Chung-ah and Ariel, two goofy friends who like to draw boobs. Naughty, naughty!

The often studious and over-achieving Annie. She reads more than any other kid in first grade and often times says she is afflicted with the "Giggle virus" when she can't quit laughing!

My kids giving teacher some love:)

Being crazy with teacher. I love it!

I love glasses on kids. Pretty cute.

Trying not to smile?

Seriously, this is the sad, serious face Annie makes 90% of the time. That girl was born to study.

See, they are totally having fun in my class.... And learning too, right? Ha ha!

Harry- what a ham. That kid will NEVER sit still.

Catherine, my bright little scholar.

These girls loooooove pink, right?

Hitler is on the $20 Dollar Bill

Thank God for kids like Edward, my little weirdo first grader that reminds me that not ALL Korean kids stick to the homogeneity of their culture.

ho·mo·ge·neous

1 : of the same or a similar kind or nature

2 : of uniform structure or composition throughout

Yes, that one word about sums up the Korean population. But not Edward. He is truly one of a kind. Edward is the kid who wears moon boots everyday who constantly mortifies his classmates on insisting that extraterrestrials are real and looming outside of thier windows at night. He is kid who stares blankly into space while the rest of the class is reading a lively story about a dragon going to the grocery store and blurts out a question during this time, "Teacher, how does a rocket propel itself into the air?"

Basically, Edward is your typical completely brilliant kid who is socially retarded and completely clueless in the field pertaining to common sense. In other words, I totally adore the kid.

Well, anyhow, today in class, we were discussing American currency and I asked the question to the kids, "Who is on the $1 dollar bill?" And they answered, "George Washington," like properly trained chimps. And then I asked, "And who is on the $5 dollar bill?" One of the smart kids in class answered, "Abraham Lincoln." And then I asked, "OK, who is on the $20 dollar bill?" With complete and utter confidence Edward blurted out, "Hitler!"

I nearly fell out of my chair, not knowing weather to laugh hysterically or die of shock. Best of all, when I tried to correct him, he further insisted that it was true and that he read it somewhere that Hitler was on the $20 dollar bill. Oh man, classic.

Its days like these that make me happy to be a teacher.