Singapore

 My first impression of Singapore was how clean and orderly everything was. I was picked up from the airport by my host family. Before we could leave, one of them had to go and tell the information desk that the signage explaining directions around the construction were confusing and poorly marked. My host was not saying this to be unkind, but had noticed an elderly man with luggage struggling to find his way. The fact that the signage was lacking proved to be quite unusual in Singapore. Singapore was a very easy city to navigate. The train system is simple to understand and precise in its timing. Each train stop is displayed and announced. Maps of the different train stops are found displayed in multiple places throughout the train and the station. I found that when I was trying to find a certain place there were always clearly marked signs to help me know where to go, and just when I started to be unsure there would be another sign. Talking to my host family about this observation I learned that the people of Singapore really value respect, and take these clear directions as one way to show respect to others. They respect people's time and do their best to show this by making clear, easy to follow, precise directions.

How can I create this same reliability in my own classroom? Children thrive when they know what is happening. It takes a lot of preparation to get them to this point. I have spent most of my teaching years as a kindergarten teacher. The beginning of the year is truly the exact same day over and over again until they begin to understand their roles at school. I wonder how I can make things easier for my students in transitions; whether the big transition of starting in a new class or the smaller transitions throughout the school day. 

Learning from Singapore my goal is to take the time to set clear expectations and ensure that students know where they are going and what they are doing. I think this will lead to a more organized classroom and children who feel confident in their learning.