Bangkok, Thailand

 Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. There is so much to see and also a lot of fantastic food to eat. I came to Bangkok on my own, the first leg of my journey solo. I have done a lot of solo travelling before, but this was my first time in Asia going solo. While I was confident in my plan and felt safe, I also felt a little nervous. Being in a new place I had to do a lot of research and there were certain circumstances where I had to trust the information of others. I had to reach out and ask a lot of questions. This made me reflect on what it must be like for a student that is new to a school or even stepping into a new grade. I realize that these two things are not the same and I am not trying to downplay the experience that some students face when entering a new situation. I also acknowledge that it can depend on the student, some are more comfortable about being in new situations, whereas another child may be very anxious about the whole thing. I guess the parallel I want to draw is that we don't know what a child is going through, we need to be very sensitive in how we help. This made me think about how I create a welcoming classroom environment, a space where students are safe to ask questions. Being considerate of the students' vulnerabilities in class is key to having them feel safe. I felt vulnerable in a new place when I first arrived in Bangkok, but I had so many people willing to help point me in the right direction and answer my questions, even if we didn't speak the same language. This was a good reminder for me to be as helpful and welcoming as I can be everyone, but especially the students who join my class.