By Kane Leonard White

Due to the recent and unfortunate world events concerning the spread of COVID-19, it has become increasingly more clear that the benefits of creating and maintaining a set routine is essential to our collective daily lives. This intuitively extends, and perhaps even surpasses, to that of our students. My fresh first-hand experience with on-line learning only serves to emphasise this notion as the benefits of in-person learning following my return to Huamei International school has reinforced to me that the development and growth associated with one's journey through such a prestigious academic institute are unparalleled. Therefore, whilst the world inevitably looks to deal with the aftermath both in the long and short-term of a backlog of an in-person teaching structure then, with hindsight, it only serves to reinforce the impressive prowess of not only China as a country but the academic system itself which has managed to successfully return to a sense of normality whilst much of the Western world endeavours to accomplish the same feat. It is my own personal belief that such an accomplishment is owed, in part, to this idea of ‘routine’.

Whilst it may seem inconsequential to mention at first, the integration of a routine is an unspoken yet vital aspect of almost any respectable institution. After all, countless research has gone into the study of such a subject, serving to prove the immense benefits that is directly associated with the creation and maintenance of a positive routine. For example, it has been proven that routines, on a fundamental level, include rules which teach cause and effect allowing one to become accountable for both their own actions and their subsequent consequences. A great example of this can be found in any school whereby the failure to complete homework results in students being punished. This example is an obvious one yet it serves to illustrate how important it is to set up a simple routine which goes on to enable students to become more diligent and hard-working in their studies. My personal experiences with other schools is that a more amenable approach enables and promotes slothful behavioral which, importantly to note, leads to disobedient attitudes and even worse performances. Huamei International school, through establishing set routines that match and surpass that of others, sets an exemplary benchmark in this regard.

Personally speaking, one of the best feelings I have experienced as an international teacher is upon walking into a classroom only for the students to anticipate my actions. This usually extends to initial greetings and questions but sometimes can also expand to that of the very layout of the lesson itself. This is not an accident. I dedicate the first few lessons for every new class each semester towards the idea of setting expectations and to begin creating a routine. Notably, every lesson I will outline and introduce the lessons ‘learning objectives’ whereby I state clearly what the lesson will entail and also, briefly, how we will go about it. The benefits of such a choice is that students will be less anxious about facing the unknown whilst, in some cases, serving to highlight an activity later on that they might be more engaged with. Importantly, I like to end each class by once again addressing these ‘learning objectives’ so as to reconfirm what we have achieved whilst also encouraging students to obtain the routine of reflecting upon their recent experiences.

For my closing thoughts, I would like to reflect upon a recent emphasis decided upon by the principle of Huamei International Middle school which has been heavily discussed in various subsequent meetings. This emphasis is the encouragement of teachers to ‘sit in’ and observe another's classroom for several periods within the week. From my first hand experience, it has become quickly apparent that each classroom is unique in that it has its own culture and atmosphere although I would like to bring focus in that was a single constant element featured throughout: every teacher had a unique yet set routine to which they adhered too. This element reaffirms that, in addition to understanding and adapting to a program of events, students across the school all know and refer to the posted routines as a framework for their behaviour expectations throughout not only the day but for each individual class. This therefore enables students to increase their ability for flexibility whilst reinforcing the idea that there is no single successful routine and that we, as teachers, should focus on the creation of a style that not only suits the students but also for ourselves before ultimately moving on to reaffirm any weaknesses within such a paradigm so as to make sure that the students are developing towards their full potential. After all, as the year hastens towards the all-important end of year exams it is paramount that efforts continue being made so as to reaffirm the commitment to the students routine. It is beyond question that children are adaptive and respond well to variations in routines and whilst it is unavoidable that changes are required to prepare students for the greatest possible success, it Is my firm belief that continuing to focus and improve upon this concept of routine is what will enable the students to achieve their best self.