First Impressions

Physical setup promotes interaction and comfort

• room is painted
• creative mess: fruits, sweets, soft toys, highlighters, cushions
• variety of furniture: cupboards, sofa, tables/chairs, couches
• whiteboard for random ideas, not just to document homework

Teachers make use of activities even if its for the entire double period

• LA: Used a regular framework for analysis: evaluating claims, he encourages students to come up with a surprising questions
• Econs: entire double period used for experiential learning of folding origami to teach factors of production, marginal productivity

Student work in communities

• Seated in clusters - students have a home table for each semester

Student’s Workload

• Student have homework: most homework for Chinese.
• Student have classes until 3-4pm. They do homework for 2-3 hours, 1-2 hours for revising/studying
• There is a test common period every week. In this way tests are not cluttered or uncoordinated.

I get this feeling the students like their class set up. They work in a safe and cozy environment where they can be free and be comfortable. It helps that the rooms are air-conditioned. The set-up promotes interaction and exchanged. Ideas are scribble on the whiteboards, random ideas, not just homework or notices or instructions. They value that they do not have to move about nomadically like their JC counterparts.