How Different Cultures Welcome Students Into the Classroom

by Michael Keany

November, 2026

Walk into classrooms around the world at the beginning of a lesson and you may notice something surprisingly important: the way students and teachers greet one another varies considerably from culture to culture.

In some schools, students stand and bow. In others, the teacher waits at the doorway and greets each student individually. Elsewhere, a formal “good morning” establishes the beginning of class. These customs may seem minor, but they communicate powerful messages about relationships, respect, authority, community, and belonging.

Japan: The Greeting as a Shared Ritual

In many Japanese classrooms, the opening of class is distinctly communal. A student leader may call the class to attention, after which students stand, greet the teacher, and bow before sitting down. Research describing Japanese school routines notes that similar greeting rituals may occur at both the beginning and end of a lesson. (Digital Collections)

The important feature is that the greeting is not simply an exchange between an individual student and teacher. The entire class participates.

The ritual sends a message: We are beginning something together.

It also reflects broader Japanese norms emphasizing courtesy, awareness of others, and respect for roles within a group.

New Zealand: Greeting as Relationship

In New Zealand schools, particularly those incorporating Māori language and culture, greetings can communicate something somewhat different: relationship and connection.

Official New Zealand Ministry of Education resources encourage teachers and students to use greetings such as kia ora, ata mārie (“good morning”), and tēnā koe. Classroom activities specifically encourage teachers to greet individual students and students to greet one another. (Ministry of Education)

These practices connect with the Māori concept of whanaungatanga—developing meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging. New Zealand guidance on student wellbeing also identifies mihi, or greeting and acknowledgment, as part of establishing relationships at the beginning of an interaction. (Ministry of Education)

The underlying message might be summarized as: I recognize you, and you belong here.

France: Courtesy Establishes the Classroom

French educational guidance similarly emphasizes the importance of greeting students, but often through the lens of courtesy and respectful classroom relationships.

Guidance from France’s Conseil scientifique de l’éducation nationale specifically recommends welcoming students at the classroom entrance with a bonjour, a smile, or even a brief question such as “How are you today?” (CSEN)

The greeting helps mark the transition from hallway to classroom while demonstrating the respectful behavior that adults expect students themselves to display.

Its message is straightforward: We treat one another with civility here.

The United States: Increasingly Personal

American classrooms are far less standardized. Some students simply walk in and take their seats. Increasingly, however, educators are encouraged to stand at the door and personally acknowledge students.

Research summarized by Edutopia reports that greeting students as they enter the classroom can strengthen students’ sense of belonging and readiness to learn. (Edutopia)

A teacher might say, “Good morning, Maria,” ask about yesterday’s soccer game, offer a fist bump, or simply smile.

The emphasis is often individual rather than ceremonial: I see you. I am glad you are here.

What Great Schools Can Learn

No one greeting tradition is inherently superior to another. Each reflects cultural expectations and local context.

But taken together, these examples suggest something important for school leaders.

The first 30 seconds of class matter.

A greeting can establish respect. It can strengthen relationships. It can create a boundary between the disorder of the hallway and the purposeful environment of the classroom. Most importantly, it can tell students that their arrival has been noticed.

Principals conducting classroom walkthroughs might therefore add a simple question to their observation lens:

What happens when students enter this classroom?

Do students enter anonymously, or does someone acknowledge them? Is there a recognizable transition into learning? Does the opening routine communicate warmth, respect, community, or purpose?

Schools do not need to imitate Japanese bows, Māori greetings, or French customs. But they can learn from the principle underneath all three.

Before students are asked to learn, great teachers make sure they know they have arrived somewhere they belong.

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (5.2) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com