All through kindergarten, first and second grade, my daughter, Jen would occasionally take her shoes off and walk around bare feet. Teachers and staff continuously encouraged Jen to put her shoes back on and eventually taught her the importance of keeping them on in the event of a fire drill. When Jen entered third grade, there was a lesson on the culture of Japan with a guest visitor from Japan. The first thing the Japanese visitor stated was that all shoes had to be removed as customary in her country. Jen stood up and refused stating the importance of keeping your shoes on in case of a fire drill. The teacher, not wanting to undo what Jen had finally mastered, acknowledged Jen's comment and allowed her to keep her shoes on.