Star teacher committed to the suburbs
8/11/2004 7:18
Shanghai Daily news
"Love is everything. It can
make the earth a better place to live."
That saying, made famous by Chinese
writer Bin Xin, is the motto of Zhang Yuqing, an English teacher at Shanghai
Fengxian High School.
As one of the city's youngest "star teachers," the
39-year-old Fengxian native has been molding young minds for almost half of her
lifetime.
The petit woman has huge enthusiasm for learning. During her 19
years as a teacher, she has taken every opportunity to enrich herself by
absorbing new knowledge.
"Many people may consider teachers' work as a boring
routine and suggest that they can use the same teaching plans and methods day
after day, year after year," she said.
"However, to be a responsible teacher
you have to learn new things every day - just as a Chinese saying goes - when
the students need a glass of water, a teacher must have a bucket of water to
offer."
In 1994, Zhang was selected from more than 40 competitors in the city
and was sent to the United States for a one-year training program.
"It was in
the United States that I found that my teaching knowledge and skills were too
limited," she said. "During my one-year stay there, I took every opportunity to
communicate with the teachers, students and even neighbors and my English
proficiency leaped."
While zhang learned more than enough during the one-year
training program to be a good high school English teacher, when she returned to
Shanghai, she applied for another master degree in education.
"It was really
a tough time for me," she recalled. "At that time I was the teacher in charge of
students who were ready to attend the university entrance exams."
"On
weekdays, I had to prepare for lessons and in the evening I had to prepare for
my own studies. During the weekend, I took a long trip to attend classes in the
downtown area, and had to stay overnight in the school's basement."
She was
too tired and unfortunately caught hepatitis.
"I could never forget that day,
when I returned to the platform from the hospital, the whole class started to
applaud to welcome me back," she said. "My tears burst out in no time. At that
time, I realized that I would do anything for my beloved
students."
"Sometimes I wonder why the students are willing to offer their
love and trust to me. Their answers are usually simple but touching."
Here
are some of the answers.
"Because Miss Zhang is never late for the early
morning classes, even if it is rainy or windy."
"Because Miss Zhang never
leaves the classroom in a hurry after class, instead she stays and is ready to
answer questions."
Two years ago, a well-known key high school in the city's
downtown area invited Zhang to work there. It offered her a higher salary and
the chance for her son to study at the school.
"I have given up many good
offers before. However, at that time, I hesitated as it was not for me but for
my son's future."
After several days of debating the offer with herself,
Zhang chose to stay at the suburban school.
|
