"Dear teachers and students, welcome everyone from different cities and different schools to gather here to witness the birth of the first socialist normal university in New China!" On the evening of October 9, the scene of the inauguration and opening ceremony of East China Normal University on October 16, 1951 was reproduced in Siquntang.
Spanning 3 years and polishing by the 3-year teacher-student alumni cast team, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the East China Normal University campus master drama "Meng Xiancheng" was successfully staged, and it was broadcast live to the world through the network platform, attracting more than 50,000 viewers to watch online that night. The spirit of the master is the best inspiration. In the drama conflict, "Meng Xiancheng" touched the master's sincere heart and family and country feelings in the details of his life, and gave all the teachers, students and alumni a patriotic and honorable school education lesson that was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
A dialogue spanning 70 years
70 years ago, Siquntang heard the echo of "the official establishment of East China Normal University". Mr. Meng Xiancheng, the first president and famous educator, put forward that "the ideal of a modern university is the creation of wisdom, the fusion of character, and the development of the nation and society", which still inspires generations of East China Normal University.
The campus master drama "Meng Xiancheng" mainly tells the moving story of Mr. Meng Xiancheng from studying as a teenager, to teaching st. John's University, implementing the reform of Chinese language education, to opening public education during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and finally to the establishment of East China Normal University, showing Meng Xiancheng's master style in ideology, scholarship and life, and the ideal ambition of saving the country with education and building the country with education.
Meng Xiancheng (middle) and Lu Simian (left) and Liao Shicheng (right) in the play
In the last scene of the master drama performance, the school founding banner was hung, and the teachers and students of each department took their seats by name... Mr. Meng Xiancheng announced the official establishment of East China Normal University. Teachers, students and alumni seem to have "traveled" to 70 years ago, immersed in the mission and responsibility, and stimulated the consciousness and motivation to integrate personal development into school reform, national and social development.
Dani Yang, a 2019 major in Educational Economics and Management of the Faculty of Education, is a student docent in the school's "Meng Xiancheng Liu Fonian Educational Achievement Showroom". She said, "The older generation of educators, represented by Mr. Meng Xiancheng, has devoted themselves to China's education cause, which is touching. The image of Mr. Meng in my heart is also more three-dimensional, adding many flesh-and-blood historical stories to our follow-up explanation work, which has benefited us a lot. Following the footsteps of the older generation of educators asking the journal country is indeed a valuable experience for the younger generation of students! ”
"If you want to run a good university for teacher education, you must consider two aspects, first, since you are a teacher training, the course of educational methods must be taken, and the professional course must also be taken, both of which are indispensable, and sufficient class time is needed!" Courses in both areas must be added. Second, we are doing university teacher education, universities need to do academic research, teacher education also needs to do academic research! As the first newly established socialist normal university after the founding of New China, East China Normal University adheres to the spiritual tradition of Mr. Meng Xiancheng and other pioneers of normal university, always keeps in mind the glorious mission of "building a strong country through education" and "strengthening the country with education", educates people for the party and the country, and cultivates more than 300,000 talents from all walks of life; from ranking 16 key colleges and universities in the country, to entering the ranks of the national "211 Project" and "985 Project" universities, and then entering the ranks of the A category of the national world-class universities, seeking truth and achieving excellence. Education creates the future and takes root in The land of China to build a first-class university.
Gu Hongliang, producer of the play and vice president of East China Normal University, said that the master drama "Meng Xiancheng" is an important carrier for the school to inherit the culture of Normal University, carry forward the spirit of Normal University, unite and inspire all East China Normal University to base themselves on their posts, adhere to their original intentions, and contribute wisdom and strength to the construction of world-class universities.
Meng Xian taught at St. John's University and carried out the reform of Chinese language education
A 90-minute patriotic school education class
As a teacher of St. John's University, he has a fist-fist patriotism in the face of national righteousness, teaches adult literacy and reading to carry out popular education "starting from practical needs", and returns from studying abroad to returning to China from spreading Western learning to returning to Chinese traditions and practices... Mr. Meng Xiancheng has decorated modern Chinese education with his life. This campus master drama is written and directed by young teachers, students and alumni, telling the history of the school in green language and qingsheng Qingli, paying tribute to Mr. Meng Xiancheng.
In addition to "chewing" the character lines typhoon, the crew also consulted a large number of literature, 90 minutes of drama, the team produced Mr. Meng Xiancheng and friends exchange letters, Hunan Lantian people's education aids and other large and small props more than 200 pieces, and strive to restore the characters to the real three-dimensional, the storyline has a taste. Tang Shiqing, a 2019 geography science teacher training major in the sound effects of the play, said that before each rehearsal, the director will inspire the actors to imagine the scene in history first, and in the retrospective of the educational quality and educational spirit of the teachers, we also have a deeper thinking about the spirit of the teachers and the mission of the new generation of teachers.
Meng Xiancheng opened public education during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression
Wang Chenyu, played by Meng Xiancheng and a 2020 undergraduate student majoring in music education at East China Normal University, felt inspired after the performance, "Interpreting the history of the school and the history of the deep school, the spiritual strength brought to me will be a valuable asset in the future."
A relay run for a 3-time cast team
The choreography of the master drama "Meng Xiancheng" began in 2019, aiming to create a campus cultural education brand, and was performed in December of that year. In 2020, relying on the Shanghai Municipal Cultural and Educational Integration Project, the teacher and student team of the master drama "Meng Xiancheng" further excavated the most wonderful and touching plot of the life course of the first principal on the basis of the original version, and successfully staged the master drama "Meng Xiancheng" Party History Study and Education Special Session in June this year. In order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of East China Normal University, the team of teachers, students and alumni once again gathered to use the summer vacation to further adjust and optimize the script and conduct a new round of rehearsals.
On the basis of the previous two performances, after three sessions of cast teams relayed, the master drama "Meng Xiancheng" integrated new sets, new characters, and new stories. During the period, the school also initiated the establishment of the "Campus Master Drama Integration, Medium, and Small Education Collaboration Platform", which opened a master drama training camp for teachers and students of the whole school, opened to the member schools of the collaboration platform, and invited middle school students from the Zizhu Campus of the Second Affiliated Middle School of East China Normal University to participate in the rehearsal.
Gao Yingyuan, a 2018 master's student majoring in geographical sciences, served as a director's assistant and one of the executive screenwriters in the 1.0 version of the master drama "Meng Xiancheng". Two years later, he has become a student in The Jing'an District of Shanghai and watched the performance through online live broadcast. "Meng Xiancheng is not only a teacher who seeks educational reform in the turbulent times, but also a great gentleman who explores education to save the country when the nation is in danger. I should also take my husband as an example, take root in the grassroots in the most beautiful youth, serve the people, bravely undertake the mission in my own field of work, strive to be the first, take the road of good selection and adjustment with practical actions, and fulfill the promise of youth."
The master drama "Meng Xiancheng" has been choreographed and created three times, condensing the efforts and wisdom of dozens of teachers, students and alumni cast members, and the story behind this is also the best attempt by contemporary young people to continue to inherit the spirit of Shida and continuously interpret the character of the master. The school said that activating campus cultural resources and achieving the effect of silent education in the integration of teachers and students, peer promotion and self-education with original campus master dramas has become a new trend of East China Normal University to educate people with culture and culture.
Author: Wu Jinjiao Correspondent Zhang Shen
Editor: Wu Jinjiao
Photo: Courtesy of East China Normal University