I received the best gift for New Year's Day 2024, and this gift triggered my educational reflection.
After school at noon today, I dropped the students off at the pick-up point and went to the cafeteria for New Year's Day dinner.
The meal was very simple, with oil cakes, dumplings, stewed potato wedges, noodle soup, and hot cola, and the teachers were very happy to eat.
When I was eating, I saw many students playing outside the cafeteria after eating, and some students were curious to watch the teacher eat through the windowpane.
Most of these students are divorced or left-behind children, and thanks to the school's childcare and boarding services, these children are either not picked up and dropped.
I walked out of the cafeteria, and a girl with shoulder-length short hair walked up to me briskly from among several girls, it was Ms. Wang.
She took out two pieces of candy from her pocket and gave them to me and said, "Teacher, I will give you two pieces of candy, a gift for New Year's Day!"
I looked at the two pieces of candy, and then at her silky shoulder-length black hair and a pair of thin single eyelids. All I have in my mind is the scene of Wang being criticized by me in the office and making up his homework.
Last semester, I taught reading in Wang's class and took students to read "Journey to the West" together. Ms. Wang didn't buy books, she didn't have books to read, and she occasionally borrowed books from other classes during reading classes, and she couldn't complete her reading homework on weekends.
The first time I found out that she didn't have a book, I asked her why she didn't have a book and what difficulties she had, and she only said that her mother was working part-time and didn't buy it.
The second time I went to class, I asked why I didn't buy the book, and she said that she bought it online, but the book hasn't come back yet.
She didn't take her homework seriously, and I called her into the office several times. Once, I criticized her harshly and asked her to write a manual.
Later, in reading class, she didn't dare to look up, let alone make eye contact with me.
Half a semester passed, and she finally bought the book, but the other classmates finished reading "Journey to the West" (I).
This semester, she bought her books as soon as school started, and she was able to hand in her homework.
This week, I asked a student to go to Wang's class to find a girl with short shoulder-length hair who didn't finish her homework. Mr. Wang came to the office and said, "Teacher, it's not me, I'm done."
I just found out that she had cut her hair, and her smooth black hair made her face very fair.
I said, "Oh, the teacher is mistaken, you can go!"
I pulled myself back from the memories and said, "Teacher, let's eat a piece!"
"I still have a lot of them in my bag in the classroom!
I was holding two pieces of candy and feeling very uncomfortable.
On weekdays, I pay attention to a class of students, and all the students are like one face. Only students who have not studied or written their homework will be noticed separately, and these students are "regulars" who do not hand in their homework.
I paid special attention to a few students, not to genuinely understand their difficulties, to understand their hobbies, personalities, families, nor to help them solve their reading difficulties, and I did not even encourage them once.
Every time, I called them to rush homework, and they could tell my impatience in my expression.
I have neglected their existence as living beings, and they need my understanding, understanding, tolerance, and help, and what I have given is criticism and disgust.
Instead of holding a grudge against me, Mr. Wang bravely gave me candy on campus.
These two pieces of candy made me reflect: teachers should have individual students in their hearts, should pay attention to the spiritual and ideological outlook of students, should pay attention to their interests and hobbies, should care about their difficulties and help them grow.
These two pieces of candy made me have an epiphany: teachers should not let homework, grades, and grades be blinded, and teachers should always put their lives first.
These two pieces of candy from Mr. Wang are the best gifts for New Year's Day 2024, and they are also the most valuable gifts I have ever given since I taught.