It was parent-teacher night in the high school where I teach English and Geography. It was an opportunity to meet student’s parents to review their child’s progress and give advice on how they could improve in their studies. It was this night that I came to realize several things about the people of China and the rapid progress in the country.
One father accompanying his daughter began the interview with something that I will never forget. After I had introduced myself, he said something so touching that it gave new meaning to my career as a teacher.
He began by saying, “My daughter speaks highly of you and says that she learns so much in your class.”
Those words made me feel extremely good about myself, and I could feel a smile slowly emerge on my slightly embarrassed face.
But it was what he said next that made me speechless.
He said, “We have a saying in China. If you teach a child something, then you become a second parent. “He paused and then said, “Thank you for becoming a second father to my daughter.”
At that moment, I never felt so good about being a teacher. To know that I was appreciated not only by my students, but also by their parents almost brought me to tears. Tears of joy.
This experience also made me realize how important education is for Chinese people, and how much respect they have for people involved in education. It occurred to me that this reflected the cooperative spirit of Chinese people. The people here realize that progress and development can only come through hard work -- as students do in school, and through cooperation demonstrated by how parents, students and teachers work together to encourage and support each other to create a modern China.
This spirit of cooperation and hard work happens throughout Chinese society in many ways. I see it in the gym where people work together to stay healthy and build up their strength together. I witness it in the parks early in the morning where scores of Chinese men and women dance, run, walk, and exercise together. I see it in my students as they write exams in a second language that they have struggled to learn each day.
Most recently, when Changchun was under lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19, the neighbours in my building supported each other in online groups and food was delivered efficiently to homes to make people as comfortable as possible.
My Chinese wife, a hospital employee, had to fight the pandemic daily leaving me home alone for two months. But I did not feel alone. My neighbours supported me every day by offering me food and sending me messages to check on me.
If I ever miss my own country, I am comforted by the words of my student’s father reminding me that I am contributing to China’s progress and development as part of the Chinese family.
