life as a teacher

Every morning people see us walking into school and leave in the afternoon with smiles. "Life as a teacher is very easy, 7-1 everyday, 5 days a week,long school holidays". It was a truth twenty years ago, but absolutely not today. There is a passage in some local Chinese newspapers which grabbed my attention. It sounds something like this:

Being a teacher is not a simple task at all. My wife had been posted far away from family , leaving me and my small baby behind. It was a two hour flight journey to her new place. She couldn't get a post near our hometown since there is too many empty seats to be filled there. She is now educating other people's children by sacrificing her chance to educate here own child.

Her first salary will not be paid until the third month since the processing period needs three months. I send her whatever i had to her, hoping she will not be tied between her legs. Routine works is not as easy as it seems to be. Teaching, preparing for lessons, correcting piles of exercises, lots of paper works, organizing school activities, meetings, taking care of children's safety, prepare questions for exams, and so on. Most of the time she bring her works back home and continues at night. Her works is like a never ending story. Sometimes when i go to visit her, i burn the night candle with her.

I'm very impressed with teachers in this country, and even myself. I never had imagined I am inside this circle working days and nights and sometimes have to face some parents coming to school pointing their finger to teachers over a remarkably small matter. I'm getting more used to it as i always remind myself " That's life... just get use to it". Well, we have to admit, that is life...