Falun Dafa Has Taught Me to Become a Better Teacher

(Minghui.org) I am a teacher and grateful to Master for spreading Falun Dafa so that I can live with a clear mind and not get lost amidst the chaotic world.

I used to care a lot about how others thought about me. I was hardworking and strict with my students prior to taking up cultivation. This was because I wanted to be recognized and deemed a good teacher. After practicing Falun Dafa, I knew this reflected my attachment to fame. As a practitioner, one should do well without consideration for personal gain, and should not pursue things.

I often tried really hard to establish my authority over my students and wanted them to be obedient. However, the methods I used were not worthy of a practitioner and I was not being compassionate; the students listened to me because they feared me. After taking up cultivation, I’ve become more considerate of children with different personalities and learned to understand why they behave the way they do. I’ve tried my best to look at the positive side of things and help my students to become better people.

I have an expressive student in my class who’d often interrupt me. I reminded him multiple times not to do that, but he seemed to not take me seriously. One time, I raised my voice and said seriously, “You need to be quiet now. I do not want to hear from you anymore.” He whispered to the classmate next to him and said, “Then does the sound of my heartbeat count?” I felt that he was doing it on purpose and wanted to make me angry. I was upset and held my anger for several days.

I started to look inward. Why did I dislike hearing from him. Why did I get mad when I heard him speak? Do I have notions or opinions about him? Did he make me look bad in front of everyone when he refused to listen to my warnings? I am upset because he made me lose face in front of everyone. Was I truly upset because I was worried that the student would not learn well, or did I just care about myself? I saw the attachment to my ego and only thought about myself instead of thinking of others.

One time after class I asked this student, “Are you trying to get my attention by acting up?” The student said, “Teacher, you’ve finally realized!” It turned out that he was acting up to get my attention, whereas I always thought he was being disruptive.

Since then, I’ve interacted with him more often and paid more attention to him. I learned that he came from a single-parent family and lacked care. His behavior has been improving over time. Though he still chit chats during class, he would stop when I reminded him.

I was able to become more compassionate and caring because I practiced Falun Dafa. Dafa has changed me for the better. I learned to use compassion to educate children; only this can truly change a child. The changes were also permanent and heartfelt. Students are willingly to listen to me not because they are afraid; it’s because they know from deep down that I truly care for them.

Thank you, Master, for teaching me how to be a good teacher. I hope I can eliminate more of my ego and be an altruistic practitioner, and sow compassionate seeds in the field of education. I hope that my students can become better people.