“You’re a Great Teacher!”

(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1998 by watching videos about it. All my ailments disappeared within two months. I bought a copy of Zhuan Falun, and after reading it I felt happier and healthier.

I taught of sixth grade mathematics. During extracurricular and exercise periods, I led the class to study the Fa and practice the Falun Dafa exercises. Students from other classes also came to read the teachings and practice the exercises with us. My class was a model class in the school, and the students’ academic performances were the best. I was recognized as an exemplary teacher every year.

At one point it stormed and rained so hard that a wall of the school collapsed. The principal said he had to find someone to rebuild the wall, but the local farmers were very busy. I said, “No need to look. I know how to do it, and I’ll finish it in one day.” The principal was happy and said, “That’s great.” I rebuilt the wall before it got dark the next day. The principal said, “Your craftsmanship is good. The wall looks great.”

More than a month after this incident, another heavy rainfall caused the fourth-grade classroom’s roof to leak in two places. The students moved their stools and desks to avoid the dripping water, but the classroom was small, so some students had to stand to listen to the lesson. The principal said, “This isn’t good, we have to fix it quickly. The students can’t stand to listen to the class the whole time!”

I said, “I can fix it. I’ll start repairing it when the students are dismissed, so that it doesn’t delay the students’ classes in the afternoon.” The principal said, “That’s great!” I was able to patch the leaks in less than two hours. The principal said, “You’re wonderful! What a hassle you’ve saved! Thank you so much!” I replied, “This is what a teacher should do.” The superiors found out about this and came to the school to praise me.

The Persecution Begins

In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa. One morning in October 1999, two people from the Township Culture and Education Office came to our school and asked me to write a guarantee statement and said I should renounce Falun Dafa, but I refused. Two days later, three more people came. I was in class at the time, and they called me out of the room. I said, “I’m teaching a class, and we can talk when I finish and give the students their homework assignments.”

One man shouted, “No! You come out here right now. You practice Falun Dafa, and you’ve also taught your class Falun Dafa. We are firing you right now. Pack up your things and get out.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the classroom. The students followed us out, and shouted, “Don’t take our teacher! Don’t take our teacher!” When I reached the school gates, many students and teachers came me to see me off. Several students wept and shouted, “He’s a great teacher! He’s a great teacher!” I was moved to tears and waved goodbye to the teachers and students.

Another practitioner came to see me a few days later and said, “I have a friend who runs a middle school in the county seat. It’s a private school, and the CCP can’t control it. Would you like to teach there?” I said, “Yes. Thank you.” She returned two days later and said, “What a coincidence, his school just dismissed a teacher, and he’s in a rush to find a replacement.” I said, “This could be Master’s arrangement.” The practitioner said, “Yes, it is. Let’s thank Master.” We thanked merciful Master.

We went to the school together the following day. The principal said, “My friend told me a a lot about you. You really are a good teacher. You practice Falun Dafa, so you have high morals, and you teach your students well.” The principal also said, “Our private school is different from a public school. Every teacher must sign a contract. If you dislike the conditions, or if you think we don’t treat you well, or the salary is not high enough, you can resign at any time. We can also dismiss you if you don’t do a good job.” I agreed to the terms. The principal appointed me as a homeroom teacher and a math teacher.

In the first month, my class ranked fourth from the bottom in an evaluation, then eighth in the second month, and third the third month. I received a 10 yuan bonus (~USD$1.40). I spent the 10 yuan on homework notebooks, and gave them to the top 20 students to reward them for their good academic performance. The students were very happy and said, “Teacher, you are so good. You bought us homework notebooks with your money.” I told them, “This is a reward for your hard work and good grades.”

One student said, “That’s because you taught us well. Our class was always the third from the bottom and we never received any rewards.” I said, “Let’s work together, and if I get a bonus next time, I’ll buy you more homework notebooks.”

The new school year began, and in the first month, my class came in first place, and I got a bonus of 30 yuan (~USD$4.20). I used 20 yuan (~USD$2.80) to buy homework notebooks for my students. I received a bonus every month and I always spend it on prizes for my students. Several students in other classes told me, “Mr. Zhou, I want to study in your class.” Some parents also asked me if their children could be transferred to my class.

Throughout my years of teaching, I always kept Master’s teachings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in mind, and whenever I do something, whenever I encounter a setback, no matter how big or small, I always use Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance as the criterion to measure how to do a good job. When students fight, are absent from class, or are late, I never scold or criticize them, and I never use sarcasm. Instead, I’m always kind and reason with them. I encourage them with positive examples. My students make fewer and fewer mistakes. Every year we are rated as a model class, and every year I’m considered a model teacher.