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Shen Ping and Shen Ting, twin sisters at SCNU, both earned master's degrees from the School of Chinese Language & Literature in 2023 and currently work as teachers in Shenquan Middle School in Jieyang, a city in the eastern part of Guangdong province, contributing their strength to the cause of education.
These two "relatively low achievers" during their early school years had no idea that one day they would become teachers.
A special bond with education
The twins are photographed in front of the School of Chinese Language & Literature.
"We have a special bond with education," they say. Teachers in their early school years sowed the seeds of aspiration to becoming a teacher in their minds.
The twin sisters did not perform well in the College Entrance Examination. They decided to spend another year studying and retake the test the following year. That's when they encountered "Grandpa Zeng", an old teacher well beyond his retirement years. Though in poor health, he insisted on staying with students and enlightened them with his experience. The twins were so impressed by him that their choice to teach in the Chaoshan area was also influenced by him.
Shen Ping has been fascinated by Chinese language and literature since childhood. Therefore, she enrolled in the elementary education program with a focus on language and literature without hesitation. Shen Ping hopes that her students will be able to gain different aesthetic experiences from life through the study of language and literature. "When seeing a cloud, I hope they could not only think of it as being formed by water vapor but also blurt out the line of Wang Wei (a famous ancient Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty)'s poem: "I will walk till the water checks my path, Then sit and watch the rising clouds."
However, Shen Ting's path was different. She majored in financial management in the undergraduate program. Then, she found herself still being impacted by those literary works she once read. Her passion for teaching was rekindled, leading her to switch to a postgraduate program focused on language and literature in elementary education. Though she failed to get into the program the first time, she didn't give up and finally made it in the following year.
Striving for their dreams
Shen Ting teaches a group of pupils.
The dropout of a close classmate in high school and the movie Not One Less, about a rural teacher looking for a dropout, gave the twins the idea of attending volunteer teaching programs.
Their first teaching practice came in the form of an internship in Shanwei. "Although Shanwei is not part of the Chaoshan region, the two places have some common characteristics," said Shen Ping. When they set off, they decided to learn about the characteristics of the children, their families and the social environment in the course of this internship.
This experience has also helped the twin sisters better understand the direction of their future teaching. Perhaps because of the local culture, students there tend to think studying is not the most important thing compared to doing business. "But they are very energetic, and they have the potential to be whoever they want to be." They also believe that because Shanwei is within the confines of the Chaoshan culture, there is a wealth of local cultural resources that can be utilized. This experience inspired them to further thought about how to design teaching and how to do a good job in regular teaching.
Teaching is also nurturing
Shen Ping talks with her pupils.
"Teaching is also nurturing." according to the twin sisters. At first, how to teach well, how to communicate with pupils, and how to gain the trust of their parents were all complex problems for the them.
Shen Ping believes, "Every word teachers say in class is educational." She had been so nervous the day before a class that she could not sleep. But after more than 80 classes, she overcame her fear and became more confident.
During her internship, she often with her pupils. At first, the children were confused and unable to find a goal in life. But when she was about to leave, they shared their dreams with her: painting, music, teaching and so on. Their changes moved her deeply. "I think that's what education is all about," says Shen Ting.
Shen Ping tells about a girl in her class who loved music, but often got poor grades because she frequently slept in class. Instead of blaming or criticizing her, Shen Ping gave her some advice and encouraged her to work hard towards her dreams. Her sincerity and tolerance touched the girl. Since then, she has stopped sleeping in class. "We live in a tolerant and open society, we have to follow the laws of their growth and give appropriate guidance," says Shen Ping.
In the future, these twin sisters will stick to their educational ideals and continue to explore better teaching methods. Rooted in the eastern part of Guangdong and lighting up education, they are purveyors of hope.
Source from SCNU News Center
Translated by Wu Jiadan, Zhu Ying
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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