John

I owe him a story. Probably the existence of his kind of student is one of the reasons why teachers in the world wanna stay on their profession.

The gray-shirt-boy is named John, he is the student of Nanyang School, has just joined there months ago, with a little basic mandarin knowledge.

Last week, his mom asked my help to teach him, to bring him a good score for mandarin test, at least proper enough. His last score was 40. When I see the sample questions given, my nerves were on edge, i couldn’t speak. A three grade student of elementary student got that difficult questions. It was Saturday afternoon and the remedy would be hold on Monday morning.

Then I took a two-eye conversation with his mom, that it sounds incredible for his son to pass the test. But his mom kinda begging to my help. So I said,”Okay, I’ll do it, but I can’t assure you a very good score as we just have not more than two days.” Then we have a deal.

I taught him. I see how much pressure he hide on his self. He looked so tired. That Saturday I asked him,”What time do you get up?”

“6,” He answered.

“What an early time. What do you do then?”

‘I’ve forgotten his exact answer, but I do remember that he has no break time on that beautiful lovely enjoyable weekend. And that’s why he got an exhausted face when he met me to join my class.

So I asked him, “What do you like the most?”

Then he answered, “Drawing, Laoshi.”

With no doubts, I gave him my spidol and told him to draw anything he likes, do whatever he wanted to do, play as happy as he could do.

He drew me a Charmelion(if I’m not wrong memorizing the name, i was used to a pokemon players too). He told me everything about pokemon, about their abalities and how he loved it. So it’s like the teacher was being teached.

Minutes passed, as he drew some pokemon and found a lot of happiness there, I did all of his questions and put a lot of explanations there. We did our own business. He with his pokemon world and I with my mandarin world.

When it’s time to go home, I still did it. Honestly, it’s quite hard for me. I even used my dictionary and read it repeatedly and meticulously. So we both went home late. (He joined the last class I have to teach)

“John,” I called him. “Here are some explanations. It’s not difficult for you (Okay I’m probably lying in this case, I confess). When you have reached home, have a relaxed shower, lovely food, cool pokemons, play games, anything. You don’t need to try hard to study. But the next day, you have to study, wholeheartedly.”

Okay, Laoshi. Thank you,” Then I let him go home with a little happiness I put on him face. At that point I felt a little guilty with his mom, but I’m just like: Let it be.

A week after it, which means today, I meet this student again, he joins my class with a lot of cheerfulness. As I remember the last week occurence, I automatically ask him, “How is your test?”

And I get a contented answer, “It’s so incredible. I got a 100. Thank you for your help, Laoshi.”

I’m just there like speechless, so proud of him till I have no words left. He has been absolutely successful in bringing my whole day a lot of brightness.

Children love playing, let them do it.

Children love drawing, let them do it.

Children love speaking, let them do it.

When it ’s time for them to study, they’ll do it, whole-heartedly.