How to Be a Teacher Today--Commentary on 100 Educational Cases (Secondary School)

Author: Wang Xiaochun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The "Education Online" website, chaired by Teacher Li Zhenxi, is where I frequently visit. There, discussions are lively and debates are fervent, primarily focusing on the question: How should we be teachers today? Many people feel that being a teacher is extremely difficult now, often leaving them feeling lost and overwhelmed. I have contributed to these discussions, which has garnered some attention from netizens. In October last year, Teacher Jinshi, the moderator of the "Class Teacher Forum" on Education Online, sent me a text message asking if I would like to start a small column to answer questions that young class teachers are confused about and provide commentary on some cases. I agreed. As a result, a pinned post titled "Guidance from the Elder—Wang Xiaochun Teacher Points the Way!" appeared on the "Class Teacher Forum," signed by "Jinshi." In the opening remarks, Jinshi wrote, "Today, I will use this post as a growth ground for our class teachers' case studies and as Wang Teacher's private plot of land for guiding us young class teachers." On this website, there aren’t many people like me in their sixties, so calling me a "" (elder) is acceptable. I reluctantly agree, though I dare not take the terms "" (guidance) and "" (guidance) too seriously. With the young teachers in the discussion being so humble, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and refrain from making a fuss. I remind myself that when discussing issues, I am merely a speaker. I will speak frankly, but I must strive to avoid a preachy tone. When others call me a "," it is a polite gesture. If I take it too seriously, I would be too naive. In short, this old man's "private plot of land" has begun to be cultivated. The weather has been favorable, and the crops are growing well. In less than half a year, I have commented on nearly 200 educational cases, with the number of clicks reaching 15,000. It’s quite "lush"!
In March 2005, Mr. Wu Fayuan, an editor at East China Normal University Press, sent me an email saying that a fellow named He Ping (a netizen of mine, whom I have never met) had recommended me to him. He Ping is the author of "Class Teacher's Tactics" and I have offered some differing opinions on it. Mr. Wu had also read some of my case commentaries and found them interesting, asking if I could compile them into a book. I agreed, and thus this book came into being for the readers. The cases selected for this book, except for a few, are from secondary schools, totaling 100. Some were brought to me, while others I sought out myself. For cases where I did not (specify the source) but only noted the author (net name), they were selected from "Education Online," primarily from the "Class Teacher Forum," but also from other sections such as "School Management Forum," "Macro Educational Thinking," "Teacher's Friend Forum," "Li Zhenxi’s Home," and "Teacher’s Reflections." I have also visited K12 educational forums frequently and selected some cases from there. To save readers’ time, I have abridged or excerpted longer cases. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all these netizens and moderators.
After commenting on so many cases, my overall impression is that a significant number of primary and secondary school teachers use overly simplistic methods, which have remained unchanged for years. Essentially, they combine "strict discipline" with "dedicated love." When strict discipline fails, they try to win students over with love. If love fails, they resort to even harsher discipline. If that doesn’t work, they turn to parents to "fix" the problem. However, students who are out of control at school are often already out of control at home, and parents still expect teachers to handle their children. At that point, there’s nothing left to do but vent frustrations, feel helpless, and become exhausted. Moreover, the simpler the work methods, the more tired teachers feel, because low-tech, inefficient repetitive labor wears down the soul. With such professional capabilities, it’s inevitable that teachers will struggle to keep up with the ever-changing society and increasingly unpredictable new generations. Why are their work methods so simplistic? Because their thinking is too. The subjective impressions in their methods far outweigh wisdom, creating a severe imbalance. When teachers encounter student problems, they rarely consider multiple possibilities or seek multiple causes, applying the same approach to everyone. In many cases, they don’t even ask for reasons or care to know them—they just enforce rules and criticize if students don’t meet their expectations. As a result, their educational methods lack a professional touch, meaning even someone with no education background could work this way. For example, losing one’s temper, making comparisons, punishing students by copying homework, denying them the right to go home, expelling them from class, or calling parents to complain. This is "non-research-based education," "non-professional education." It’s more like "managing children" than education.
Therefore, to be a teacher who keeps pace with the times and improves professional competence, it is imperative to increase the "technological content" and "wisdom content" of one’s work. To improve teachers’ professional skills, simply assigning work targets or using various rules and regulations to control, restrict, or pressure teachers is not enough. Neither is emotional moralizing about teacher ethics. These are all "peripheral warfare." Just as loudly emphasizing medical ethics and rigidly enforcing strict management systems in hospitals doesn’t improve doctors’ medical skills, many leaders keep trying to solve professional skill issues with purely administrative means—a dead end. Academic problems must be addressed with academic methods. Administrative management can only help create some conditions.
There are many ways to improve teachers’ professional skills, and I believe case studies are one of the best and worth promoting. Currently, on one end, experts often lecture on abstract theories that leave teachers feeling drowsy; on the other end, teachers are busy summarizing superficial, surface-level experiences. The two are on separate tracks, like parallel lines extending into the distance. Case studies, however, can bridge the two. The characteristic of case studies is "discussing principles based on facts." Because they "discuss based on facts," they start from real cases, making them relatable to teachers. Yet because they must "discuss principles," they must draw rational conclusions from the cases, ensuring they are not just descriptive. They discuss commonplace things, but the conclusions often differ greatly from teachers’ usual thinking, leaving them shaken and inspired. "Discussing principles based on facts" is the approach of this book.
Case studies differ from formal case studies. In formal case studies, researchers often participate directly in the cases. However, none of the cases in this book are based on my personal observations or experiences. I can only understand the situations indirectly through teachers’ narratives. This is a drawback, increasing the possibility of judgment errors. Therefore, I welcome readers’ criticism.
How should we be teachers today? In a word: good moral character is not enough, nor is passion alone. We must also have scientific thinking and true professional competence.
Wang Xiaochun
May 23, 2005