How to Be a Teacher Today: Commenting 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 engaging, primarily revolving around 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 message asking if I would like to open a small column to answer questions that young class teachers often have, providing commentary on various cases. I agreed. As a result, a pinned post titled "Guidance from the Elder—Wang Xiaochun Teacher Points Us!" 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 teacher case studies and as Wang Teacher's personal space for guiding young class teachers." On this website, there aren't many people like me in their sixties, so calling me a '' (elder) is acceptable, though I must admit that 'leading' and 'guiding' are terms I do not fully deserve. With the humility of the young teachers who discuss these issues, I reluctantly refrain from making excuses. I remind myself that when discussing problems, I am merely a speaker. I will speak frankly about my opinions but must strive to avoid a preachy tone. When others call me a 'leader,' it is out of courtesy, and if I take it too seriously, I would be too naive. In summary, this 'personal plot' of mine has begun to be cultivated. With favorable conditions, the crops have grown well, and in less than half a year, I have commented on nearly 200 educational cases, with over 15,000 clicks. 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 I have never met but who wrote the book "Class Teacher's Tactics" and with whom I have had some disagreements) had recommended me to him. Mr. Wu had also read some of my case commentaries and found them interesting, asking if I could compile a book of case commentaries. I agreed, and thus this book came into existence for readers. The cases selected, except for a few exceptions, are from secondary schools, totaling 100. Some were brought to me, while others I chose myself. For cases where I did not (specify the source) but only noted the author (netname), 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 sincerely thank all these netizens and moderators for their contributions.
After reviewing so many cases, my overall impression is that a significant portion of primary and secondary school teachers' methods are too simplistic and 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 stricter 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 methods, the more exhausting the work becomes, as low-tech, inefficient repetitive labor wears down the soul. I feel that with such professional capabilities, it is difficult to keep up with the ever-changing society and the increasingly unconventional new generation, leading to a constant struggle to meet demands. Why are the methods so simple? Because the thinking is simple. The subjective impressions in their methods far outweigh wisdom, creating a severe imbalance. When teachers encounter student issues, they rarely consider multiple possibilities but instead attribute problems to single causes, and they do this to everyone. In many cases, teachers don't even ask for reasons or even care to know them. As long as students don't meet their expectations, they immediately start disciplining or scolding them. As a result, their educational methods lack a professional touch, meaning that even someone with no education background could work in this way. For example, losing one's temper, making comparisons, punishing homework copying, denying students the right to go home, expelling them from class, or calling parents to complain. This is "non-research-based education," "non-professional education." It is more like "managing children" than education. Therefore, to become a modern teacher who keeps pace with the times and improves professional skills, increasing the "technological content" and "wisdom content" of work is an urgent task.
To improve teachers' professional levels, simply assigning work targets is not enough, nor is it effective to control, restrict, or suppress teachers with various rules and regulations, nor is it sufficient to engage in emotional moralizing about teacher ethics. These are all "peripheral warfare." Just as loudly emphasizing medical ethics and strictly enforcing management systems in hospitals doesn't improve doctors' medical skills, many leaders still try to solve professional level issues with purely administrative means—a path that doesn't work. Academic problems must be addressed with academic methods, while administrative management only helps create conditions.
There are many ways to improve teachers' professional levels, and I believe case studies are particularly effective 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 experiences that stay at the surface of things. The two are on separate tracks, like parallel lines extending into the distance. Case studies can bridge these two gaps. The characteristic of case studies is "discussing principles based on facts." Because they start with "facts," they remain grounded in reality, 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 common occurrences, but the conclusions often differ greatly from teachers' usual thinking, leading to inspiration after being shaken. "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, which is a drawback that increases the possibility of judgment errors. Therefore, I warmly welcome readers' criticisms.
How should we be teachers today? In a word: good moral character is not enough, nor is passion alone sufficient—we must also have scientific thinking and true professional competence.
Wang Xiaochun
May 23, 2005