以前的学生: From teacher to student

UIBE, 24ºC, overcast

The past three summers, I have taught Chinese students English on a one-month long summer course hosted by a school in England. The experience of standing in a teacher’s shoes allows me to identify with teacher’s frustrations and jubilations the world over. Thankfully for me, my own students were all very dedicated and hard-working.

Today, I had the pleasure of eating with two of my former students. Beyond (left) and Vicky (right) were my students two summers ago. 老师 “Teacher”, Beyond used to address me. Her unwavering respect always impressed me. It was incredible to see how two of my former students had matured into two driven, successful young ladies. Next year, they will both be attending Qinghua, an Oxbridge of China.

When I last saw Beyond and Vicky, they were only allowed to speak in English, and I knew no Chinese. Two years on, I felt like I had taken on the role of student myself, only speaking in Chinese (except for the odd word…) and learning new words from both of them. Their patience was admirable, and made me wonder if they might one day teach too.