After a long day, Zhang Tian finally got back to his small room, feeling tired. He had started
working at seven in the morning and it was eight in the evening now. He had to prepare his lessons
for the following day. This is a tupical day for Zhang Tian. Coming to Guizhou Province to teach
has been quite an experience for him.
Zhang Tian graduated from university and got a teacher's certificate last year. His parents, like
most, hoped he would go to a big city to find a teaching job. Likewise, his friends all left his
hometown for work in Shanghai or Beijing. Zhang Tian felt differently, however. He wanted to start
a new lifestyle. He had met wonderful teachers from small villages during his early school years
and he was inspired by them to go and teach where he was needed the most. For that reason he
applied for and became a volunteer teacher in a village school. Bringing with him lots of books,
clothes, and two pairs of trainers, Zhang Tian travelled to the village with an eager heart. He
imagined all sorts of exciting things about living independently and teaching in a village.
However, not everything lived up to Zhang Tian's hopes. The school was much smaller than he had
expected, with only three classrooms. In front of the classrooms, there was a playground which got
dusty on windy days and muddy on rainy days. Living in the village was also more challenging than
he had thought. The power and water supplies were unstable, so he could only shower every three or
four days, and he had to learn how to cook. The thought of leaving once flashed through is mind,
but he quickly gave up on the idea and found ways to deal with the challenges.
The school had just three teachers and Zhang Tian was the only English teacher. The other two local
teachers were responsible for maths and Chinese. To make school life healthier and livelier for his
students, Zhang Tian introduced more subjects to the school -- music, art and PE. It is not
surprising that PE is the kid's favourite subject! Their school lives are now more attractive and
interesting, and they enjoy playing football in the playground, as well as singing songs they've
learnt. The school is now full of laughter and music. Zhang Tian is planning to organise the
first-ever school concert! Everyone is very excited.
Zhang Tian's first year is almost over. It has been a tough year, but he has enjoyed working with
the children. What made him feel satisfied was that his students were able to read, speak and write
in English, and they became more confident in learning. Besides teaching, Zhang Tian also brought
changes to the village. He contacted charity organisations about rebuilding the playground and
setting up a library, and helped the villagers sell local products online. The contribution he made
to the village was great, so he became very popular among the villagers and they treated him as
one of them. The village is like his second home now. Although he had only intended to stay for
one year, he now feels ready to stay for another year. He feels so happy that he followed his
heart when choosing what to do with his life, even though it may not be what others expected of
him.