Maybe it is not exactly an event. I choose it just because it do mean a lot to me. Looking back, what I remember best was the day I became a teacher, which was really memorable.
My grandparents and my parents are all teachers. They wanted me to be a teacher although teacher as we know it today was not at first a high-paid and well-respected profession in China. My father was completely proud of his job and he always said: “To teach is to contribute to society and to your own future in very special ways. To become a teacher is to enter a challenging profession in which you can have endless opportunities for lifelong learning.”
So after I graduated from university and became a teacher of Financial Planning 5 years ago, my family was so excited. But I didn’t have that feeling at all. I just feel so nervous that I couldn’t sleep. I prepared my lecture time and time again before my first class, but even so, I was completely in shock when I entered my classroom the next morning.
There were nearly a hundred students, most of whom were older than me, sitting and staring at me quietly. My partner told me that they came from about ten different banks of the city. Then he introduced some of them to me. Oh my god, I was going to faint. All of them had high degrees and several years’ experiences in banking and other financial affairs! I had just graduated from school less than one month ago, how can I talk about “investment” with them, the “real experts” in investment.
It was so frightening that the prepared process of my lecture in my mind was totally chaotic. At that time, I couldn’t express myself and explain things clearly. I lost my exceptional talent of teaching and my sense of humor. I was just talking and talking, but I really don’t know what I was talking about. It seemed like an instinct. Someone threw me on the stage, so I had to talk, that was the only thing I knew. That feeling was so grotesque like everyone saw me as a bizarre animal.. I was about to cry!
After my first and unforgettable class, I ran back to my office as quickly as I could and had two big bottles of water to cool down my emotions. Then I called my father and shouted to him: “It is absurd of you to suggest me to be a teacher! Teaching is not fascinating at all!” He laughed and said many things such as don’t give up, everybody has seen some talent and potential of being an excellent teacher in you, you need time, etc.
Two years later, after millions of classes, I could already talk and communicate freely in front of seven hundreds or more students, could share my love of learning with my students and help them discover their potential. I really like seeing a student’s eyes light up with understanding! Although I am still far away from a real teacher, I know I begin to belong in classroom now.
Xu Ying (Yvette), China,
Up-Intermediate level
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