Anne Zhang

    zhangy49@gmail.com

    AMERICAN Elisa Busby was surprised when three of her students handed cards and gifts to her and greeted her “Happy Teachers’ Day” yesterday morning.

    China designated Sept. 10 as its Teachers’ Day 30 years ago to show respect for teachers.

    Busby, a kindergarten teacher at Shenzhen American International School, said it’s the first time that she spent Teachers’ Day in China.

    “I heard about it, but I didn’t realize that it’s such a special day until my students gave me gifts,” Busby said.

    Among the gifts she received were cards, flowers and a cute plant model in a popular video game — Plant Vs. Zombie.

    Busby has 17 students in her class and some of them are from other countries, who didn’t know about Teachers’ Day, either.

    “After knowing that today is Teachers’ Day, they all said ‘Happy Teachers’ Day’ to me,” Busby said. “It’s so sweet.”

    Nathan Rooffner is more familiar with China’s Teachers’ Day after teaching at Xuefu Primary School in Nanshan District for six years.

    Rooffner said he didn’t receive many Teachers’ Day gifts from students in the first year at the school because his students were shy and didn’t know much about him.

    As students become familiar with him, they show their love and appreciation frequently, especially on Teacher’s Day, he said.

    Rooffner’s desk was piled with gifts from his students yesterday including hand-made cards, chocolates, a wallet and a little bag.

    The campus radio station played music between classes yesterday to celebrate the day, Rooffner said.

    “I feel happy. It’s a fun day. I love it,” he said.

    Rooffner from Missouri, the United States, said his state celebrates Teacher Appreciation Day that also falls in September. “I feel that teaching, as a profession, carries a higher value in China than in the United States,” he said.

    Zhang Li who teaches Chinese at Nantou Middle School in Nanshan District began receiving “Happy Teachers’ Day” messages from her current students and graduates in the morning yesterday.

    Wang Shaokai, a teacher at Dapeng Central School in Dapeng New Area, celebrated the Teacher’s Day in a special way. He donated 400ml blood to the city’s blood center yesterday.

    “I’ve donated nearly 10,000ml blood in Shenzhen but it’s the first time I donated blood on Teacher’s Day,” Wang said. “That made the day more meaningful.”