Eric Qiao G9,乔昱鸣

In September last year, I joined the school’s voluntary teaching club and became a little teacher. My first assignment was to provide online tutoring to a student in Guangxi, about 600 kilometers away from my city.

Not particularly interested in remote teaching activities, I felt nervous and uneasy at the thought of communicating with a stranger on the screen. When my teacher asked me to join, I obliged just to be polite. I thought perhaps I could finish the first session and then find an excuse to drop out.

“I’m John. Nice to meet you, and thank you for agreeing to teach me,” a small, friendly voice greeted me from the other side of the internet. He was a boy of 11 or 12, with a messy haircut and dressed in plain, clean clothes. His bright and energetic eyes sparkled with an eagerness to learn.

The first class passed quickly. We got to know each other, and I found myself changing my mind about online teaching. Remote teaching turned out not to be as difficult as I had thought.

John always had a gentle smile on his face during our sessions, leaving me with the impression that he was thankful and friendly. Every time, he would go online in advance, prepare his notebooks and pens, and wait for the class to start.

He was weak in spoken English, so I would read the text together with him and correct his pronunciation. Over time, I realized that teaching not only helps my student improve but is also a good way to train myself.

The experience helped me speak more confidently in public. After one school year, John had greatly improved his reading comprehension skills. He also shared with me his other improvements, such as learning to cooperate with others and solve problems together. Watching him get better filled me with pride.

This experience has taught me about the power of knowledge and the significance of teaching. Even if I don’t choose teaching as my career, I would certainly dedicate some of my time and energy to teaching in the future. You know what? John and I have made plans for me to go to Guangxi to meet him in person this summer.