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 typical 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 his 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 kids' 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.