Mountain boy picks stars

1

Classroom of Class 5-3, Yellow River Experimental School.

Zhou Sixuan carried a beautifully crafted white paper sheet covered with a diagram of the reform of idol worship education, pasted onto a large foam board, into the classroom, and walked onto the podium.

"stand up--"

At Yuan Liuxing's command, the entire class stood up in unison.

They shouted in unison, "Hello, teacher!"

Zhou Sixuan nodded in return: "Hello, classmates—"

"sit down--"

Following Yuan Liuxing's command, the students sat down together again.

Each student gazed intently at the teacher, listening attentively to the lesson.

Zhou Sixuan asked with a very serious expression: "Classmates, what were your thoughts after visiting the film and television shooting base yesterday?"

The students all looked like wilted eggplants, their heads drooping.

Nobody wanted to be the first to speak.

The classroom fell silent at first.

Huang Xiaoxing looked around and was the first to stand up and say:

"We've always seen actors and celebrities as glamorous, but after visiting in person, we realize how difficult it is to be an actor. They not only have to sweat, but they also have to bleed!"

The classroom gradually became more lively.

Students such as Yuan Liuxing, Lu Jiahan, Mao Zhiling, Shi Xuankai, and Cheng Hongdou eagerly took the opportunity to speak:

"So that's how tough it is for those superstars to film!"

"Being a celebrity is so hard, I'm never following any stars again..."

"Yes, doing anything well requires nine-tenths of your effort, and studying is no exception."

……

……

Zhou Sixuan: "The students have just expressed their true feelings. So, instead of chasing after those stars in the distant sky, why not chase after the stars right beside us?"

Huang Xiaoxing asked doubtfully, "Are there stars around us too?"

Zhou Sixuan: "Yes, today I want to announce to everyone a comprehensive quality education reform experiment plan for our class: idol worship..."

Zhou Sixuan paused deliberately at this point in her speech.

She noticed that all her classmates were staring at her with wide, curious eyes.

She bent down and lifted the large foam board that had been prepared beforehand from under the blackboard, then turned it over.

It was hung on a nail on one side above the blackboard.

Zhou Sixuan: Yes, today I want to announce to everyone a comprehensive quality achievement of our class.

An experimental program for teaching reform based on celebrity worship...

Zhou Sixuan paused deliberately at this point in her speech. She noticed that all the students in the class had widened their eyes.

Curious eyes all turned to her. She then lifted the large, pre-prepared bubble from under the blackboard.

Turn the foam board over and place it on the blackboard.

Above the large wooden board, written in red pen, were the words: "Everyone chases stars, everyone is a star; everyone can succeed, everyone can achieve success—Yellow River Experimental School Class 5-3 Star Chasing Teaching Reform Plan".

Below, nine lines of large characters were written side by side in green colored pen: Star of the Soul, Star of Etiquette and Music, Star of Language, Star of Behavior, Star of Science, Star of Order, Star of Health, Star of Diligence, Star of Art.

Zhou Sixuan gradually steered the conversation towards her experiment in reforming idol worship education.

Rong Shang. She pointed with her pointer to the contents on the large foam board hanging on the blackboard, introducing them one by one from top to bottom:

Zhou Sixuan: Today, I am announcing our class's idol worship education reform experiment. The goal is to guide students to establish correct idol worship concepts, wake them up from the dream of idolizing distant movie stars, and transform their blind idol worship into idol worship for self-improvement.

Huang Xiaoxing: How can I follow the path of self-made success?

Zhou Sixuan: The specific experimental plan is based on the "Four Pillars of Education for the 21st Century" established by UNESCO—learning to know, learning to do, learning to live, and learning to be—and the "Nine Beauties" aesthetic education requirements strongly advocated by the state for primary and secondary school students—beauty of the soul, beauty of etiquette and music, beauty of language, beauty of behavior, beauty of science, beauty of order, beauty of health, beauty of diligence, and beauty of art. Through teaching practice, we explored the "idol-worshiping reform" plan that best suits students' actual situation, setting up corresponding nine stars: the star of inner beauty, the star of etiquette and music, the star of language, the star of behavior, the star of science, the star of order, the star of health, the star of diligence, and the star of art. We designed an idol-worshiping experiment theme to guide teenagers away from blindly chasing movie and music stars and becoming addicted to online games. Each student in the class, based on their own personality traits, interests, and aspirations, determines their idol for the semester, which is their pursuit goal. Then, we implement and achieve it with practical steps, so that every student in the class can idolize a star, everyone can be a star, everyone can succeed, and everyone can achieve success. This allows every student in the class to experience the success of "I can do it," improving their overall qualities and promoting their academic progress and all-round development. Furthermore, it helps them establish correct views on life, values, and the world, setting a good example from the very beginning.

Zhou Sixuan's unique and creative approach to reforming the way students support their idols has generated a strong response from the entire class.

The entire class stared in astonishment at the "Idol Worship Education Reform Experiment Chart" displayed on the large wooden board. Some whispered amongst themselves, while others murmured amongst themselves.

Zhou Sixuan felt that this reform plan for promoting idol worship had strongly attracted the students' enthusiasm for participation. So she took the opportunity to encourage them.

Zhou Sixuan: Classmates, the purpose of this idol-themed educational reform experiment is to ensure that every student in the class becomes an idol, and everyone becomes a star. We will no longer use test scores as the sole criterion for evaluating students. Instead, we aim to help students establish correct values, outlook on life, and worldview from a young age, helping them take the first step in the right direction in life. This will help us achieve the vision proposed by Mr. Liang Qichao a century ago: "When the youth are wise, the nation is wise; when the youth are strong, the nation is strong." As long as each student makes progress and development in one of the nine aspects mentioned above, they will all become rising stars in our class!

As soon as Zhou Sixuan finished speaking, a burst of enthusiastic applause rang out from below the stage.

The class erupted in excitement, with students discussing and admiring their idols.

Yuan Liuxing: Can each of us become a rising star? That's fantastic! I enjoy participating in all kinds of charitable activities; I'm a fan of spiritual beauty!

Lu Jiahan: We used to be so obsessed with those movie stars. If you want to be a fan, you should...

We should start with ourselves and strive to become such a rising star. If you want to follow me, I'll be an art and beauty star!

Mao Zhiling: My family makes and sells tofu. When the machines break down, I often help my dad fix them.

Reason. I'm good with my hands, so I follow Science Fiction.

Shih Hsuan-kai: I struggle with academics, but sports are my strong suit, so I'll follow the Healthy Beauty Star. I'm not going to practice that Crescent Moon Saber anymore.

Cheng Hongdou: I'm going to follow Xing Meixing and never practice that useless Little Li Flying Dagger technique again.

Huang Xiaoxing: I want to pursue the hardworking and beautiful star. Doing extra housework every day is an honor. And I want to win her over!

Star of Talent...

Other students then spoke up:

I'm a fan of Li Le Meixing

I'm a fan of language beauty stars

I chase after the beautiful star of order.

…………

Then, the students went up to the stage and wrote their names in the blank spaces behind the nine stars on the large wooden board.

2

Under the blazing sun, a large building construction site.

On the scorching construction site, the migrant workers were all sweating profusely as they worked.

Huang Xiaoxing's father, Huang Dahe, was dressed in worn-out migrant worker clothes and wearing a yellow safety helmet.

He and other migrant workers first loaded bricks onto a cart in a small square on one side of the construction site.

Then, with great difficulty, they transported the bricks to the base of the wall inside the construction site.

Then, remove them one by one.

He was exhausted and covered in sweat.

Use a towel draped over your shoulder to wipe away sweat.

He gazed affectionately at the teaching building of the Yellow River Experimental School, where his son went to school, not far away.

Keep working diligently.

3

Classroom of Class 5-3, Yellow River Experimental School.

Inside the classroom, the students listened quietly.

Zhou Sixuan composed herself and continued:

"Students, there is nothing wrong with idolizing celebrities. During the crucial period of adolescence, it is a good thing to identify a role model and idol, that is, a star in your heart, and to pursue and emulate it. This is itself a sign of being ambitious."

The students all stared at Zhou Sixuan.

She continued, "However, the key is to see what kind of stars you admire. If you admire scientific stars like Tu Youyou and Yuan Longping who have won Nobel Prizes and world science awards; stars like Jiao Yulu and Huang Shanzhou who serve the people; stars like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates who are entrepreneurial in science and technology; stars like Zhang Haidi and Helen Keller who are disabled but determined and self-reliant, how much motivation this will generate for your growth and success! This is exactly what schools, parents, and students themselves ideally desire."

Students Yuan Liuxing, Mao Zhiling, Huang Xiaoxing, Shi Xuankai, Cheng Hongdou, and others were diligently taking notes.

Zhou Sixuan: "In fact, many students are simply captivated by the movie stars and pop stars they idolize because of their good looks or handsome appearances, and because they are impressed by the characters and performances they create on screen and stage. But when you get to know these stars, you'll find that they are just ordinary people like you and me. They have likable qualities and annoying flaws, so there's no need to be so fanatical about them. Moreover, some stars have questionable morals; their words and actions are disgusting. Some have even been arrested for drug use, assault, and other crimes."

"ah??"

"Is that really true?"

The students below the podium were discussing it endlessly.

…………