Follow with heart

Zhao Changling looked at his teacher, Mr. Wan, and said in a mature tone beyond his years, "I'm thinking about how to improve the quality of teaching."

If it were any other teacher who heard Zhao Changling speak like that, they would definitely slap him on the head.

You're just a little kid. If you're going to think about anything, you should be thinking about how to learn. What does teaching have to do with you?

But Wan Chunyan was different; she focused on how to communicate with her child.

She knows the students in her class very well; they are all the worst students in the transition from primary to junior high school.

None of these children like studying; they just play all the time.

If only he had put a little effort into his studies, he wouldn't be doing so poorly.

Nowadays, as long as children are not intellectually disabled, their intelligence is not a problem.

Don't let their poor academic performance fool you; they're all experts at video games.

Wan Chunyan, having been through similar experiences, knows some of the thoughts these children have.

Some kids think they can support themselves by playing video games in the future, while others think they can go straight to work in a factory after graduation.

But what they didn't know was that many factories were now closing down, and the number of laid-off workers was increasing.

Wan Chunyan has a classmate who went to work at a pharmaceutical factory in the city after graduation. After working there for just over a year, he was laid off after his seniority was bought out, and now he is finding it difficult to find a job.

Wan Chunyan is a member of the Huafang family. She knows very well that Huafang has not gone bankrupt because it is a state-owned enterprise, but its current operations are very difficult.

Many of the children of Huafang employees lack a sense of crisis and always believe that Huafang, as a secure job, can guarantee their future.

Many unambitious kids just wait to go straight to work in a factory after graduating from high school.

However, times are changing, and to find a good job, you need not only education but also connections.

Even if you have all of these qualities, you can't just pick any job.

Didn't I see the daughter of the city's education bureau director? She just came to their ordinary middle school to be a teacher.

Of course, that was a good position; the administration office was very quiet, and ordinary people couldn't get in.

If the students in her class go to work in factories after graduating from high school, they won't be considered cultured people in an era where college graduates are everywhere.

At most, they can only be considered strong people who are not illiterate. The problem is, China has 14 billion people, and the last thing it lacks is strong people.

Wan Chunyan didn't believe a single word Zhao Changling said.

She was acting out of a sense of responsibility for her children and wanted to give the child some guidance.

Kids these days have so many weird and wonderful ideas.

She thought the child was alright, and she didn't want him to become a hoodlum when he grew up.

She asked a classmate in the row in front of her to squeeze in, making room for her, and then sat down.

"Tell the teacher, you little adult, what good ideas do you have for improving teaching quality?"

Wan Chunyan blinked her big, bright eyes, which seemed to be so large that they couldn't tolerate even a grain of sand.

Zhao Changling felt no pressure whatsoever and spoke earnestly.

"This summer, I previewed the physics textbook and was particularly interested in the various small experiments in it, which sparked my interest in learning physics."

At this point, Zhao Changling glanced at Wan Chunyan.

Wan Chunyan nodded, agreeing with this statement.

"Teacher! You probably know that our class is a class of underachieving students."

"We are all bad at studying, but that doesn't mean we are less intelligent than others. The reason for this is that most people here lack the motivation and interest to study on their own."

Zhao Changling hit the nail on the head, and Wan Chunyan understood the principle. The key issue was how to motivate and interest the child in learning.

"Go on, don't worry about the teacher."

Wan Chunyan developed a liking for Zhao Changling at this time; it seemed that the boy wasn't teasing her anymore.

"I became interested in physics after seeing those small experiments. However, I don't think those experiments were very engaging, and they might not be interesting enough for most people."

"I benefited greatly from this experience, and I also discovered quite a few interesting little experiments. I was thinking, could we add some fun little experiments to our classes to increase students' interest?"

Zhao Changling glanced at Wan Chunyan, and seeing that Wan Chunyan agreed, he continued.

"We students are only in the first year of junior high school now. If we can cultivate an interest in learning now, it's not impossible for us to catch up with the students in the top class by the time we reach the third year of junior high school."

Wan Chunyan already lacked teaching experience; at most, she had only taught for half a year.

The principal made her the homeroom teacher of Class 3, which was basically giving her a pot of rotten vegetables to practice on; it didn't matter if she burned it.

What if you manage to turn a pile of rotten vegetables into a royal delicacy? It wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

"That's a good idea. Tell me, what small experiments do you know that you can do so I can see if they're feasible."

Wan Chunyan also knows some small experiments, but they are not suitable for teaching.

The reason is simple: either the cost is high or the materials are hard to find.

Zhao Changling shook his head. "It's hard to say. It would be most convincing if we could demonstrate it on the spot with the props."

"How about this, Teacher Wan, when do you have time? I'll demonstrate it for you and see if you can use it."

A live demonstration? Wan Chunyan thought for a moment. What if the child tried to trick her with a snake or a toad?

Wan Chunyan, who had already begun to trust Zhao Changling somewhat, was thrown into high alert again by this live demonstration.

"How about this, I'm free tonight, can we do this experiment at my house?"

Wan Chunyan is newly married, and her husband Zhao Gang is home at night, so she's not afraid of any trouble. Right now, she's still a little wary of Zhao Changling.

......

After dinner, Zhao Changling tidied up and went to Wan Chunyan's house.

We're all from the same family, living in the same neighborhood, so you can easily find out our home addresses by asking anyone.

Wan Chunyan's husband was home, as expected. When Zhao Changling was preparing to conduct the experiment, Zhao Gang also came to watch.

It wasn't that Zhao Gang wanted to guard against Zhao Changling; it was mainly because he was newly married and deeply in love with Wan Chunyan, so he unconsciously stayed close by her side.

That's fine too. Zhao Changling didn't have any dirty thoughts about Teacher Wan to begin with, and Zhao Gang's actions have made him feel even less pressured.

The props Zhao Changling prepared were very simple: a hard-boiled egg and a milk bottle.

Zhao Changling peeled the egg and placed it on the mouth of the milk bottle.

The egg got stuck at the mouth of the bottle and wouldn't fall in.

"What I'm going to do now is an experiment about atmospheric pressure."

"We all know that atmospheric pressure exists, but students don't usually feel it. This experiment will allow students to see the existence of atmospheric pressure with their own eyes."

Zhao Changling solemnly imitated his teacher, taking out a lighter and tearing off a piece of paper at the same time.

"The requirement for this experiment is to put the egg into the bottle. The condition is that you are not allowed to use your hands or apply any external force; the egg must fall in by itself."

No hands allowed? Do you mean I have to cut the egg into four pieces beforehand, blow one piece in, and then let the remaining three pieces fall in by themselves?

Wan Chunyan is already developing her intelligence, preparing to solve problems using brain teasers.

At this moment, Zhao Changling lit the paper strip, then picked up the egg, stuffed the burning paper strip into the bottle, and immediately put the egg back in its original position.

Then, as the paper burned, the bottom of the egg was pulled flatter and flatter by a force, and soon with a soft plop, the egg fell into the bottle.

"Wow! I get it! The oxygen in the bottle was burned off, causing the pressure inside to drop, and then the egg was pushed into the bottle by the atmospheric pressure outside."

Wan Chunyan said excitedly, like a child.

This little experiment is so interesting, even she found it fun.

"So clever!" Zhao Changling praised like a little adult.

"Is this your student?"

Zhao Gang glanced speechlessly at Zhao Changling, then at his wife.

"Yes! Zhao Changling was very clever."

She didn't know whether Zhao Changling was smart in the past, but she does now.

She was fiddling with the eggs in the bottle, but couldn't get them out no matter what she did.

This experiment is good, but it wastes an egg every time. Wan Chunyan has already started to think about how to break the egg and get it out.

Looking at his simple-minded wife, Zhao Gang realized for the first time that Wan Chunyan seemed a bit simple-minded.

Is intelligence important? What's important is who the teacher is right now. It seems this student is teaching his teacher.

"Teacher! There's a second experiment, don't break the eggs."

Seeing that Wan Chunyan was about to use chopsticks to fork the eggs, Zhao Changling had to remind her.

"what!"

Wan Chunyan, realizing she had almost done something wrong, awkwardly handed the bottle to Zhao Changling.

"The condition for the second experiment is: to let the egg come out of the bottle by itself without touching it."

After Zhao Changling finished speaking, he looked at Wan Chunyan and her husband.

"Teacher, this experiment is missing a few props. One is a clamp to hold the bottle, another is hot water, and finally, we need a basin to catch the water."

"We have all of these at home, Zhao Gang!" Wan Chunyan instructed her husband.

"Go to the kitchen and bring me the tongs for scooping steamed buns and the washbasin."

The thermos was right in front of her, so Wan Chunyan didn't bother Zhao Gang and brought it over herself.

Everything was ready. Zhao Changling held the bottle upside down.

"This experiment mainly introduces atmospheric pressure and the effect of thermal expansion and contraction. Professor Wan, you can decide where to use it then."

After saying that, Zhao Changling picked up the thermos, turned the milk bottle upside down, and began to pour hot water into the bottom of the milk bottle.

Some things can't be understood without being explained to them. As soon as Zhao Changling started doing it, Wan Chunyan understood the principle.

After the egg was squeezed out of the bottle, Wan Chunyan couldn't help but exclaim, "Zhao, you are so clever! This little experiment is perfect for teaching!"

Zhao Changling wasn't there for pleasantries, especially with Zhao Gang standing to the side, his impatience was something every man understands.

Zhao Gang thought that Zhao Changling, this little brat, wouldn't understand these things. Little did he know that Zhao Changling, having lived two lives, already knew everything he should and shouldn't know.

Zhao Changling took out a stack of papers from the bag he had brought.

"Teacher Wan, these are some simple physics experiments I came up with during the summer vacation. See which ones are helpful for teaching and choose to use them. It's too late now, I need to go home and do my homework."

......

"Is this student really from your Class 3?"

After Zhao Changling left, Zhao Gang finally blurted out what he had been holding back for so long.

Although the time spent together was short, Zhao Gang believed that it would be unreasonable for a student like Zhao Changling to be placed in Class 1, let alone Class 3.

Such children should not stay in affiliated secondary schools at all, where there are plenty of promising students for top-tier secondary schools.

"Mm!" Wan Chunyan responded.

Her mind was now completely absorbed in the stack of papers left behind by Zhao Changling.

"Yanzi! Keep an eye on this child in the future. I feel that this child will definitely be someone important."

Although Zhao Gang doesn't like studying, he is quite confident in his judgment of people.

After Zhao Gang finished speaking, he waited for Wan Chunyan's response, but Wan Chunyan remained silent for a long time.

Zhao Gang turned around and saw that Wan Chunyan was completely absorbed in staring at the stack of papers.

Zhao Gang leaned closer, "Wife, stop looking, go to sleep."

"What time is it? It's too early. I'll go to sleep after I finish watching it."

Wan Chunyan was engrossed in reading and couldn't bear to put it down.

"Once you finish reading this, you won't be able to get anything done!" Zhao Gang was a little anxious, but he didn't dare to be forceful, so he gently advised him.

"It's already dark! Besides, if you were to read all of this, it would probably be dawn. You have to eat one bite at a time; you can't get fat in one meal."

"I think it would be better if you prepared tomorrow's lesson first, and then organized it slowly in class tomorrow."

"Besides, you'll be at school tomorrow. If anything goes wrong, you can discuss it with your student. Slow and steady wins the race."

As Zhao Gang spoke, his hands began to wander restlessly over Wan Chunyan's body.

Wan Chunyan thought about it and agreed, "Alright then! Go take a shower first."

"Okay!" Men are most obedient at this time, and Zhao Gang ran to the bathroom to take a shower.

......

And you know what? Zhao Changling's little experiments greatly enhanced students' interest in learning.

This interest, like a contagious cold, sparked the learning interest of many students.

Not only did their physics grades improve, but their initiative in learning other subjects also increased.

Correspondingly, the overall academic performance of these students who were proactive and interested in learning improved.

About ten students in Class 3 of Grade 7 were motivated to study actively this time.

Including those who were somewhat proactive before and are now even more proactive, there are more than twenty people in total, accounting for a little more than two-thirds of the class.

There are about ten unmotivated students in the class. Some of them are just naturally averse to studying, and no matter how you try to motivate them, it won't work.

......

A year of study time passes quickly, and the annual final exams are a moment to test students' learning outcomes.

This year's final exam results were quite unfavorable for Xu Junjie, the homeroom teacher of Class 1, Grade 7.

Before the final exams, he was full of confidence and even mentally reserved all the top twenty students in the entire grade for Class One.

This is not arrogance on his part; it is entirely based on evidence.

Firstly, regarding the student body, he selected the top 36 students from the primary school to junior high school entrance exam. Only the remaining spots were left for the second and third classes to choose from.

Secondly, the exam paper was quite difficult this time, and he obtained it through connections.

Moreover, out of personal motives, he had set similar types of difficult math problems for his own class.

Of course, there's another point: he's confident in his teaching ability in this class.

When the final exam results came out, not only did they lose their place in the top 20, but they couldn't even keep their place in the top 10. Two of the top 10 spots were taken by Class 3 of Grade 7.

The fact that two students from Class 3 of Grade 7 took the top 10 spots is not the key point. The key point is that these two students from Class 3 of Grade 7 took the first and tenth positions respectively, thus occupying the top and bottom positions of the top 10.

Yes, he wasn't mistaken. The first place wasn't from their class; it belonged to a student named Zhao Changling from Class 3 of the first year of junior high.

And that's not all.

The most embarrassing thing wasn't that this student from Class 3 of Grade 7 got first place in the grade, but the difference in scores between the first and second place students.

The difference between the first and second place is a terrifying 57 points! What does 57 points mean? The difference between the second and tenth place is 11 points.

The difference between first and second place is no longer just a matter of ranking; it's a blatant and overwhelming defeat.

这次子弟中学初一年纪的试卷，满分是650分，其中语文（150）、数学（150）、英语（100）、物理（100）、化学（100）、历史和社会（50），体育和思想品德暂没考核。

他看了赵昌龄所有的试卷，其中语文（148）、数学（150）、英语（100）、物理（100）、化学（100）、历史和社会（50）。

Damn it, if it weren't for the two points deducted from my Chinese score, I would have gotten a perfect score.

He also saw the two points deducted from his Chinese language score; they were deducted from his composition.

If Zhao Changling were a student in his class, he would definitely seek an explanation from the Chinese teacher.

The requirements for Chinese language in the first year of junior high school are not very high, and full marks are quite common.

In his class this time, eight students got full marks on their essays.

He felt that Zhao Changling's essay was better than those of the eight students in his class who got full marks.

His Chinese teacher had a good relationship with him, so this time she only gave him 8 full marks out of the class, and the best scores from the other two classes were the ones who lost 2 points.

That's not all. He knew perfectly well that he had tampered with the math exam, giving his class a few of the more challenging questions.

Even so, none of his students got a perfect score.

If he hadn't done his homework beforehand, the score difference might have exceeded 60 points.

He believed that no one else could have leaked the questions except him, because he had the exam papers printed by someone else outside the exam hall.

He knew all too well what level of teaching Wan Chunyan possessed.

When Wan Chunyan first came to the school, he was the one who helped her take care of her.

It was because of this that a spark of love ignited between him and Wan Chunyan.

Wan Chunyan's teaching level, in his own words, was just mediocre.

He was a latecomer to the profession, lacked experience, and his teaching style was rigid and monotonous.

It's no wonder that students who aren't naturally studious can't concentrate on her lectures.

The problem is, Wan Chunyan didn't bring a group of good talents; they were all the mediocre ones she had rejected.

Under these conditions, Wan Chunyan taught a student who ranked first in the entire grade.

It's not just a simple first place, it's a crushing first place.

Before this exam, Wan Chunyan was just a nobody in his eyes and posed no threat to him at all.

His main goal this semester is to be selected as the school's model teacher, something he used to consider his own prize, something no one could take away from him.

The only person who posed even a slight threat to him was the school's foreign language teacher.

She was an elderly woman nearing retirement who had dedicated her entire life to teaching English.

But now he dared not think that way anymore. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that Wan Chunyan's results this time were far better than his.

Unless the principal is biased towards him, the problem is that the old principal is a stubborn but kind and fair person, and he doesn't have the ability to influence the old principal's thoughts.

The only thing that gave him some confidence was that only the two students from Class 3 of Grade 7 made it into the top 10 out of the top 20; they were two outliers.

Moreover, all 36 students in their class are ranked in the top 50 of the grade.

Xu Junjie's worries didn't last long, as the annual model teacher selection results were announced.

Unlike previous years when only one model teacher was selected annually, this year the junior high school section selected two model teachers: Xu Junjie and Wan Chunyan.

Having survived the ordeal, Xu Junjie did not let his guard down. He knew that the principal was only trying to comfort him.

However, this comfort will not last forever, because it is related to teachers' professional title evaluation and promotion.

The number of positions and quotas for professional titles are limited; it's impossible for everyone to get promoted at the same time.

Just like the old principal's position, there can only be one.

Xu Junjie is well aware that the selection of exemplary teachers will eventually revert to a system of only one teacher.