Huang Junhong (second from right) visits a student's home in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in April. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Huang Junhong believes learning about the beauty of culture is of equal importance to academic study for a child to grow into a capable adult.
Huang, 49, from Wuhan Changqingshu Experimental School in Hubei province, was one of the teachers sent to aid the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in 2021.
During her three-year service at Bole No 1 Primary School in the Bortala Mongolian autonomous prefecture, she organized various cultural events involving tea art, poetry, music and drama, to inspire curiosity in her students and help them develop hobbies and confidence.
"I want to provide children with more opportunities to learn and improve themselves," she said.
Huang purchased tea sets, darkred enameled pottery, electric kettles and tea leaves to establish a tea art club, a novel idea for the local children.
The students learned the six major categories of tea, and how to identify the differences in taste. They also learned tea protocols, such as filling the cup to 70 percent full as a sign of respect.
Huang told the class that Bole is a must-pass location on the Silk Road, and many years ago, Chinese tea was shipped from their hometown to various parts of the world.
Huang provides academic guidance for students in November 2022. [Photo provided to China Daily]
In her music class, she encouraged students to choose three-minute songs and dances to perform. In her Chinese class, she organized textbook drama performances, book-sharing salons and contests for handwriting and poetry.
"I often bought certificates of merit and prizes for the children, which fueled their motivation to learn," she said.
Her efforts yielded results.
Three months after returning to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, Huang received a message from the mother of Zeng Ruiyi, one of her Xinjiang students, saying that the girl had won an award for playing piano.
"Thank you for guiding her to learn music, and allowing her to use your piano during and after class. With classmates around her while playing, she developed a strong passion for piano, saying it was her happiest time," the mother wrote.
Another Xinjiang student of Huang, Nafina Turgunjan, once wrote in her homework that she likes traditional Chinese medicine and wants to be a TCM doctor.
Huang gave her an elementary version of Compendium of Materia Medica, an encyclopedia of medicine and natural history, encouraging her to pursue her dream.
"I felt nervous when Ms Huang told me to visit her office. I didn't expect the book as a gift. I felt surprised and very happy, because the teacher remembered a small thing of mine," the girl said.
According to Huang, TCM is part of Chinese culture. So if students want to inherit it, she should give support.
She teaches a student how to pour tea last October. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Nafina Turgunjan wants to learn about TCM because her grandparents have used it to treat their chronic diseases, and her mother often gets massages to ease her waist pain.
Huang visited the girl's home when her aid-Xinjiang work was about to end. Her parents treated her to milk tea, grilled mutton and other Xinjiang food.
Her mother said Huang gave Nafina Turgunjan confidence, and she became more outgoing and talkative. The book has become her favorite.
"I learned that ancient Chinese stored ice in winter for summer use. It's so amazing," the girl said. "I want to learn TCM in college and help my grandparents."
Huang believes that teaching should be people-oriented to provide students with ample care and support, allow them to experience positive emotional learning experiences, uncover their potential, and realize their self-worth.
A boy in Huang's class didn't take homework seriously. She learned that his parents were divorced, and he lived at a relative's home, with two children of their own. Huang invited the boy to her office, gave him candy, and offered to help him with the homework.
The school, built in 1951, has about 100 teachers and 1,500 students. After being promoted to office director of the school, Huang spent a year designing exhibition boards, writing a school song and organizing mascots and badge design contests to enhance the sense of belonging among teachers and students.
After leaving Xinjiang, she kept in contact with her former students and their parents, hoping to promote exchanges between them and schools in Wuhan.
Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn
