Practicing Falun Dafa Helped Me Become a Respected and Dedicated Teacher

(Minghui.org) I am an elementary school teacher in China and I have practiced Falun Dafa for more than 20 years. Since I began practicing I have become healthy, calm, and optimistic. I feel relaxed and joyful every day.

Due to the decline in moral standards, the teaching profession has become increasingly challenging. Most students only care about themselves. Their parents are demanding of teachers. They also tell their children to fight back when they encounter conflicts. Most children these days do not know what traditional culture is. They no longer respect their elders and even shout at their parents. We teachers are under a lot of pressure, and parents and teachers no longer respect or trust each other.

I used to easily lose my temper, and after I started teaching elementary school I became even more irritable.

After I practiced Falun Dafa, I lived up to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and used Dafa’s standards to guide my words and actions at work. I became patient and caring. I do everything for the sake of others and treat the students as my children. I often tell them about traditional culture and explain what virtue is.

I often tell the students stories of how ancient people repaid their grievances with kindness and how our ancestors had respect for their elders. My students love to listen to these stories. They always gather around me, ask questions, and speak with me after class. Over time, their outlook changed. They became humble and often helped others.

Master said,

“You should always be benevolent and kind to others, and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation practice you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

I never say anything hurtful. Most elementary school students have poor self-control. Some of the naughty ones often add to the chaos. Sometimes I can’t help but get angry, but when I remember Master’s teachings, I calm down and put myself in the students’ shoes to find out the crux of the problem. I am rational and handle things in a way that will not hurt them. As a result, my students usually accept what I say from the bottom of their hearts.

My students know I do everything for their sake, so, although I am firm and strict with them, they love and respect me. Many of my colleagues exclaim, “You always speak softly to your students. How come they all listen to you?”

An elementary school teacher’s work is tedious. Many of my colleagues are bored with the endless childish issues and often complain about them. But I truly like my students because they are pure and straightforward. With patient guidance, their good natures can be strengthened, which is very important.

One time a student in my class lost five yuan in the classroom. I decided to use this opportunity to educate the students and didn’t make it a big deal.

I asked the students to discuss the issue and think from other people’s perspectives. For example, how would they feel if someone took their money? Then I told them the principle of “No loss, no gain,” which I learned from Dafa. I told them that we should not take other people’s things. A person will lose something more precious if they take other peoples’ property. I also told them some stories about this. I said, “I believe the student who did this was just confused for a moment, and if he understands how he is harming himself, he will return the five yuan.” I also suggested that whoever took it secretly return it.

The next day, the student who lost the money told me that he’d got it back. I was so happy for the student who learned from his mistake and returned the money. If everyone knows how to behave, society will naturally become better.

The Parents Are Touched by Falun Dafa’s Influence

I also treat the students’ parents with sincerity and always put myself in their shoes. When I ask for their cooperation in dealing with the students’ issues, they feel that I sincerely care about their children and are willing to cooperate. Many parents give the teachers money (bribes) to ensure that the teachers pay attention to their children. It has become common in today’s China for teachers to accept expensive gifts or money from the students.

I declined a parent’s money. I told him, “Don’t worry. It’s my job to be responsible for your child. I will do my best.” He was shocked and couldn’t believe it. He later witnessed my dedication and devotion to all the students in my class. He admired and appreciated me from the bottom of his heart. He still greeted me often after his child graduated.

After being in contact with me for a while, the parents of all my students know that I work hard and care about the students but do not ask for anything in return. So, they take the initiative to help with class affairs. Many parents donate stationery and supplies for the class. They also help clean and decorate the classroom for the holidays. This makes the other teachers envious.

Once I overheard that even parents of students in other grades asked who I was. This is all because I practice Falun Dafa and hold myself to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Guiding Young Teachers with Dafa’s Principles

A teacher in my grade is very eloquent and competitive. She micro-manages the students and their parents. She always said hurtful words to the students and even hit them. A young assistant teacher in her class, under her influence, was also hostile to the students, believing that being tough was the only way to fix everything.

Teachers play a role in their students’ growth that cannot be underestimated. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I realized that I should use my compassion to influence them, especially the young teacher who was just beginning her teaching career. That way, it would benefit the teachers and the students.

I talked with this young teacher and asked her to try to appeal to the positive aspects and good natures of her students. I said that it was important to motivate the students to study. But she argued that the students in her class only listened if she was ruthless and that it was useless to just talk sense into them. She thought I was too gentle to them and would fail.

However, after one semester, the students in my class had improved steadily. They were well behaved, polite, cheerful, and happy, and academically, they were first in the grade. The students in the other class had a lot of problems. When they were in front of the classroom teachers, they were all submissive; when they were out of the teachers’ sight, their teeth and claws came out and they ignored the rules. The competitive teacher was very puzzled: “How dare they behave like that?” Then she complained about the poor quality of the students, etc.

The young assistant teacher observed how I taught my students and the excellent results. She often looked at my class with envy and said, “The students in your class are so nice!” Witnessing the different results from being treated kindly or harshly, she began to question the effectiveness of her mentor’s teaching method.

I have worked with many young teachers over the years. As I do, I always measure myself against the standards of a Dafa practitioner. I am dedicated to my work and have been a model for these young people. I often guide them with the principles that I learned from Dafa.

I also mentor them professionally. I use my own time to give demonstration lessons. Other senior teachers would sometimes ask these young teachers to do things for them, but I never used them as my unpaid assistants. The young teachers can all feel my kindness and respect me.

Since I have been practicing Falun Dafa, I have lived up to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When I did not do well, I looked within to see what I did wrong. When I lose my temper I immediately adjust myself.

As a practitioner, my work ethic benefits many students. I have also suffered some injustices due to the persecution of Falun Dafa, but this has not affected my work attitude in any way.

My quiet dedication for more than 20 years has earned the respect of the school leaders and my colleagues. My students and their parents are grateful. They say that they are blessed to have a teacher like me. The parents often say with emotion and pride, “Your students not only do well academically, but they are also kindhearted, happy, and cheerful. They are so lucky to have a teacher like you.”

In fact, if I had not practiced Falun Dafa, I would probably have gone with the flow and become a contentious person all too eager to complain. Falun Dafa benefited me physically and mentally and made me a good teacher who has helped many students.

More people have learned how wonderful Falun Dafa is. I sincerely hope that everyone can dismiss the fog of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s lies, learn the truth about Falun Dafa, and choose a better future.