Workers unite during demanding year

New teaching model

Wang Xueyong, 41, a biology teacher at Jinan University Town Experimental Senior High School in Shandong province, embraced online lessons for his students, who had to study from home in the first half of last year due to the pandemic.

With his wife pregnant at the time, Wang said: "This was a big challenge for us. Cultivating a new model of online teaching is kind of like conceiving a baby, hoping for a perfect birth and trying your best to take good care of it. However, the journey is bumpy."

One of his tasks was to record an online lecture for second grade students in the city.

"I had no students to interact with, so I had to change my style," said Wang, who has been a teacher for 17 years.

"I gave most thought to involving students in the lecture," he said, adding that he changed the syllabus several times and practiced repeatedly to ensure he made no mistakes.

While Wang was preparing for the lecture, he was told his wife might need a caesarean section. She checked in at the hospital early, with Wang taking his work to the ward.

He worked until late every night in the ward, hoping to complete preparations for the lecture as soon as possible in order to concentrate fully on looking after his wife.

"My wife had a natural birth for our first child, but she was nervous when told she might need a caesarean section," Wang said.

After his wife was sent to the delivery room, he started to tackle problems he encountered in trying to upload the lecture.

"In the end, there was good news. Minutes after I solved the problems and uploaded the lecture, my wife gave birth to our daughter," he said.

Wang gave the newborn the nickname Nuannuan, which means "warm".

"Amid the pandemic, there have been many warm stories across China, and I hope my daughter can live in a world full of warmth," he said.

With the belief that actions speak louder than words, Wang has been doing his best to remain positive for his students.

One of them, Han Xiaoxi, said: "He exemplifies the Chinese saying 'inner peace is needed when you encounter a big event'. He also helps us remain calm.

"One of my classmates is a little impulsive. Teacher Wang let him water the plants regularly in our classroom for at least a month to help the student keep his temper. I think this is a good way of dealing with the problem."

Guo Jun in Nanjing contributed to this story.