說一個故事 TO TELL A STORY

本作品中，上方影片為學生於課間活動所攝，正在進行某個聽力練習；下方影片則為本文英語之中譯與解說。

In this work, the video above was filmed during the class session while students were doing listening activity, whereas the one at the bottom would refer to the English words written as well as their Mandarin Chinese counterparts. 

There are two issues which my students and I are discussing about lately—namely, being institutionalized and having higher self-esteem.

 

When people stay longer inside a place, or when people fall into the bureaucratic system(s), they become a part of the system, falling into the swirls of currents swallowing their individual opinions, observations, and inspirational behaviors.

 

On the other hand, well-grounded self-esteem is something everybody would like to possess; however, such a quality seems to be more and more rare since very often, people are either too arrogant or silent.

 

When I walk into the elementary school classrooms again, I find things to be so different, resulting from my own altered lenses looking at the world: I no longer feel grading hundreds of students’ test paper to be a waste of time or energy, nor do I feel that working inside the public system devour my individuality. Instead, I often think about how I can best serve my students’ needs so that in the future, despite of them being so “young” at this moment practically speaking, when they are “older,” they can still “feel a lot younger” due to their spirits not being institutionalized while they own such high self-esteem which propels them to do the right things at the right moments with the right people.

 

I am glad I have accumulated experiences else where before I return back to an elementary school again, for such freedom in my professional arena has given me the exact strength needed to more effectively cultivate different individuals as if I were a gardener planting the most delicate seeds that will reach the sky and beyond.