放牛吃草的無限風情 Roam Freely

Different people's different viewpoints are always my sources of inspirations! 不同人士的不同觀點，永遠是我的靈感泉源 ^^  

While a student of mine explained he also wanted to find that sense of happiness as he had found in mine, I told him that without serving the others, I could not have located such happiness in my life. 

這是一位向我表達，他自己也希望能夠找到他生命中的「快樂」的優秀學生；

我告訴他，如果不是因為服務人群的熱力，我不可能有這份令人欣羨的悠遊自在。

One friend describes me as a farmer growing seeds with much dedication which may easily be overlooked. She predicts in decades, there'll be so many mature individuals who share traits of mine.

Below would be my students' reflections or feedback lately. They are either in Grade 2 or 5.

One artistic student describes "I enjoy the ways Miss Hope dress for myself daily."

"Instead of making the classes boring, Miss Hope uses games and activities to make us truly learn."

In this returning message, a 2nd-grader told me "I enjoy the dances Miss Hope leads in the class. May I know why we don't have any quizzes?" My answer would be "Quizzes are replaced by in-class performances and some writing assignments."

This student says "I'll think of you all the time, Miss Hope, if the pandemic forces us to stop coming to the school. I am grateful and happy we've such a wonderful time playing games in the English classrooms."

"I hope in the future you will still be my English teacher because you are such an interesting person." 

"I learn much English in your class, Miss Hope; on top of that, I get to dance and sing there! Thank you and I love you, Miss Hope!"

"I feel so happy since Miss Hope is so gentle. She never loses temper in our presence while treating us so well."

"Mom, I like my English classes and I enjoy being inside the English classroom."

 "Do cows have horns, too?" asked me. 

我好奇問著：「母牛也有牛角嗎?」

My foreign friend with different skin color of mine grew up on countryside told me "Surely they do."

我的白種國際友人，因為從小在農場長大，肯定地告訴我：「有!」

This friend must have felt quite amused by my way of asking such a question. For my part, that curiosity never ceases. I remember my college professor telling me that I am a dreamer. Years later, I feel like that term very much, for indeed I dream about different things and have plans on a daily basis. Sometimes I am quite troubled by my many thoughts, similar to what some scientists have found, that some people never stop growing while finding they manage to have several lives in one lifetime. 

當然，這位朋友對我的提問總感到有趣，而從我的角度來說，好奇心永遠是我生活當中重要的一環。

記憶猶新的，是我的大學教授曾以其完全不會任何華語的見地告訴我：

「妳是個夢想家。」

多年之後我愈發感到自己確然如此，因為每一個新的日子，我都有無限的念頭等待著我的探索，一如一些科學家所發現的一般：「有些人從來不在成長的路途之上，落於人後。」也許因為如此，我的生命裡面充滿一個又一個細小的、分隔式的故事，且我從來沒有停息於更多故事的開發。

When the students told me that I must have tried so hard, I do not really know if it's true, as I often feel since there are so many things I have not yet accomplished, I must have not yet tried my best!

當那群學生提及「老師，妳一定努力過度」，我其實不大知道這是否是個正確的角度，因為，有太多我還沒有達成的事，始終催促著我看到自己的尚且未嚐盡心盡力。

As a result, for those who have asked me to relax, I need to tell them this:

"I feel like trying hard. It makes me feel complete and whole, as a human being."

有鑑於此，對於那些要我多休息休息的人們，我總想告訴他們：

「我還是喜歡盡力而為，惟有如此，我才感到自己是個完整、幸運、幸福的個體。」

For those who wanted me to tell them the answers right away so they could have decided if they'd like to take my advice or not, I asked them to "Relax and trust what your teacher, Miss Hope, can bring you."

對於那些希望我先告訴他們可以如何變得更好，他們再決定是否要變得更好的學生們，我則告訴他們：「放輕鬆，並且信任你的老師可以帶給你的轉變。」

So, they pretended to relax. 

是以，這些學生們假裝放鬆。

Meanwhile, I went to the stage, acted if I were one of them, doing the presentation. Once I finished, many of those fifth-graders raised their hands.

於此同時，我則步上講台，當作他們之中的一員，以他們的ppt為腳本而「同台」演出。

結束之後，這個五年級班級中不少學生們舉手發表他們的見解。

"You have that passion in your voice that makes people want to listen to you, unlike us." One said. 

一位說到「老師妳講話的時候，聲調裡面有種讓別人想聽妳說話的熱力。」

Another pointed out "Your body language is eye-catching."

另一位則說「老師妳使用了吸睛的肢體語言。」

Still, someone mentioned "You are truly interact with the audience." 

還有一位講到「妳真的有和觀眾互動。」

One girl who's quiet in the class also wanted to say something. I motioned her to speak up. She told the class "Miss Hope does not have to read any manuscript. She talks to the audience."

一位在班上不太表達自我的女生，也舉起了手，她說到：「老師沒有讀任何草稿，她是和觀眾直接說話。」

In one class hour, those fifth-graders changed all over again: at the beginning, they're one of most noisy classes I have ever taught. Now, they are sitting there, taciturn, thinking, until it's time for them to speak up. 

一堂課，短短幾十分鐘時間，這些學生又再次省悟，而這些學生在我一接班級的初始，其實是最為吵鬧的其中一班。

The first lesson they've learned from me would be to respect everyone so that they should not make the classroom a market place with everybody shouting, throwing books to each other, and so on. 

他們從我手上學走的第一課，是尊重其他每一位在教室裡面的學生，不是把教室弄成一個書本亂丟亂打、大家鬧成一團而無法上課的菜市場。

The second lesson they've learned from me would be to do an effective presentation so that they bring themselves higher self-esteem. 

他們從我手上學走的第二課，就是該如何在他人面前，有效作一個簡報。

There are many other hidden lessons I cannot really know that they are learning from me. The only thing I do know is that if I have never tried hard enough, I would not be making any impact on anyone's life, letting alone to result changes within a short period of time. 

也許他們會在我的教室中學習到其他我所不了解的事，不過我能清楚感知的是，如果我從來未曾奮力向前，那麼，我就不可能讓任何人的生命產生轉變，尤其，要在短時間內形成轉變，更是天方夜譚。

For all these, I am very much humble and grateful. I believe I will challenge myself to do more good things in the days to come, under the belief I can make a difference.  

基於這種種原因，我實在既感恩又感到自我的微不足道。

相信在未來的分分秒秒，我都仍將相信自己可以形成轉變、造成不同，而持續自我挑戰，作出更多更美好的事。