School Day

Today is school day.  The parents first listened to a speech on different ways to get admitted to college.  At around 10:30, they went to their child's classroom to meet the teachers.  Every teacher has seven minutes to say something to the parents.  Then from 11:25 to 11:50, the homeroom teacher presided over the meeting.

As the English teacher, I first introduced the books used this semester: the textbook, the vocabulary, grammar, reading, composition, practice test, and past test books.  Showing the paretns the books, I intended to get across my message that the students really don't need to go to cram school.  Besides, I would like to make them understand the pressure on their child.  After all, these are books for only one subject.  Then I showed them a reader, a Reader's Digest, and the book The Element, telling the parents about the importance of extensive reading.   Afterward, I told them the way I taught English writing.  

As the homeroom teacher, besides talking about class management and the entrance exams,  I gave each parent an article written by Prof. Ming-hui Peng., entitled "Life Is a Long and Continuous Process of Accumulation (生命是一種長期而持續的累積過程)."   This enlightening essay, one of my favorites, can help one keep life in perspective.   Here I'd like to quote some sentences from the article:

生命的真相是一種長期而持續的累積過程(這是偶發的際遇無法剝奪的)，而不是一時順逆的際遇。

人生的路這麼多，為什麼老斤斤計較著一個可能性？

我們得到平日累積的成果，而失去我們不曾努力累積的！所以重要的不是和別人比成就而是努力去做自己想做的。功不唐捐，最後該得到的不會少你一分，不該得到的也不會多你一分。

兩個不同性情的人，註定要走兩條不同的路。不該得的東西，我們註定是得不到的，隨隨便便拿兩個人來比，只看到他所得到的，卻看不到他所失去的，這有什麼意義？

我從不在乎外在的得失，也不武斷的和別人比高下，而只在乎自己內在真實的累積。

With the article, I hoped to reduce both the parents' and the students' anxiety when they are faced with the entrance exams.