Teacher provides a lesson in dedication

From time to time, Lin Mao makes a point of checking a special folder that has been front and center on his computer's desktop for years.

The 37-year-old junior high school teacher named it "Happy Homeland", and it contains more than 40 files, each one named after students he has taught.

Each of them contains photos, communication and interactions between him and the student the folder is assigned to.

"If a file has very little information, it means that I have not paid enough attention to that student," says Lin, who has spent the past 14 years teaching at a rural school in Beichen district, North China's Tianjin.

He will remind himself to catch up with such students and ensure that they are doing OK.

"Many teachers might unconsciously dedicate most of their time to the top students, while those who are obedient, but are not doing as well do not get as much attention," Lin says, adding that organizing the Happy Homeland folder enables him to provide equal care to all his students.

In addition, such a folder can be used for research purposes, as it is updated with student performance in high school, college and at work.

"We can reflect on our education by comparing their performances through those different phases and explore avenues of education that can more effectively bring out the best in future students," Lin explains.

Often wearing a black-framed pair of glasses, a slightly loose gray suit and a pair of white sneakers, Lin has been a pillar of strength to his students at Tianjin Hetou School, which offers primary and junior high school education.

"They told me they felt assured about upcoming tests whenever I was around," Lin says with pride.

This trust in him is a result of his dedication to education.

In 2007, Lin graduated from Anhui Normal University with a degree in ideological and political education.

With a desire for big city life, he took the offer from Beichen education bureau to be a teacher at the Hetou school.

"I didn't know anything about the school, but the idea of working in Tianjin was very appealing," he recalls.

On his way to the school for the first time, Lin looked out of the car window. High-rise buildings were speeding backward and eventually gave way to a stretch of rural cottages and crop fields.

When he stepped out of the car and stood under the signboard of the school, Lin realized it was in the middle of nowhere.

"It was not my idea of life in a bustling city," Lin says.

But, the circumstances did awaken a calling in Lin that had been buried deep inside.

Growing up in a village in Anhui province, Lin knew firsthand how difficult it was for a rural kid to make it with such limited access to quality education.

"I know the responsibility of rural schools, and understand more about the special significance of education for rural children," Lin says.

He assured the principal that he would strive to live up to his responsibilities as a good teacher and then put down his roots at the school.

Yet, early on, his career hit a speed bump.

Lin's strong southern accent drew laughter from the class as soon as he opened his mouth.

It dealt a huge blow to his self-esteem.

"I remember blushing and talking under my breath and I was afraid that even those sitting in the second row could not hear me."

The embarrassment was only saved by the bell, and he quickly picked up his books and fled.

The incident led Lin to do some soul-searching, which aroused his fighting spirit and a desire to improve his own teaching ability.

He voluntarily chose to move from the better equipped dormitory to a small, uninhabited bungalow right next to the school.

It offered him a quiet environment to better concentrate his mind and prepare for classes.

Over the next two years, he burned the midnight oil, studying hundreds of teaching materials and writing copious notes. Early in the morning, he would review his lecture notes to ensure that nothing would go amiss in class.

To better know the students, Lin took the initiative to visit their homes, which were scattered across a dozen nearby villages.

His dedication eventually endeared him to his students.

As he made progress at work, Lin became acutely aware of a common problem shared by all the students.

"They were not confident, answering questions in a low voice and afraid to speak in public," he says.

His teacher's instinct convinced him that it would hinder their future development.

Therefore, he came up with a plan. He made a pact with his students to come to school 30 minutes earlier every morning, during which time he led a public reading session, where he encouraged students to take turns in expressing themselves before the group.

From the start, he recorded their efforts, which enabled them to feel the joy of seeing the positive changes in their readings over time.

Lin also encouraged shy students to write weekly diaries in order to communicate with him and, in return he promised to read them carefully and reply with more words than they had written to him.

And he proved, literally, to be a man of his word.

Wei Bo, who used to study at the school, actually counted the words of Lin's reply during his seventh grade.

"I had my doubts, so I wanted to find out," recalls Wei, who is now studying in college.

After realizing Lin was sincere, Wei says he held nothing back.

"I wrote my weekly journals with all my heart, and was willing to write about my most intimate feelings and shared them with him," Wei says.

It thrilled Lin to find that even the most timid students were able to come out of their shells and actively engage in school activities.

Lin has managed to open students' hearts with his tireless dedication and sincere attempts at communication, and has become a trusted life coach for them.

Many are still writing to Lin years after graduation, pouring out their hearts and asking for advice on life choices.

Over the past 14 years, Lin has kept up the good work and developed a four-step motivation method.

He believes that good teachers should first accept all children as they are and create a happy classroom atmosphere.

"Then, they should awaken children's desire for knowledge through scenarios, stories and games before letting children construct their own knowledge system through project-based learning," he explains.

"Finally, they should guide children to apply what they have learned into practice."

Lin has received many awards, including the excellent teacher award from the Ministry of Education in 2014.

Years at the teaching post have also allowed Lin to see the positive changes in local education.

At Hetou, a standard stadium with a plastic cement running track has been built, and the new school building is equipped with modern labs and libraries. Clean water systems and flushing toilets have been installed.

Speaking about his future plans, Lin says he will keep honing his teaching skills.

"I am just an ordinary teacher who loves education. I hope I can be a good guide and use my profession to lead more rural students in the right way on the path of life," he says.