Chapter 488 Faculty and Staff Meeting
When I entered the school, the morning light was slanting into the office through the window lattice, casting a few bright spots on the blue brick floor.
There was a half-empty pot of cold tea on the long table against the wall, and a few curled textbooks were piled next to it.
Several teachers were sitting around talking in low voices. When they saw Gu Jiayue come in, they all stood up with a somewhat formal smile on their faces.
Gu Jiayue's eyes swept across the figures in the room, from the old scholar with frosted hair to the young scholar with clear eyes, and suddenly a warm current surged in her heart.
She straightened her back slightly, the corners of her mouth curling up unconsciously. Isn't this room full of teachers the cornerstone of her ideal?
Perhaps, this road can really be taken step by step.
"I've gathered everyone here today for three main reasons." She walked over to the main seat and sat down, her voice clear and steady. "First, from today onwards, Su Zhuxing, Zhou Caixiao, Fang Yuezhu, and Song Qiquan will officially end their teaching internships and no longer serve as teachers at Qiushi Academy."
As soon as the words fell, a trace of expected calmness passed across the faces of the four people.
But Gu Jiayue's next words made them raise their eyes suddenly.
"During their teaching period, the four of you received unanimous praise from students and colleagues. After consultation among all the teachers, we have decided to give you an excellent rating on the evaluation form!"
Su Zhuxing's fingers suddenly clenched the corner of his clothes, a trace of surprise flashed in Zhou Caixiao's eyes, Fang Yuezhu and Song Qiquan looked at each other, and saw disbelief in each other's eyes.
How could they not remember the embarrassment they faced when they first arrived?
At that time, they would just pour out all the knowledge in their heads, without caring whether the children could understand or not. They were pulled over by Master Du to preach several times, and were also reported to the school by the parents of several students. When they heard the parents accusing them of corrupting their children, their faces turned red and white.
If it were any other school, giving a "pass" grade would already be a leniency, how could there be an "excellent" grade?
Moreover, according to the new laws promulgated by Da Gan, this internship evaluation will be included in the imperial examination files.
If two people have similar scores in the imperial examinations in the future, the one with the higher score will be able to move up one place.
Therefore, the word "excellent" carries more weight than you can imagine.
The four of them stood up almost simultaneously, their movements slightly anxious, and bowed deeply to Gu Jiayue, their voices filled with unconcealed excitement. "Thank you, Headmaster!"
Gu Jiayue raised her hand to gesture for them to sit down, her tone calm and full of visible admiration. "Everyone has seen your hard work. From initial awkwardness to proficiency, from perfunctory effort to genuine dedication, this assessment is well-deserved and the result of a joint consultation among all the teachers. There's no need to be so modest."
Upon hearing this, the four of them turned to the other teachers present, bowed deeply again, and thanked them repeatedly.
The atmosphere in the office suddenly became more relaxed, and several old masters smiled and nodded with recognition in their eyes.
"By the way," Gu Jiayue pulled four sheets of paper from under the table and handed them over. "You've asked to continue studying at the academy. I've discussed this with the teachers, and they all agree. I've set up a special provincial examination class for the four of you, with a dedicated teacher. Here's the schedule; classes start tomorrow."
She paused and added, "In view of your performance this year, the academy has decided to waive your tuition. You just need to focus on preparing for the exam and don't worry about anything else."
Fang Yuezhu's fingers trembled slightly as he took the schedule, and his heart felt like it was blocked by something, hot and sour.
He and Gu Jiayue were not actually very familiar with each other. She was always busy, and apart from the weekly meetings, they would only nod and smile when they met in the corridor.
He recalled the scene when he first arrived.
He was filled with resentment at the time. With decent grades and a decent family background, he had assumed he would be assigned to a school in the county, yet he was sent to this remote and destitute village.
There are nothing but mountains outside, and the road is winding. I almost got lost the first time I came here.
He asked someone to change his position, but his superiors issued a warning: "Once the assignment is final, it cannot be changed. If you dare to change it, your scholar status will be revoked."
He had no choice but to go ahead with it.
Before he came, his father told him: "Just pretend, come back when you've had enough time, and I'll take care of the rest."
He did so at first.
He read the textbook every day, and the kids didn't understand? What was it to him? These peasants were already dumb, and no matter how much he taught them, they wouldn't even pass the exam. Why bother?
He found Song Qiquan ridiculous.
He obviously has a better family background, but he follows Master Du around asking questions and learning new teaching methods every day. He is simply stupid.
He never assigned homework or asked questions. After class, he would go back to the dormitory to read and lived a leisurely life.
He thought that as long as he could survive four months, he would be able to return to the county town.
Unexpected events may occur during epidemics.
He was ill, coughing like he was going to cough up his lungs every day. He felt so drowsy that he couldn't even get up to pour a cup of hot water. He wanted to send a message to his parents, but the county was under martial law and he couldn't get in.
Just when he thought he was going to see his ancestor, the dormitory door was gently pushed open and the children in his class stood at the door holding things.
"Master, I don't know if this medicine is effective," a child said timidly, holding up a ceramic bowl. "But my mother usually gives us this when we catch a cold. Would you like to try it first? The headmaster and the others are trying to find a solution. Just hold on a little longer."
"Teacher, these are the eggs my mother cooked this morning. They are still hot." Another child handed over the bowl, his eyes full of worry.
"And this is the porridge my grandma cooked. It's so delicious with lard. Please have some."
…
Those children seemed to have completely forgotten how perfunctory his teaching was, and just thought that he was a teacher who taught them sincerely.
They didn't understand and just thought they were stupid, never thinking it was his fault.
After the plague, he tried to change his teaching method, using Gu Jiayue's "from the simple to the complex" approach, and the children were actually able to understand it.
But they didn't question why he didn't teach in this way before. Instead, they looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Teacher, you are amazing! Such a difficult question, I understand it as soon as you explain it!"
"Master, my mother killed a chicken tonight and asked me to invite you to her house for dinner."
"Master, we're going to the river to catch crabs tonight. Would you like to come?"
…
In this way, he was gradually assimilated into the school in this small mountain village.
He started assigning homework and staying up late to prepare lessons. When he encountered something he didn't understand, he would even lower himself to ask Song Qiquan, whom he had looked down upon before.
He knew that he had not done well in the past and always felt guilty about it.
At this moment, he not only received excellent test evaluations, but was also able to continue his studies at the Qiushi Academy and even be exempted from tuition fees.
"Headmaster, I..."
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore." Gu Jiayue waved her hand, her tone gentle but unyielding. "Sit down first. There are other things to discuss."
Fang Yuezhu swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and could only sit down for the time being, his fingertips still tightly gripping the schedule.
"The second thing," Gu Jiayue cleared her throat and glanced at everyone, "I plan to expand the school, separate the Jinxiu Building, and merge it with the Science and Technology Building to form a technical college."
As soon as these words were spoken, the office was quiet for a moment, and then it exploded.
"Headmaster, are you saying... let men and women study together?" An elderly teacher suddenly raised his head, his brows knitted into knots, and his tone was full of disapproval.
"I'm afraid this doesn't make sense!" Another teacher said immediately, his face anxious. "Just because we can accept it doesn't mean others can."
"That's right," a teacher in charge of teaching girls also frowned. "Those girls' reputations are so precious. If people gossip about them, how will they get married in the future?"
"That's right! It's hard for a girl with a bad reputation to hold her head high in the village!"
Discussions were heard one after another, and the teachers' faces showed genuine worry. The atmosphere in the office suddenly became a little solemn.
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