Practice the spirit of educator and be a good student guide.

■ The third interview of the educator spirit in my heart.

Biography of characters

Zhang Yugun, principal of Heihumiao Primary School, Gaoqiu Town, zhenping county, Nanyang City, Henan Province. He has been rooted in the mountains for more than 20 years, and with his whole heart, he has illuminated the way for children in mountainous areas to study. In September 2018, Zhang Yugun was awarded the honorary title of "Model of the Times" by Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China. He has also won the honorary titles of "National Model of Lei Feng", "National Model of Teaching and Educating People", "National May 1st Labor Medal", "National Model of Dedication and Dedication", "The Most Beautiful Struggler" and "National Advanced Worker".

中国教育报：在新的时代背景下为什么要强调教育家精神？重要性何在？

Zhang Yugun:今年教师节前夕，习近平总书记站在实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦，打造中华民族“梦之队”筑梦人的高度，从六个方面全面完整阐述了中国特有的教育家精神的核心要义，对广大教师和教育工作者来说，这是极大的鼓舞和鞭策。

教师肩负为党育人、为国育才，培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人的特殊使命。我们生逢其时，重任在肩，要牢记习近平总书记的嘱托，坚定“躬耕教坛、强国有我”的志向与抱负，当好学生引路人。

虽然不是所有教师都能成为教育家，但是我们可以学习教育家精神，以教育家为榜样，将教育家精神作为引领，把教育家精神转化为执教的理想和追求，勉励自己成长。

中国教育报：弘扬教育家精神对于加快推进教育强国建设有何重大意义？

Zhang Yugun:教师在教育强国、科技强国、人才强国建设中肩负着光荣使命与重大责任。这个世界上，没有哪个职业像教师这样，一头托举着家庭的嘱托，一头承载着民族的期望；没有哪个职业像教师这样，一头牵挂着“小家”的今天，一头连接着国家的未来；没有哪个职业像教师这样，在一代代人的成长中，担当起人类灵魂工程师的天职和重任。

Teachers are the foundation of education. Educator spirit guides the growth of teachers. As a people’s teacher, whether in the city or in the countryside, we should use our enthusiasm, perseverance and wisdom to cultivate the next generation and light up the children’s future. As an important supporting force for rural revitalization and talent training, rural teachers are the cornerstone of rural education development. On the new journey of building an educational power, rural teachers shoulder the mission, have great responsibilities and have great potential. I believe that under the guidance of educator spirit, rural education will be more energetic and the future of rural children will be better.

China Education News: Please talk about the value connotation of educator spirit with your work experience.

Zhang Yugun:What I feel most deeply in the spirit of educators is "the loving heart of loving students and being willing to contribute". Students are the hope of the country and the nation, and also the hope of every family. As teachers, when we choose this profession, we should be responsible for our students and shoulder the future of our country and nation. We should not only teach but also enjoy teaching. We should care for every student wholeheartedly, and care for the healthy growth of students with our hearts and feelings, so that children can come to school happily, learn knowledge in a down-to-earth manner and grow into talents step by step.

I’m from the mountain, and it’s not easy to know Shanliwa. In 2001, I just graduated from Nanyang No.2 Normal School. The old headmaster of Heihumiao Primary School pointed to a stove at the back of the classroom and said to me, "Jade roll, mud bricks can be used for ten or eight years at most." Every word we teach students to recognize can last a lifetime. " Going out of the mountains, changing fate and living a good life are the dreams of mountain people for generations. I know that if we want to eradicate poverty and change our destiny, we must start with education. The children’s eager eyes for knowledge made me determined to stay. As long as the children are there, the school is there.

At that time, there was no road in Heihumiao village. From the village to the town, it took more than ten hours to walk along the path trodden by cattle and sheep on the ridge. I can only pick books, textbooks, vegetables and rice for the children by relying on a pole. Later, the road leading to the outside of the Black Tiger Temple was repaired, and we went to town to buy rice, buy food and pull teaching materials for the school. We no longer had to shoulder the burden, and our life was getting better and better.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Black Tiger Temple Primary School has undergone earth-shaking changes. From the arduous journey of "a broken table with a dozen local children sitting in it", now there are all kinds of teaching buildings, dormitory buildings, restaurants and multimedia teaching equipment, and the hardware facilities have basically caught up with the standards of public schools in the city. School clubs are also more colorful: not only table tennis, badminton, art and music are available, but also "fashionable" clubs such as piano and speech eloquence have opened up! More young teachers are willing to stay here to teach, and every year, groups of teachers come to teach.

Thanks to the party and the government for their strong support and investment in rural education, so that more children can benefit, embrace the bigger world and realize bigger dreams-this is also where my teachers and I feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness. I am willing to do my best to practice the spirit of educator, do my part for my hometown and contribute my modest contribution to my motherland.

China Education News: What is the only way to become an educator? What do you entrust to young teachers?

Zhang Yugun:Practicing the spirit of educator is an important foundation and the only way for primary and secondary school teachers and principals to grow into educators. Black Tiger Temple Primary School is deep in the mountains. When there was no highway from the town to the school, the old principals could only pick books, teaching materials and learning AIDS with a pole. When I got to school, I took the pole from the old principals and carried books and students’ daily necessities into the mountains. The example of old teachers has taken root in the hearts of young teachers, so on the road of education, even if the environment is hard, the spirit is always rich.

Educator’s spirit made me clear my goal in life once again: I would like to be a bright moon on the 18-bend mountain road to illuminate the way for children to walk out of the mountains. Nowadays, the horn of rural revitalization has sounded. Promoting rural education revitalization is not only an inevitable link to promote rural revitalization, but also an important measure to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The revitalization and development of rural education can not be separated from the unremitting struggle of rural teachers under the guidance of lofty ideals and beliefs. It is hoped that the vast number of rural young teachers will firmly adhere to their ambition and ambition of "cultivating the teaching field and strengthening the country with me", continue to base themselves on the rural land, take root in rural education, promote the improvement of rural education level and the growth of rural children, and provide important assistance for promoting educational equity and rural revitalization. Under the guidance of the educator’s spirit, I will also strive to build an educational highland in the depths of the mountains, be a good dream keeper for rural children, guide rural children and build good dreams, so that every child can have a chance to shine in life, walk out of the mountains with dreams, feed back to his hometown, and make a modest contribution to the construction of a strong educational country.

Together with thousands of rural teachers, we will stick to the initial intention of education and shoulder the mission of educating people, so that the spirit and strength of model teachers can be passed down from generation to generation.

China Education News, 4th edition, November 18th, 2023.

Author: Our reporter Ren He interview finishing