Dedicated to the Daily Education Scene

Classroom Management: The Story of Class 3

Li Zhenxi

Jiangxi Education Publishing House

November 2023

68.00 (CNY)

Li Zhenxi

Li Zhenxi， director of the New Education Research Institute， is a distinguished senior Chinese language teacher from Sichuan Province’s middle schools. Li holds a Ph.D. in Educational Philosophy， and he has been honored with titles such as “Chengdu City Education Expert，” “Sichuan Province Outstanding Education Worker，” and “National Outstanding Education Worker.”

This book is a diary-style firsthand record written by Teacher Li Zhenxi， capturing in detail the raw educational events and authentic feelings he experienced during his time at school， and truly reconstructing the daily growth of both Teacher Li and the children. The content is vivid and engaging， with strong readability and compelling impact， presenting over one hundred “class leadership cross-sections” from the perspective of a frontline class head， making it a riveting “class leadership epic.”

When we talk about “class leadership，” we might think of concepts like “philosophy，” “principles，” “creating class culture，” “establishing distinctive classes，” and even the concept of a “brand class，” not to mention supposed “secrets” like “strategies” and “clever tricks，” which can be dazzling and overwhelming.

If my past work as a class head were judged by these standards， it certainly wouldn’t qualify as “competent，” being a class with no “distinctiveness，” no “branding，” and no “culture” crafted -- how could it be deemed “competent?”

But education is never that flashy; the truth is always simple. I can summarize my class leadership approach in one phrase: “More activities， more heart-to-heart talks.” These seven words encapsulate all my experience as a class head， and I can confidently say they still work today.

First， “more activities.”

This book records the trials of the children’s growth. It includes not only their academic pursuits during the two semesters but also their joyful pursuits like chasing each other on country paths lined with golden rapeseed flowers， their gleeful hide-and-seek in the park’s bamboo groves， and their wet footprints on riverside pebbles after catching fish and shrimp in serene valleys. Each “footprint” shimmering with the joy that naturally belongs to youth.

And these joys are inseparable from a variety of group activities.

Therefore， a class head skilled in organizing (or guiding students to organize) a range of educational yet fun activities can subtly foster a spirit of collectivism among students. The collective spirit felt during a football match or a social gathering is an experience that no amount of eloquent but hollow lectures can match. Group activities can encompass aspects of morality， intellect， physical health， aesthetics， and labor. In terms of form， they can include academic exchanges and debates， but I place greater importance on games， artistic performances， street surveys， hiking， and fun outings. From an educational art perspective， more activities mean achieving impactful educational outcomes through less noticeable teaching methods.

Now， “more heart-to-heart talks.”

Someone once told me: “Mr. Li， in reading your book， I noticed you frequently use the term ‘soul.’” Indeed， I like to use “soul” in my book titles， such as Into the Soul， Education Is the Art of the Soul， Winning Hearts with the Soul， Giving Students the Freedom of the Soul ... But this is not just about word choice; it reflects my understanding of education. Essentially， “education” means a teacher writing the poetry of the soul onto the student’s soul.

Whether it’s Tao Xingzhi’s idea that “true education is the heart matching the heart” or Sukhomlinsky’s statement that “education， first and foremost， is about people，” both reveal a simple educational truth: good education always and necessarily targets the soul.

Indeed， all class heads talk with their students， but some only do so with those who have erred or have problems (such as declining academic performance， psychological imbalances， etc.). However， when I mention “heart-to-heart talks，” I mean to discuss matters with every child in the class. Thus， as a class head， I always took turns talking one-on-one with students based on their student numbers. This type of conversation is not a utilitarian “educational talk” but rather resembles casual chats with the children: Who do you admire most? Which team do you support in the UEFA Euro? What book have you read recently? What game have you been playing lately?

This is a test for class heads， as talking with students requires knowing each student’s soul， and what they are thinking. Therefore， I have said before that a high-quality teacher should also be a “psychologist.” Education tailored to each child (rather than generically “to everyone”) necessarily requires teachers to have the skills and art to recognize， enhance， and develop each student’s unique traits. Therefore， a class head must possess a sound knowledge of psychology， be adept at entering students’ souls， keenly sensing their psychological changes， connecting deeply and seamlessly with them， as Zankov said: “For an observant teacher， the slightest manifestations of a student’s joy， excitement， surprise， confusion， fear， embarrassment， and other inner feelings cannot escape his eyes. A teacher who overlooks these manifestations is hardly likely to become a good mentor and friend to the students.” Only in this way can we truly reach each child’s heart.

“More activities， more heart-to-heart talks，” these seven words have guided my class leadership for decades. “More activities” targets the entire class， “more heart-to-heart talks” target individuals; “More activities” build the class， and “more heart-to-heart talks” guide spirits. “More activities” and “more heart-to-heart talks” work together， mutually enhancing and complementing each other. The dialectic unity of common education and individual guidance is fully realized in the practice of these seven words.

This book can also be considered a collection of case studies on “more activities， more heart-to-heart talks.”

If this book’s content is lively and engaging， it’s firstly because the educational process itself is inherently charming. While writing， I always followed one principle: absolute truthfulness. Whether it’s macro planning for class collective building or individual guidance for each student， I certainly have clear educational intentions and expectations， but I do not pre-set any ideal outcomes for the educational process. In other words， when I record， I simply document what happened “that day” without attempting to meet any subjective educational goals by planting “foreshadows” or “setups” beforehand， nor do I force a “call-back” later for earlier “foreshadows” or “setups.” The development of the class collective and the growth of the students are often a rollercoaster ride， sometimes even thrilling， such as when facing a struggling student. Even the smartest educator cannot predict what trouble they might cause tomorrow. It is in this sense that I have said， “Education is always full of suspense!” Here， “suspense” primarily refers to what we often call “educational challenges.” Looking forward to each day’s “suspense，” then researching， resolving the unexpected “suspense，” and enjoying the relief after solving it， then anticipating the next “suspense.” Thus， this cycle continues， showcasing the endless charm of the educational process!

Faithful to each day’s educational scene， true characters， stories， details， environments， atmospheres， successes， setbacks， and also faithful to each day’s educational insights， genuine reflections， analyses， appreciations， emotions， joys， confusions， anxieties， etc.， my several hundred thousand words documenting the educational scene have created a tumultuous， heart-stirring “youth drama，” and my students are proud to have “performed” in such a fascinating “drama.” It should be noted that I started leading this class in 2004， in their first year of senior high， and left them in their second semester of the second year， as I was appointed principal of Chengdu Wuhou Experimental School by the education bureau. This is one of the few classes I did not lead to graduation. I must say， this is a regret in my teaching career.

The days I spent with these students have become our shared， happy memories. I still keep in touch with them. They have long since graduated from university and continue to write their own life stories in various professions. Whenever we meet， we reminisce about those warm years， and the students also speak of the impact I had on them. Su Chang， the first overseas-educated Ph.D. from CNOOC’s Shanghai branch， was a student in this class. He once wrote to me， saying， “I often feel fortunate to have moments of reflection in this noisy world， and the greatest gratitude undoubtedly goes to your high school education!”

Now， this book lies before you， waiting to be read， and may it resonate with you. Of course， I also sincerely look forward to your critique and correction!