A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

The next day at work, Chang Peng went directly to the teachers' office at No. 2 Middle School, walked up to Wang Dezhong's desk, and said, "Teacher Wang, you are very experienced, could you help me take a look at these assignments?"

Yesterday I read some short essays written by students, and many of them mentioned their family's cotton fields, which they wrote quite vividly.

I'm thinking of incorporating an interactive activity in a dual-teacher class: comparing marine specimens from Dalian with cotton cultivation in Shihezi. The students would talk about their own cotton farming methods in English. How do you think I could design this to make it more engaging for them?

Wang Dezhong tapped his finger on the table: "You make it sound so easy. English vocabulary and grammar are tough nuts to crack. You can't just crack them by having something to say."

"If the classroom becomes chaotic and noisy, and the mainland children can't answer their questions, our children will only feel more inferior, which is counterproductive."

Chang Peng took the opportunity to add: "I want students in Xinjiang to see marine specimens, such as starfish and conch, and then have our students teach children in the mainland how to distinguish good cotton from bad cotton, how to pick cotton, and how to spin cotton into thread."

This way, I can practice English and boost my confidence. I'll be teaching a trial class in Class 3 tomorrow morning during the first period. If you have time, please give me your feedback. If it's not good, I'll revise it.

Wang Dezhong stared at Chang Peng's stubborn face, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally waved his hand, "Alright, I'll go take a look."

But let me be clear from the start: if it doesn't work, don't force yourself. Quickly get your attention back to the textbook and teach diligently and practically—that's the only way to make it effective.

Chang Peng wasn't trying to compete with Wang Dezhong; he genuinely wanted his students to see the outside world.

These children have been growing up surrounded by cotton fields and don't even know what the ocean looks like. If they could communicate with students in Dalian through a screen, they could broaden their horizons and practice their English. What a great opportunity!

He pondered it all night, and the next morning he dialed the phone of Mr. Jiang, a famous teacher in Dalian, his voice full of expectation: "Mr. Jiang, please help me!"

How about our unique interactive class? Dalian has marine specimens, and we have cotton fields here. Let the children from both sides chat; they're sure to develop an interest in the conversation!

Teacher Jiang perked up immediately, raising her voice slightly: "That's a great idea! With fields of white cotton on one side and the vast blue sea on the other, the contrast is striking, and the children will definitely be interested!"

The two chatted away, finding themselves getting along very well, and soon finalized the details. "Let's set it for Friday afternoon. The students will be in a better state of mind then, and we can get the equipment set up beforehand."

Before class, Wang Dezhong passed by the classroom and saw Chang Peng adjusting the equipment. He couldn't help but mutter, "I bet the students won't remember anything after this lesson. It's a waste of your effort!"

Chang Peng didn't argue with him, but just smiled and said, "Teacher Wang, give me some more advice after class."

The day of class finally arrived. As soon as the equipment was turned on, Teacher Jiang appeared on the screen, holding up a colorful starfish specimen. "Look, students," she said, "this is a starfish. They're everywhere in the intertidal zone along the coast. They're amazing; even if one of its fins breaks off, it can grow back!"

The class instantly erupted in chaos, with the Xinjiang students crowding to the front row, their eyes wide with surprise.

Abudu sat in the middle. In all his life, all he had ever seen were the endless cotton fields in front of his house and the gray Gobi Desert in the distance. He had only ever seen things in the sea in textbook illustrations. He had never seen such a vivid and beautiful starfish before.

The students next to me whispered, "Why does this starfish have so many horns?"

"Does it feel soft to the touch?"

Chang Peng glanced furtively at the door as he watched the students' excited expressions.

As expected, Wang Dezhong arrived, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, looking on with an expression that seemed to be waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

After the students from Dalian finished speaking, it was the students' turn to share their experiences in Shihezi.

Chang Peng glanced around the classroom and his gaze fell on Abudu. This child was usually quiet and listless in class, but his eyes would light up whenever he talked about his family's cotton fields.

He smiled and said, "Abudu, your family grows so much cotton. Why don't you tell your classmates in Dalian how cotton grows? Try using English, don't be afraid, your teacher will correct you if you make a mistake!"

Abudu felt a surge of nervousness, and his face flushed red to the roots of his ears.

His English grades weren't very good, and he was too shy to even look up when the teacher called on him to answer questions, let alone share with classmates from other places in English.

But the students in Dalian on the screen were all watching with curious eyes, and even Teacher Jiang was nodding encouragingly; thinking of Teacher Chang's usual patience with him, he gritted his teeth, slowly stood up, and whispered in a voice barely above a whisper: "My hometown grows cotton..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sneer rang out in the classroom: "Your pronunciation is inaccurate, and you dare to speak English!"

Immediately afterwards, several students joined in the laughter.

Abudu's chin was almost touching his chest; he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"What are you laughing at!"

The classroom fell silent instantly. Chang Peng strode over to Abudu and said to the students in a serious tone, "Abudu dared to be the first to stand up and share in English, and even introduced the cotton from Shihezi to the students from the mainland. He is the bravest and the best!"

Who among you has the courage to stand up like him? Raise your hand now!

The students who had been laughing earlier all fell silent, and no one dared to respond.

Chang Peng reached out and patted Abudu on the shoulder, his tone softening considerably. He even raised his voice so that the person on the other side of the screen could hear him: "Abudu, what you said is excellent!"

Comparing cotton bolls to snowflakes is a very vivid analogy; students from Dalian will definitely be able to picture cotton right away. Next time, let's practice our pronunciation more; we'll definitely be able to speak more fluently!

Looking at Chang Peng's encouraging gaze and the Dalian students' nodding approval, Abudu hummed in agreement and relaxed as he sat down in his seat.

Then several more students stood up and shared their experiences. Some talked about how to water the cotton plants, others about how to pick them, and even the shyest girl dared to say a few words in English.

The students from Dalian on the other side of the screen listened with great interest, constantly asking questions such as, "What can cotton be made into?"

"Is picking cotton tiring?"

……

The atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly lively.

Wang Dezhong leaned against the door frame, his eyes widening in surprise.

He didn't expect the students to be so enthusiastic, and he was even more surprised that the usually quiet children could talk about cotton so logically and even dare to speak English.

When the bell rang, Abudu specifically ran to Chang Peng's side and said, "Teacher Chang, in the next interactive class, I'd like to try talking about cotton in English. I want to tell the students in Dalian how to spray pesticides on cotton!"

Chang Peng smiled and patted his head: "Okay, let's start preparing now. You should first prepare some basic knowledge about spraying pesticides on cotton."