When Hong Liu walks around Zhenlong Primary School in Guangde, Anhui Province, many students greet (和……打招呼) her in English. Some call her Miss Hong while others prefer Apple.
"I know Apple sounds silly as a name, but it might be the easiest one for the kids to remember," said Hong, the headmaster of the school. Hong joined the school as an English teacher in 2007, and in 2018 she became the headmaster.
With around 1, 000 students, Zhenlong is just a small school in a small place. "But small school can also do big things, right?" Hong said. So far, she has brought three new subjects to the school, such as art, music, science. She thought these new subjects were healthy for children's minds and bodies.
After she finished university, Hong had chances (机会) to go to big cities for better development, but she decided to return to her hometown. She said her hometown was not as rich as big cities, and some families even couldn't afford to send their children to school. "I wanted to pass on something good to the children in the countryside and I could realize this dream only by becoming a teacher," Hong said. "As educators, we can only influence the children with our actions. I wants to help my students develop a perfect personality (人格) and have a healthy body."
