Hopelessly I was being with a class of wild senior year girls as they threw paper and shouted loudly with laughter. No one seemed to care about who would step into the classroom, let alone listen to me. And being a teacher was the last choice of my occupations. I wanted to be a writer. But when I arrived in London, teachers in this community were badly needed.

However hard I tried to manage a normal teaching , their facial expressions told me that it was in vain. For the previous 2 months, as soon as the bell finally rang, I rushed to the staff room, red with anger. The other teachers weren't surprised. "That's Top Naughty, the most difficult class in the whole school."

But I was reluctant to give up. I decided to abandon formal teaching and lessons. Instead, I brought topics for class discussions. Two of the liveliest talks were: the arguments they had with their parents and their choices when being in dilemma. For the first time in my memory they were serious, sharing about their lives and behaving as a mature adult. I was fascinated. Therefore, I had them write about themselves. As time went on, their essays became a bridge between us. I admired their humor, determination and perspective, and meanwhile I thought they appreciated my interest in their lives.

The musical My Fair Lady (窈窕淑女) was playing in the West End, I asked if they'd like to see the musical. They thought I was joking and did not take it seriously, since no teacher had ever suggested taking them out. A few weeks later, Top Naughty and I were sitting in a theatre. They loved the music and the main character who changed herself from the wildest to the most elegant. It was the highlight of their year, and they talked about it for the rest of their last year.

Near the end of their senior year, someone knocked on the door of the staff room

After a 3-month summer vacation, an letter send by the school arrived when I was packing my luggage.

Interview Tips

First impressions are often lasting ones. Studies show that people form impressions about us within the first few minutes of meeting.

As Simon Grant, hotel manager, says: ‘Interviewees who look as if they care about themselves are more likely to care about their jobs. People think it’s what’s inside that counts, but in an interview you should aim to come across in the best possible way.’

Yet many people ignore the importance of having a professional image. For example, Janet Goodwood worked for ten years as an imaginative assistant in a large accounting firm. When the office manager retired, she applied for the position but wasn’t even given an interview. ‘I thought it was a mistake so I asked the Director of Personnel what had happened,’ she says. ‘He told me I didn’t fit the image of an office manager. He suggested I improve my wardrobe before I applied again for promotion.’

Movement and gestures will also influence an interviewer’s first impression of a candidate. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian has discovered that 7% of any message about our feelings and attitudes comes from the words we use, 38% from our voice and a surprising 55% from our facial expressions. When our facial expressions and our words send different messages the listener will put more weight on the non-verbal message. So make sure your words agree with your body language. Mixed messages will only confuse the interviewer.

Finally, a consideration of what we say and how we say it will contribute to the success of an interview. David Artesio, the manager of an employment agency, suggests that it’s a good idea to inform yourself about the company before you go for an interview. ‘The annual report, for example, will tell you about areas of company involvement. Mention an area that interests you during the interview. This will give a positive note and convince others of your interest in the company.’

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I was in my early twenties. I had graduated from college with a degree in Education but still couldn’t find a full-time teaching job. I only did short-time jobs here and there in different schools. I waited each morning then for the phone to ring so that I could work as a substitute (替补者) that day.

It wasn’t easy. One day I would be teaching high school science and the next day I would be running after little kids in a kindergarten around the playground. This time I found myself in a local grade school working as a 5th grade teacher for the day. Although it was a short-time job, I was determined not to just slide by carelessly.

I went over the lesson plans, taught the subjects, and stayed positive with the students. I smiled, praised the kids when they got something right, and encouraged them if they didn’t. I was determined to learn from the great teachers I had when I was a boy and not the critical (挑剔的) ones who always left me feeling bad.

At the end of the day, I designed a little goodbye program for the students. I had prepared dozens of small paper bags in advance, each containing a chocolate bar and a small card with encouraging messages, such as “Where there is a will, there is a way” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” and “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. The cards also had my names on them.

The students were very excited and happy about this activity. They excitedly opened the paper bags of the gifts and ate the chocolates while reading the words on the cards. They also exchanged cards and read different sayings. In this way, I gave the children a happy day.

Just as the students got on the bus after school, a girl handed me a note.

Many years later, when I was a schoolmaster, a young woman came in for a job.