I got an invitation to take part in an education meeting at a high school. At lunchtime, I saw a young girl who looked familiar. I knew she had been a student of mine. I tried hard to recall her name, but I couldn’t. It really made me sad, as I have always been able to remember former students.

Her eyes met mine and she threw her arms around me and said, “Mrs G, it’s me Sarah, and I’m still writing!” All the memories soon came back to my mind. You see, Sarah wasn’t a student in my classroom. Sarah’s mother had left her family and her father was absent(缺席的) from her life as well. She was sent to live with foster parents(养父母). Sarah was angry, often got in trouble and was often in the principal’s (校长的) office.

It was during one of those office visits that I first met her. She was writing in a notebook with a rather angry look on her face. I introduced myself to her and asked her what she was writing about. Sarah shared her story with me. Her writing spoke to me. It filled my heart and I knew it was good for her to put her thoughts on paper. Every morning at school before I started my classes, she would come into my classroom and we would work on her writing skills.

My experience years ago with Sarah taught me that teachers have a great influence upon their students, even when those students are troubled. Taking the time to talk with a child has the power to truly change that child’s life. That’s why I teach.

Have you grown taller and stronger? On Sept. 3, the Ministry of Education brought out the results of the eighth national health survey for students from elementary school (小学) through college and university. The survey comes out every five years. This year’s survey showed Chinese students’ overall (总的) health and fitness have improved since 2014.

Among all age groups, the rate for middle school students in good health saw the biggest rise up by 5.1 percentage points from 2014 to 2019. Their height and weight have increased. For example, the height of boys and girls increased 1.69 cm and 0.97 cm respectively in the age group of 13 to 15.

There was also a rise in speed and lung capacity (肺活量) among teenagers aged 13 to 15. The lung capacity of boys increased 209.7 ml, and that of girls increased 187.2 ml. Girls’ running in the 800m race improved by 4.49 seconds, while boys improved by 6.50 seconds in the 1,000m race.

Wang Dengfeng, from the Ministry of Education said that a series of education policies(政策) led to the improvement. He said these policies had helped students get more physical exercise.