Photo: “I make students believe they can do it.” / Teacher Kong Lifen
Ms. Kong Lifen, who has been engaged in education for nearly 26 years, is currently the vice principal of TWGHs Jiayin Premier College. Ms. Kong has always used “discovering hearts with hearts, igniting others’ fire with fire, and bringing hope” as her teaching motto. She believes that every student has a different starting point, but as long as she cultivates them with heart, arouses their interest in learning, and helps them build self-confidence, they will surely become successful. “I want students to believe that they can do it.”
Interdisciplinary teaching injects different elements
“I like to incorporate different elements into teaching, such as interdisciplinary collaboration.” Kong Lifen teaches Chinese Language, Citizenship and Social Development, and Social Innovation courses at the same time. As early as 12 years ago when she was the head of General Studies, she noticed the operating model of social enterprises, which made money while helping others, and thought it was suitable for students to understand in depth. At that time, the Chinese University of Hong Kong launched a short film competition to awaken the public’s attention to disadvantaged communities. Students participated and chose ethnic minorities as the protagonists of the short film. Teacher Kong said that at the time, students felt that non-Chinese students encountered many difficulties in society and needed more support from the society, and as a teacher, she had always been there to help.
A few years later, Ms. Kong collaborated with CUHK on a social innovation course. When she met him, she was surprised to see a familiar face, “It was the student I led in the competition that year.” She described encouraging students to participate in the short film competition that day as sowing an invisible seed that would guide the students’ future development.
Once, Ms. Kong attended the wedding banquet of an old student. There were cards for sponsoring children at the banquet. The old student told her that when he was a student, she led the way in sponsoring poor children. This made him always willing to help others and hope to help others within his ability. Ms. Kong said, “I never thought that my students would bring the belief of sponsoring children to all the guests at the wedding banquet.”
I was already a “little teacher” in middle school
Ms. Kong’s teaching belief is that “students can be sure of themselves and have the ability to realize their dreams.” She believes that although students have different starting points, some are high and some are low, each student has his or her own ability. Therefore, when she selects students to participate in the competition, she does not choose top students first, but puts “interest” and “devotion to the process” first, so that students have the opportunity to participate. As a teacher, she nurtures and guides them to help them find their own expertise and goals.
Teacher Kong revealed that she was already a “little teacher” in middle school, and she often guided her younger classmates in their homework. One of her younger classmates once said to her, “Your (guidance) method is very good, and it is easy for me to get started.” Seeing the younger classmates’ academic performance gradually improve, she had a sense of success, which inspired her to aspire to become a teacher.
Ta Kung Pao reporter Zhong Peixin