Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Homeroom Teacher

Lin Xiaomeng only dared to joke around like this now that she and Gu Qinghuan were close; otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the nerve.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t mind at all. “Stepmother? So be it!” After all, she didn’t have children of her own.

But when it came to educating children, she had plenty of theories—enough to fill books.

Some of these ideas she’d already tested on two children, and they’d proven to be very effective.

At the very least, she’d successfully sparked intrinsic motivation in both Dabao and Beibei.

Every step she’d taken with them had been meaningful; for children with a limited worldview, broadening their horizons was crucial.

She often tried to use what she’d learned to solve problems, which fully stimulated the children’s curiosity.

They genuinely wanted to learn, to solve problems, and were interested in knowledge itself.

They also had a strong desire to change their own circumstances through learning and to have a bright future—a form of intrinsic motivation as well.

As the two of them chatted, a soft cough sounded behind them.

“Ahem!”

“Oh, it’s Mr. Lin!” Lin Xiaomeng turned around with a smile. When did he get here? He walked so quietly—had he overheard their conversation?

“Um, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Lin Muyang said awkwardly. “I came to see Ms. Gu about something, but since you were talking, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

In truth, he’d been there for quite a while and had listened to their entire discussion on parenting—he found it eye-opening.

“It’s fine. This is the office; everyone’s welcome. Is there something you need?” Gu Qinghuan looked at him, puzzled.

“It’s nothing urgent. Principal Chen just wants you to come by—your future work assignments have been finalized.

But I accidentally overheard your conversation just now, and Ms. Gu, you really are something.

The insights you just shared could be turned into an article for a newspaper or magazine—I’m sure any publication would be eager to print it.

Your ideas are so advanced. Sometimes I feel like you’re miles ahead of us—no wonder you’re a scholar from the capital.”

He wasn’t wrong. Gu Qinghuan wasn’t just a little ahead—she was ahead of her time.

In this era, students were expected to be self-motivated: if you could study, you had talent; if you couldn’t, you didn’t.

The concept of intrinsic motivation for learning was a blank slate. Some kids weren’t incapable—they just lacked the drive.

Lin Muyang had been teaching for years, and he fully agreed with Gu Qinghuan’s perspective.

Different children needed different approaches, but all of them needed one thing: motivation to learn. That’s what gets them through the long years of schooling.

Gu Qinghuan waved her hand. “You flatter me, Mr. Lin. I was just sharing a few thoughts—hardly anything worthy of being called ‘experience,’ much less publication.”

Lin Xiaomeng chimed in, “Don’t say that! I think Mr. Lin is right. Your educational philosophy could really become a school of thought—maybe even widely recognized! Give it a try!”

“No, no.” Most of what she’d said was borrowed from future theories—she felt embarrassed to claim it as her own.

Besides, she really wasn’t interested in publishing articles.

“How about this,” Lin Muyang said, “if you agree, I’d like to organize your ideas into an article. If it gets published, we’ll co-author it, and you’ll get the payment. How about it?” He was clearly confident, his eyes full of excitement and determination.

Gu Qinghuan thought for a moment and agreed.

“If it really gets published, just put my name on it—that’s enough. The rest is yours.” She didn’t care about the money.

Lin Muyang left happily, borrowing the notes Lin Xiaomeng had just taken before he went.

Gu Qinghuan’s new assignment had been finalized: for the time being, she would be assisting Lin Muyang—after all, he was the busiest teacher in the whole school.

She never expected that her next job would be as the homeroom teacher for Class 1, Grade 8!

She was a complete newcomer to education, barely having taught a few proper classes. How could she possibly be qualified to be the homeroom teacher for a graduating class?

(During the Great Leap Forward era, the school system was 5-2-2: five years of elementary, two years of junior high, two years of high school—greatly shortening the educational process.)

Talk about pressure!

Gu Qinghuan’s first reaction was to refuse: “Principal Chen, I can’t do it. I’m a rookie—just let me teach my regular classes. Being a homeroom teacher, especially for a graduating class, is too much for me.”

Gu Qinghuan was a principled person. If she took on a task, she’d see it through to the end. If she didn’t do it, she didn’t do it. But if she did, she had to do it well.

That was exactly why she was hesitant to accept this job—it was just too exhausting.

But Principal Chen was determined to have her take it on.

“Mr. Lin is already handling two classes on his own—it’s too much for one person. The entrance exams are coming up, and I’m worried he’ll be overwhelmed. I’ve seen your abilities, and I know you’re more than capable. Mr. Lin Muyang also highly recommended you. Don’t turn it down—just give it a try!”

Gu Qinghuan’s face fell, her brows furrowed. She’d only wanted to coast along at the school, pass the time—how did she end up as a homeroom teacher?

And for a graduating class, no less—a real tough job.

Since she couldn’t get out of it, she had no choice but to accept.

“All right, I’ll give it a try!”

Lin Muyang mainly taught science—math and physics.

Gu Qinghuan leaned more toward the humanities. Recently, she’d been teaching Chinese and history to two classes, while other teachers handled the rest.

After taking over as homeroom teacher for Class 1, Grade 8, Gu Qinghuan’s life got much busier. The only consolation was that the pay for leading a graduating junior high class was a bit higher.

With only a few months left before the entrance exams, the class had sixty students—how many would make it to high school?

Lin Muyang was a very responsible teacher. He not only told her all about the students’ backgrounds, but also gave her lots of advice, saving her the trouble of getting to know the kids from scratch.

Gu Qinghuan might not seem as sociable as Lin Xiaomeng, but that wasn’t really the case.

She was the type who could get along with anyone she wanted to—it all depended on whether she felt like it. After all, not everyone was worth her effort.

As the saying goes, if you feel especially comfortable talking to someone, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re your soulmate.

More likely, it’s because they’re “downward compatible” with you—their emotional intelligence and intellect far exceed yours.

Gu Qinghuan was just that kind of person. If she put her mind to it, there was no one she couldn’t win over.

Naturally, this group of kids was no exception—she handled them with ease.

Once she showed a bit of her capability, the students were completely won over and became remarkably obedient.

This had a lot to do with her recent research. Whether now or in the future, her ultimate goal was psychology.

So now, she also regarded these children as her experimental subjects."