两年前，我的同事Mr.Benson说他将离开中国，回归故土。没想到，这个告别持续了整整两年，我更没有想到，因为变化莫测的疫情，他和我最后的告别是没有告别的告别！Mr.Benson 就像一束行走的光，温暖明亮。但愿记录在这里的卑微文字，可以为光留下一点印记。
一 结识一位老绅士
Mr.Benson是美国人，他在过了知天命的年纪，带着人生的使命，来到中国。自2015年起，他和我成了同事，我们一起在深圳的一所国际性质的学校任教。这所学校的课程教学除了中文课外，其他课都是采用英语授课。教书，对Mr.Benson来说，是驾轻就熟，得心应手。对我来说，是半路出家，诚惶诚恐。Mr.Benson加入我们学校时，我的教学经验处于原始积累阶段，用英文授课更是鸿蒙初辟。好在同事理解我内心的急切，也乐意帮我解燃眉之急，在学校，我是这些老师们的另一名特殊学生，他们常常分享一些教学资源给我，在共同的教学实践中，我也慢慢领悟一些教学策略。不过，这样缓慢的进展依然是杯水车薪，我的教学能力仍亟待提升。为了恶补，每天上下班的通勤车，也成了我向同事们请教的流动教室。
Mr.Benson给我的最初印象，就是安静，他没有半点想要在人群中享受被关注待遇的意思。偶尔听他说话，也是简明扼要，简直是惜字如金，仿佛每一句话都被仔细萃取过，没有任何一个字显得多余。在流动教室里，我一直对他敬而远之。后来相处久了，我发现Mr.Benson很谦和，无论什么时候见到他，他脸上都挂着微笑，这微笑就像从他脸上生长出来的一样，那么亲切自然。他身上有一种隐形的强大磁场，虽不迎风招展，却能让人感到无法抗拒地靠近。终于有一天，在下班通勤车上，我坐到了Mr.Benson旁边，并且略带诙谐地告诉他：You restrain your words,but your wisdom and virtue can’t be hidden.(你使用言语非常节制，但智慧与美德却藏不住)。他听后，缓缓一笑，然后对我说，You are good at complimenting others.(你很会赞美别人!) 我也笑了。自从这次对话之后，Mr.Benson也成了我在流动教室里的英语口语老师，我们偶尔客套几句。
转眼到了2017年，我们学校再次组织师生去湖南，到我的初中母校Z学校交流访问。我们学校曾在2016年组织了第一次与Z学校学生的阅读伙伴联谊活动，两校师生都期待孩子们的友谊能继续发展下去。很不巧，出访的时间安排在六月初，临近我家大儿子高考。高考是中国孩子十多年寒窗苦读的总检阅，而我唯一能做的，就是陪伴在孩子身边。于是，担任这次出访联络统筹的我只能请辞。虽然我已经跟母校沟通好，但目送同事和孩子们离去后，我心里一直惴惴不安。按照我们商讨好的计划，那一次出访，深圳的师生有一晚入住在我的母校Z学校的校园宿舍。Z学校位于湘中的一处山村，虽然在同事和学生去之前，我已经知会过大家，当地住宿条件较为简陋，如有困难，需要大家克服。我还是担心他们如果无法适应，而周围没有酒店，我又不在现场，一有什么情况，那可就麻烦了。
Mr.Benson是这次带队出征的三位老师之一。后来，从同事和我母校老师们的反馈中，我一切的担心都变成了惊喜，深圳的孩子和Z学校的学生很享受一起上课，一起吃饭，一起运动，一起游戏，一起做手工。为了特别招待深圳来的朋友，Z学校还让他们体验了乡下下田插秧的乐趣！深圳孩子第一次入住乡下中学的集体宿舍，房间内只有双层铁架床，但是大家一起留宿在乡村中学，既新奇，又兴奋。这次出访很成功，不过，Mr.Benson觉得有一事给人添了麻烦，为此他感到很遗憾：Z学校为了给深圳来的师生腾地方睡觉，Z学校的部分学生不得不在大热天，跟其它宿舍的同学挤着睡！
Mr.Benson从我的家乡返回深圳之后，他带了一件礼物给我，是当地的一名学生送给他的一件小手工，一个用透明塑料绳编织的红苹果，很漂亮！他把这个红艳艳的苹果转送给了我。这趟旅行让他印象深刻，他偶尔跟我提起我的家乡，那里的老师和孩子。渐渐，我们之间的话题更多了。
二 Mr.Benson教室里的特殊学习伙伴
Mr.Benson的教室是学校校园的一个打卡点。他的教室除了有他手写的各种教学内容的海报装饰， 另外，在教室的一个角落，还有一个动物王国。蛇，蜥蜴，狼蛛，刺猬，鱼类，仓鼠等是孩子们的特殊学习伙伴。Mr.Benson还给这些小伙伴们取了有趣的名字，贴在饲养它们的容器边：George the Bearded Dragon 乔治大胡子龙（蜥蜴） , TWAS the Hedgdhog.(TWAS来自一首诗“TWAS the night before Christmas“， TWAS豪猪）, Yahbut the Tarantula是的...但是 (狼蛛）等等。Mr.Benson和他的学生一起照顾这些小伙伴们。
在教室里，这些小伙伴简直就是学生们的特殊同学，虽然长相各异，天性迥然，但相处时却相得益彰。中午午休的时候，学生们傲娇地带着大胡子龙乔治出去晒太阳， 大胡子龙似乎很享受，它安静地趴在孩子们身上，爪子紧紧抓住学生的衣服， 眼睛左顾右盼，看见一群人围观，也没有丝毫怯场的意思。通常，学生们要去其他教室上课了，才恋恋不舍地把乔治放回他的住所。豪猪TWAS也喜欢跟学生去兜风，学生有空的时候就提着这只豪猪的笼子在校园里遛达，有时还会放他出来在草地上伸伸腿，尽兴了便回家---Mr.Benson的教室。其实照顾这些动物并不省心，碰到周末或学校放假，Mr.Benson还要把这些动物带回家照看。
Mr.Benson并非只是小动物饲养员，在我看来，他的真实身份像是动物小百科。他深知各种动物的习性，从动物学的科学分类，动物的身体特征，饮食习惯等都能结合实物或图片深入浅出地讲得头头是道。我很快便懂得运用“他山之石，可以攻玉”的道理，如果我的授课关系到生物学，我便会带着学生们光顾Mr.Benson的教室。Mr.Benson会非常热情地给孩子们介绍相关主题的内容，孩子们也非常享受Mr.Benson的再教学。
Mr.Benson的小动物们给大家带来了很多欢乐与知识体验。不过，这些动物小伙伴也有给孩子们带来悲伤的时刻，那就是他们的生病和死亡。蜥蜴George the Bearded Dragon 去世的时候，大家很悲痛，Mr.Benson和学生们给这条陪伴他们几年的蜥蜴举行了一场庄重的葬礼，并给他刻了小墓碑，上面写着RIP---George（安息 乔治），墓碑上注明了他的购买日期和死亡日期。孩子们还会经常去乔治的墓地看乔治。乔治去世没多久，Mr.Benson的教室里又来了一位新伙伴---Greta the Beard dragon长胡子的葛丽塔，一条雌性的蜥蜴。
三 教育就是跟学生在一起
跟Mr.Benson慢慢熟悉之后，我发现他不显山不露水的外表之下，蕴藏着巨大的场效应能量！他任教的七年中，两年担任五年级的班主任，独自教授英文，数学，科学，社会学四门主课。其它在校教学的五年，Mr.Benson担任中学部的数学和科学老师。无论他教哪个年级或哪一门课，Mr.Benson都能自然地成为孩子王, 就像一条大鱼带着一群小鱼在海洋里畅快地游弋。他给我总结一条经验：一个人能够给他人真正产生影响力，是需要通过和他们生活在一起，用自己所有的言语和行为来吸引他们，并让他们感觉到美好，然后他们就愿意跟随并用心学习。
我曾经有一次在他的教室里观察他上数学几何。一走进Mr.Benson的教室，俨然像走进某个知识与艺术的展厅，从天花顶到墙上地上，几乎挂满了他手写的各学科内容海报，海报上的字搭配不同颜色，装饰线条粗细分明，有时还配有简单的插图，海报内容都是Mr.Benson精挑细选的，海报的样子也很赏心悦目。那一天的教学内容是让学生计算不同容器的容积，复习完各类容器的容积计算方法之后，Mr.Benson让学生组成小组，每组分别领取几个容器，（各种包装盒和罐子），然后学生开始忙开了。学生需要先测量容器的尺寸，然后在作业纸上用简图和数字展示计算的过程，如果有疑问，他们可以查看相关海报，询问队友和老师。交代完后，Mr.Benson在教室里慢慢穿梭，捕捉那些迷茫无助的眼神，然后悄悄地走过去，看看学生的作业进展，然后轻轻地问学生问题，或给他们一些提示。有时，不等Mr.Benson走过去，就有学生会举手示意需要帮助，Mr.Benson总是慢言细语地解释，直到学生豁然开朗。
除了上课时间，Mr.Benson的还创造了其他时间和学生在一起。每天中午午休，他喜欢带着学生一起打乒乓球，玩飞盘，或各种游戏，课后还带领大家练习射箭。年逾花甲的他，浑身洋溢的神采与运动精神和他的年龄很不般配。除了体育类活动，他的棋类活动与拼图更是五花八门。如果学生们提前完成课堂任务， Mr.Benson允许他们在教室玩各种益智游戏，除了数学类的，还有国际象棋，五子棋，大型拼图（好几百张小拼块，拼成一幅画）等。有时学生们自己玩，Mr.Benson在旁默默观战，但学生们更喜欢跟他们的老Ben(学生对他的昵称）对战，Mr.Benson下棋的时候仍然是不动声色，无论输赢，只有微笑如故。
Mr.Benson的教室经常被学生光顾，学生们有什么开心的事，或者不愉快的经历，都可以在Mr.Benson面前尽情倾诉，而Mr.Benson总是能会说点什么或做点什么让他们的快乐加倍，或不愉快缓解消散。在Mr.Benson的教室，除了可以看可爱的小伙伴，有时还可以享用Mr.Benson自己烘焙的点心。每个周末，Mr.Benson几乎是雷打不动的在家制作蛋糕，曲奇或其他点心。于是，每周我们都有享受这些点心的幸福时光。Mr.Benson制作的芝士蛋糕被同事誉为人间美味，后来Mr.Benson的家变成了一个烘焙俱乐部，很多同事和朋友都去他家亲身体验，并有蛋糕带回家跟家人分享。因此，Mr.Benson的烘焙俱乐部愈发壮大，Mr.Benson也乐意倾囊相授，并慷概赠与。
我曾经也带着我的嫂子和侄儿去Mr.Benson家参加过一次这样的活动。Mr.Benson除了详细告知我们烘焙芝士蛋糕的材料，烘焙的步骤和注意事项，还给了我们详细的配方。可惜，目前我唯一一次吃到过自己亲手参与制作的芝士蛋糕，就是那次在Mr.Benson家的体验。在我看来，烘焙这手艺实在太麻烦，我唯有望洋兴叹，也对Mr.Benson 长期供应免费蛋糕点心表示深深的敬意！在今年学期末的聚会上，Mr.Benson收到同事集体签名的一张卡片，上面有好几位同事写着“ I will miss you and your cake!” (我会想念你和你的蛋糕！).
四 珍贵的同事和信赖的朋友
数学和科学是Mr.Benson的重点教学学科，然而，通过我们在流动教室的聊天，我发现Mr.Benson还是一座全能型的教学宝库。2020年圣诞假期，因为大多数师生没有离深，我计划在假期给初中部的学生在线讲授欧洲文艺复兴。这是我的第一次尝试公开课，我跟Mr.Benson谈了一下我的大概想法。没想到揭开了Mr.Benson的宝匣，他给我讲了罗马帝国曾经的辉煌，然后又介绍了美迪奇家族的各路神奇人物，接着，又讲起波澜壮阔的大航海时代，还谈到**改革到科学**，最后，他甚至还给我讲了他所知道的郑和下西洋始末。在他的点拨下，我很快梳理出了课程要点，以及十节课的具体安排，并完成了PPT。从此，Mr.Benson成了我名副其实的教学师长，每每请教，他总是知无不言，言无不尽。
我在线上读研的两年，在流动教室里，Mr.Benson继续充当了亦师亦友的角色。每天早上我一上车，便掏出我的课本或论文作业，告诉Mr.Benson我遇到的困难和挑战，除了安慰和鼓励，他总是能给我一些中肯的建议。碰到需要讨论的课题，我也会先跟Mr.Benson提前预演一次，希望自己能在真正的讨论时紧扣主题，提炼出要点。Mr.Benson陪着我跑完了这趟艰辛的长途旅行。当我拿到毕业证，我马上微信跟他分享了这个好消息，并表达我对他一路助力的感谢。我清楚地知道，能走到这段旅程的终点，Mr.Benson的帮助支持功不可没。Mr.Benson很快回信息祝贺我通过刻苦努力最终完成学业，并且，他还在学校的教职工群里也分享了我完成学业的消息，他认为这是我个人也是学校的荣誉。而我，再一次见到了虚己的Mr.Benson，他付出了他能付出的，然后快乐着别人的快乐！
后来，我不断在Mr. Benson身上挖矿，越挖越深。我跟他一起讨论美国历史，除了讨论一些重大历史事件，如美国独立战争，南北战争，一战，二战，美国的宪法，教育体系，Mr. Benson还会告诉有一些奇闻趣事。譬如，美国的第十七任总统Andrew Johnson ,这个裁缝出身的总统，跟林肯一样，也没有接受什么正规教育，长大后才学会读书写字，并成功脱盲。自己是南方人却支持林肯的南北统一，后来成为林肯的竞选搭档并当上了副总统，在林肯被暗杀后,Andrew Johnson又被任命为美国总统，任职期间，面对战争刚结束，南北对立分歧的复杂局面，继续推进统一与南方重建。他遭遇各种反对意见，成为第一位被弹劾的美国总统，然后以一票之差成功逃脱被弹劾下台的厄运，并且还从俄国手中购买了阿拉斯加。这位出身卑微，也没有受过正式教育的总统还算得上称职。通过他的讲述，美国的成长史在我眼前变得更清晰生动。
五 再见，但不是告别
在Mr. Benson身上，我还在源源不断地找到新矿。然而，我的挖矿有效期却到了。
最初得知Mr. Benson要走，是在2020年的夏天。他把带不走的东西，每天一点点从家里搬到学校的教师休息室，包括小家具，被子，日常用品，和工艺品等等，然后在教职工微信群告知大家：谁有需要就可以拿走。Mr.Benson把他在深圳的书籍也整理了，全部提到了我的教室，顺便还推荐了几本书让我读。然而，2020年秋季开学，我很惊喜地见到了他， 他留了下来，据说学生和家长听说他要走，给学校董事会联名写了信，希望Mr.Benson能够留下来。刚好，Mr.Benson买不到机票，只能留下。2021年夏天，他又说是时候离开了，我和几位同事都劝他，疫情还没有明朗呢，再等一年吧！Mr.Benson说他当初来中国还没有当爷爷，如今大孙女都可以上幼儿园了，想回了。我说，可否来我家，跟我的家人一起吃饭，为你饯行。Mr.Benson微笑着答应了。
后来，我了解到Mr.Benson回家之路仍漫漫，防疫和机票仍是难题，而Mr.Benson也左右为难。于是，我也斗胆给董事会写了一封信，询问Mr.Benson继续留任的可能性。董事会给我的回信和Mr.Benson给我的信息几乎是同时到达的，并且内容一致：Mr.Benson同意再续一年！得到消息后的我喜不自禁。Mr. Benson接着问我，饯行就不需要了吧？我说饯行不需要了，但是欢迎你回归的家宴得有！就这样，在2021年的秋季，学生们又很兴奋地见到了老Ben, 我们继续享用Mr.Benson私家蛋糕点心，而我，又可以在流动教室，继续在Mr. Benson 身上挖矿。
转眼，一年又飞逝。Mr.Benson说这次是真的要离开了，机票都已经买好，他先到新加坡，再转飞菲律宾，然后再飞往美国。他再一次清点他的书籍，然后又全部赠送给了我。距他离开倒计时的最后几天，一天早上，我们下了通勤车，我跟Mr. Benson说，你在学校工作这么多年，要不在学校留个影，做个纪念。（注：除非需要或出于礼貌，否则，Mr.Benson是不轻易给他自己照相的）。这次他爽快地答应了。于是我给他拍了一张他站在学校校名牌匾旁的纪念照片。
今年6月24，是本学年最后一天在校，中学部举行毕业典礼。一大早，我接到Mr. Benson的微信通知：My building is in lockdown. They won’t let me out. Please tell the driver（我居住的楼宇被封了，他们不让我出来。请告诉司机。） 我后来才知道，他居住的那一栋楼有一位新冠密接者，物业让住户暂不能离开。收到信息我蒙了！Mr.Benson今天不能来学校？明天一早我就要回湖南休假了，这就是我准备了两年的告别？那天的学生毕业典礼，我心里一直装着这事，心中有说不出的遗憾，学生们和其他同事也跟我有一样的感受。Mr.Benson通过视频，跟学生，同事和家长们款款道别，脸上依然挂着那熟悉的微笑。我对着屏幕给他拍了一张现场照片，Mr.Benson看到照片差点乐了：Frightening, such a big head（好可怕，我的头这么大！）
毕业典礼后的第二天清早，我搭乘从深圳开往长沙的第一班高铁离开了深圳，也是在那一天，Mr.Benson获准可以离开他的居所（据了解，学校行政的同事为此跟相关部门做了很多的沟通）。我回到老家的第三天，Mr.Benson给我发来了他在菲律宾的照片，他的微笑还是那么熟悉。我想，我们没有告别，在将来的某个地方，我们或将再见！
后记：这是一个真实的故事。征得Mr.Benson本人同意，我先用英文记录了他在深圳的一些故事。附英文版本供参考。（中文英文文字表达水平有限，这里所有的文字都无法完全表达我对Mr.Benson的感激与敬意！）
Goodbye, Mr. Benson!
Joan Princess Wang
Two years ago, my colleague Mr. Benson announced that he was going to leave China and return to his homeland. Unexpectedly, due to the vagaries of this current pandemic,his farewell lasted for two whole years. What's more, I missed his farewell and was never able to express to him what I’d like to express in this little essay. Mr.Benson impressed me like a walking light, he is so warm and bright. I will not forget him for the rest of my life. Hopefully, with my limited means of ********** but sincere admiration, I can convey at least some imprint of his light.
1. Getting to Know a Gentleman
Mr. Benson is an American. He came to China with a mission in life when he passed the age of knowing the fate decreed by heaven in 2013. Mr.Benson and I have been colleagues since 2015, and we taught together in an international school in Shenzhen. Except for the Chinese Language courses, the rest of the school subjects are taught in English. Teaching, for Mr.Benson, was like driving a light carriage on a familiar road. For me, it was a novice driver tugging a rickety cart as teaching is the career which I changed on the midstream. My teaching experience was at the stage of primitive accumulation when Mr.Benson joined our school. And teaching in English to me was right at the early beginning stages. Fortunately, my colleagues understood my inner urgency and they were willing to help me with my urgent needs. At school, I was another special student of these foreign teachers. They enjoy sharing the teaching resources with me. In my daily teaching practice, they also introduced some valuable teaching strategies to me. However, whatever we did at school was still a drop in the bucket, and my teaching capability still needed to be improved badly. To make up for it, the morning and after school commuter van for the staff also became a mobile classroom for me to learn from my colleagues.
My first impression of Mr. Benson was that he was a quiet gentleman. He had no intention of enjoying being noticed in the crowd. Occasionally, I listened to his speaking, what he said was always concise and he never wasted any words, as if every sentence has been extracted slowly, without any superfluous ones. In the mobile classroom, I preferred to talk with colleagues who were talkative in public. Mr.Benson was beyond this range. After some time, I found that Mr. Benson was very nice and modest. Whenever I saw him, he always had a gentle smile on his face. This smile seemed as if it grew from his face. Gradually, I found there was an invisible and powerful magnetic field around Mr.Benson, although the magnetic field was not fluttering in the wind,obviously, it attracted people close to him.
One day, after school, I stepped into the commuter van, and I sat right next to Mr. Benson. I told him what I noticed about him: “You are very restrained with your words, but your wisdom and virtue can't be hidden”. After he heard it, he smiled slowly, and then he said to me: "You are good at complimenting others". I laughed. From then I knew that Mr.Benson was humorous, too! Since that conversation, Mr. Benson also became my oral English teacher in the mobile classroom, and we occasionally greeted each other and talked a little at school.
In 2017, our school organized some teachers and students to go to Hunan for a learning visit to Z School. Z School is my junior high school alma mater. We had our first visit and reading buddy event with Z School students in 2016, and both school teachers looked forward to developing the children's friendship. Unfortunately, the visit was scheduled in early June, close to my eldest son's college entrance examination. The college entrance examination is one of the most important events for a Chinese student and my son had been working hard for more than ten years. And it also means a lot to a family. The only thing I could do is to stay with my son during the examination.
Therefore, as the liaison and coordinator for this visit, I had to give up and asked someone to lead the visiting team. Although I had communicated with my counterpart in my alma mater, I still felt uneasy after seeing my colleagues and children leave. According to the plan we discussed, during the visit, teachers, and students from Shenzhen would sleep one night at the dormitory of Z School. Z School is located in a mountain village in the central part of Hunan Province. Although I had already informed my colleagues and students that the local accommodation condition was very simple, if there were any difficulties, everyone had to overcome them. Even though, I was worried because if they were unwilling to stay at the dormitory, there were no hotels nearby, it would be a big trouble.
Mr.Benson was one of the three teachers who led the team on this expedition. Later, from the feedback from my colleagues and the teachers at my alma mater, all my worries turned into surprises. Both the children from Shenzhen and the students from Z School enjoyed taking classes together, eating together, doing sports together, and playing games together. The children from Shenzhen were especially entertained well, they had their first experience of planting rice seedlings!
The children from Shenzhen also spent their wonderful night at the student's dormitory with their partners in such a quiet village. There were only bunk beds in the room, but it was novel and exciting for everyone to sleep over together. The visit was very successful. However, Mr. Benson felt that there was one thing that he regretted: To make room for the teachers and children from Shenzhen, some students of Z School had to huddle together with their classmates in other dormitories on a hot night without an air conditioner!
When Mr. Benson returned to Shenzhen from my hometown, he brought me a gift, it was a hand-made craft , a red apple woven with small transparent plastic yarns, which was given to him by a local child. The trip impressed him so much that he occasionally mentioned my hometown to me, the teachers, and the children were there. Gradually, there were more topics to share when we talked.
2. Special Learning Partners in Mr.Benson's classroom
Mr. Benson's classroom is a popular site on the school campus. Decorated with a variety of teaching posters, there was also a mini zoo in the corner of the classroom. Snakes, lizards, tarantulas, hedgehogs, fish, and hamsters lived there as the special learning partners of the students. Mr.Benson gave each animal an interesting name and posted the name on the side of the container: George the Bearded Dragon (George was a lizard), TWAS the Hedgehog (a hedgehog named after the opening word of “TWAS the night before Christmas ), Yahbut the Tarantula. Mr. Benson and his students took care of these little friends.
In the classroom, these little friends were like special classmates of the students. Although they looked very strange and had different natures, they complemented each other in their individual lives when they got along. During the lunch recess at noon, the students proudly took the bearded dragon George out of the cage to bask in the sun. The bearded dragon was joyous when he stood on the children's shoulders, his claws tightly grasped the students' clothes, and his eyes looked around. He was not afraid at all under the watchful eyes of a group of children. The students had mutual feelings, they were comfortable to have the lizard on their hands. When recess time was over, the students had to go back to their class. They were often reluctant to put George back in his cage. The TWAS Porcupines also liked to go for a ride with the students. When the students were available, they would like to carry the porcupine's cage for a walk around the campus. Sometimes, the students let TWAS come out to stretch his legs on the grass. Taking care of these animals was not easy. During school holidays or weekends, Mr. Benson had to take these animals home and looked after them.
Mr. Benson was not just a small animal keeper. Actually, he was an encyclopedia of animals. He was very knowledgeable about the habits of a variety of animals. He knew the scientific classification of zoology, the physical characteristics of animals, their eating habits, etc. He could even combine real objects, pictures, and good presentation skills to explain some complicated scientific concepts or terms. I quickly understood how to apply the wisdom of "the stone from other mountains can attack jade". If my teaching was related to biology, I would often like to take my students to visit Mr. Benson. In Mr.Benson's classroom, Mr. Benson would use his enthusiasm to introduce the content on which we had focused, and the children would be so excited to listen to Mr.Benson.
The little animals in Mr.Benson's classroom brought a lot of joy and knowledge to us. However, sometimes, these animals made us sad. When George the Bearded Dragon passed away, everyone was sorrowful. Mr. Benson and the students held a solemn funeral for the lizard who had accompanied us for several years. Mr.Benson also carved a small tombstone for him with the words RIP--- George. The purchasing date and the death date were engraved on the tombstone. The children often visited George at George's cemetery. As George passed away, soon after, Mr. Benson's classroom had a new friend---Greta the Beard dragon, a female lizard.
3. Education is to Be with the Students
After getting acquainted with Mr. Benson, I found that under his unremarkable appearance, there was a field of powerful energy! During his seven years of teaching in our school, he served as the homeroom teacher of the fifth grade for two years, and he taught the four main subjects with 5th graders: English Language Art, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. For the rest of the five years, he taught mathematics and science as a middle school teacher. No matter what grade or subject he taught, Mr. Benson could naturally be a super leader of the kids, like how the little fish follow the big fish , swimming in the ocean. He summed up a principle of influence: If a person wants to make an impact on others, he or she needs to live with others, use all his or her words and actions to attract others, and make the people around him/her feel the good behaviors , and then the people would be willing to learn from him/her and follow him/her.
I once observed Mr.Benson taught a geometry math class. As soon as I walked into Mr. Benson's classroom, it was like I got into a special art exhibition hall. From the ceiling to the floor, there were so many teaching posters which were made by Mr.Benson. They were hanging in all around the classroom. The beautiful words on the posters matched different colors. The lines were drawn in thin or in bold properly, there were some small illustrations which made the poster more striking. The contents of the posters were carefully selected by Mr. Benson, and the appearance of the posters was also pleasing to the eyes.
In that class, Mr.Benson reviewed the teaching content of calculating the volume of different containers. The students could reflect on the container volume concepts. Then, Mr. Benson asked students to make groups, and each group would get several containers (different kinds of packaging boxes and jars) . When the students got the instructions, they busied with their work. At first, the students needed to measure the size of the container. Then, they demonstrated the procedures with simple diagrams and numbers on paper. If they were confused with the formula, they could check the relevant posters quickly. If they had problems, they might ask their teammates or Mr.Benson for help. Mr. Benson walked slowly around the classroom. He paid attention to catch the bemused eyes, then he walked over quietly and checked the students' work. He asked the students questions gently or gave them some hints to the problems. Sometimes, no need to look for, the students raised their hands to show that they needed help. Mr.Benson always explained slowly to them until the students understood and they might continue with their work.
Besides the class time, Mr. Benson created other times to spend with students. Every noon, he liked to play table tennis, Frisbee, or other sports games with the sporty students. After shcool class, he led some of the students to practice archery. Mr. Benson entered his sixties several years ago, but his young heart and his his energetic enthusiasm for life didn't match his age. In addition to sports activities, his chess activities and puzzles were even more attractive. In Mr.Benson's class, If the students completed the class work ahead of time, Mr. Benson allowed them to play all kinds of games in the classroom. For example, the mathematics games, chess games, backgammon, or huge puzzles (hundreds of small pieces puzzles put together to make a picture). Sometimes the students played with their partners, some of the students preferred to play with their old Ben (the students gave the nickname old Ben for Mr.Benson). Mr. Benson always played the games with the students quietly, no matter whether he won or lost, the smiles never changed.
Mr.Benson's classroom was visited by students frequently. Most of the students felt comfortable to tell Mr.Benson everything. They shared with Mr. Benson their happy times, or unpleasant experiences. And Mr.Benson would say something or do something to make their happiness double, or alleviate the unhappiness. In Mr.Benson's classroom, the students might come to visit their cute animal friends, sometimes they could enjoy snacks made by Mr.Benson himself. Every weekend, Mr. Benson made cakes, cookies, or other treats at home and he brought them to school during the weekdays. So we had great times to enjoy this dim sum every week. The cheesecake made by Mr.Benson was appreciated by all the colleagues as a super delicacy. Gradually, Mr.Benson's home became a baking club. Many colleagues and friends went to his home to learn about how to bake the cheese cake. They would also take home the cakes which they made at Mr. Benson’ home. When the cake was shared with their families, the more people joined the bakery club. Mr. Benson was always so happy to teach and he was so generous to give.
Once , I took my sister-in-law and my nephew to Mr. Benson's home to participate in a bakery event. Mr. Benson told us how to prepare the ingredients and what were the procedures to make the cheesecake. He also reminded us about the points to bake a good cheesecake. For helping us to make the cake at home, Mr. Benson gave us a detailed recipe. Unfortunately, the only cheese cake I've ever eaten is that one which we made at Mr. Benson's house. It is so easy to buy a cake at the bakery but it is so complicated to make a cake. I can only lament my littleness before the vast ocean. For Mr. Benson's long-term supply of free cakes and snacks, I am touched with my deep respect. At the end of year's party at school, Mr.Benson received a card that was signed by colleagues collectively, several colleagues left a similar message to Mr. Benson: I will miss you and your cake!
4 The Precious Co-Worker and the Trusted Friend
Math and science are Mr.Benson's key teaching subjects. However, through our chats in the mobile classroom, I found that Mr.Benson is a treasure with versatile teaching skills and knowledge. During the Christmas holiday of 2020, as most of the teachers and students had to stay in Shenzhen due to the pandemic, I planned to teach the Renaissance program online to the students of the junior high school. This was my first attempt to teach an open class, and I talked to Mr.Benson about my general ideas. Amazingly, Mr. Benson's treasure box was opened. He told me about the significant achievements of the Roman Empire, then he introduced the big shots of the Medici family. After that, he talked about the magnificent era of navigation and also talked about the Protestant Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution in Europe, he even told me what he knew about Zheng He's voyages to the West. Under his guidance, I quickly sorted out the main points of the course, planned the program with a specific topic for the ten lessons, and prepared the PPT accordingly.
Since then, Mr. Benson had become my teaching mentor. Whatever I asked, he always spared no efforts to help me.
I had my two-year online graduate program which started in 2019. In the mobile classroom, Mr. Benson continued to serve as both a teacher and a friend. Every morning, as soon as I got into the van, I took out my textbook or assignment and showed them to Mr. Benson. I talked to him about the difficulties and challenges which I was struggling with. Apart from comfort and encouragement, he also gave me some pertinent advice. Sometimes, when I needed to prepare the class discussion, I would like to do the preview with Mr. Benson. So I could focus on the topic and generalize the main ideas for the discussion. It’s so hard to complete all the courses of the degree program, but Mr.Benson accompanied me to the end of this arduous journey.
When I got my graduation certificate, I immediately shared the good news with Mr.Benson on WeChat and I also expressed my gratitude to him for his help. I know it was hard for me to reach the finishing line of this journey without Mr. Benson's help and support. Mr. Benson quickly responded. He said " Congratulation! I'm very proud of you"! He also shared the news with the school's faculty group. He thought it was the honor of our school. Once again, I saw the light from Mr. Benson. He is so humble and helpful! He gave the people what he could give! He was happy for other people's success and happiness!
After that, I kept digging treasures from Mr. Benson. More valuable things were found. When we discussed American history, in addition to the major historical events, such as the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Constitution of the United States, and the American education system, Mr. Benson also told me some interesting anecdotes of the famous people. For example, he talked about Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth president of the United States. Andrew didn’t have a formal education. He was a tailor in his early life. He learned to read and write when he grew up. And he was a southerner but he supported Lincoln's unification of the North and the South. Later, he became Lincoln's running mate. He was the vice president as Lincoln was elected to be the president of the USA. Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. Andrew Johnson was appointed as the President of the United States. During his presidency, he faced a hard situation with the disagreement between the North and the South. Andrew Johnson continued to promote the reunification of USA and reconstruction of the south. He struggled with a lot of opposition, and he was the first U.S. president to face impeachment. Fortunately, his impeachment vote saved him from removal by just one vote. And during his presidency, USA bought Alaska from Russia. Above all, this humble president was worth his salt! Through Mr.Benson's vivid narration, the historical moments were repeated before my eyes.
5 Goodbye, But It's Not a Farewell
I am still looking for new valuable mines from Mr.Benson. However, my mining validity period has expired.
The first time I heard that Mr. Benson was going to leave was in the summer of 2020. He carried the kinds of stuff from his home to the school's teachers' lounge every day. Small furniture, quilts, daily necessities, handicrafts, etc.. And he shared photos and told everyone in the staff WeChat group: Anyone who needs it, just take it away. He also cleaned his bookshelf, brought the books to my classroom, he also took this opportunity to recommend a few of books to me. However, in the fall of 2020, I saw Mr.Benson with a big surprise. He stayed. I heard the story that the parents wrote a letter to the board of school directors. The parents urged Mr.Benson to stay. Mr. Benson was in a dilemma as he couldn't buy an air ticket, so he took the choice to stay in Shenzhen for one more year.
One year later, it turned to the summer of 2021, Mr. Benson said that it was time for him to leave. Some colleagues and I tried to persuade him to extend his stay as the crazy epidemic was continuing. Mr. Benson said that he had not been a grandfather when he came to China, but now his eldest granddaughter would go to kindergarten and he wanted to go back to his hometown. We understood it was not easy for him to stay away from his family for such a long time.
To make a good farewell, I invited Mr.Benson to have a dinner with my family. In China, it is a tradition to have a farewell dinner with a good friend. Mr.Benson said "yes" with gratitude.
Later, I learned that there is an uncertainty for Mr.Benson to go back to the USA, the epidemic prevention policies and air tickets were still the barriers. Mr.Benson was in a dilemma again. I saw the hope that Mr.Benson probably had to stay. I wrote an email to the school leader to check if there was a possibility for Mr. Benson to stay with us for another year. The reply from the school leader and the message from Mr. Benson arrived almost the same time, and the contents were the same: Mr. Benson agreed to extend his contract for one more year! I was overjoyed when I got the good news. Mr. Benson sent me another message: we don't need a farewell dinner, so the dinner is canceled? I said that there was no need for a farewell dinner, but we should celebrate for your stay with us in the coming school year. The family dinner was a good way to celebrate that !
In the 2021 autumn, the students saw their old Ben again with excitement. We continued to have the tasty cakes and snacks. And I resumed the good opportunity to mine with Mr. Benson in the mobile classroom.
Time flies, another year lapsed. Mr. Benson said that he must go this time, and he already bought the air tickets. He would travel via Singapore, fly to the Philippines, then, he would return to the United States from the Philippines. He gathered his books again and asked me to collect them all. I knew it was time to say goodbye. One morning of the last school week, after we got off the commuter van, I asked Mr. Benson if I could take a picture for him . (Remarks: Mr. Benson does not want to take pictures for himself. Except for the need or out of courtesy). Happily, he accepted my proposal. Mr.Benson stood next to the school's name plaque, and I press the button for MR.Benson.
On June 24, it's the last day of the school year. We would have a secondary school graduation ceremony. Early in the morning, my mobile phone received a WeChat message from Mr. Benson: My building is in lockdown. They won't let me out. Please tell the driver. Later, I learned that there was a person identified had close contact with the virus who lived in the building where Mr.Benson lived. And the property management staff prevented the residents from leaving for work. I couldn't believe it! Mr.Benson couldn't come to school today? If I couldn't see him on that day, I didn't know when I could see him again as I was going back to Hunan for summer vacation the next day morning. Is this the farewell I've been preparing for two years? I asked myself.
At the graduation ceremony, I couldn't help thinking about the days Mr.Benson spent here, and what did he did for us. From now on, probably we couldn't see him anymore. We couldn't even say goodbye to him properly! The unspeakable regrets were hidden in my heart. The students and other colleagues felt the same way as me. When I was thinking about this. Mr. Benson showed up on the big screen, he said goodbye to the students, colleagues, and parents through the video, the smile is still on his face, so familiar! I took a live photo of him from the screen and sent it to Mr.Benson. Mr.Benson looked at the photo and replied to me with funny words: Frightening, such a big head!
The next morning after the graduation ceremony, I took the first high-speed train from Shenzhen to Changsha. On the same day when I left, Mr. Benson was allowed to leave his apartment. ( Our school administrative colleagues worked hard to communicate with the local dept, and at last, Mr.Benson regained the freedom to leave. ).
On the third day when I returned to my hometown, Mr. Benson sent me a photo from the Philippines. On his face, I saw that gentle smile again! I thought we didn't say goodbye, maybe we will meet again somewhere in the future!
