Ultimate Teacher

The meeting room was thick with tension, the atmosphere so charged it felt like the air was laced with gunpowder, ready to ignite.

At Suzaku high School, the administration had been embroiled in back-to-back meetings for two days straight, all centered on dealing with one teacher—a situation unprecedented in the school's history.

Principal Zhang Shaofeng toyed with a cigarette, his gaze sweeping across the silent faces. "Well then, let's hear everyone's thoughts," he prompted.

Silence.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongues?" Principal Zhang let out a wry laugh. "You all insisted on having this meeting. Now that we're here, no one wants to speak?"

Vice-Principal Lu Chaoge sat poised, her posture impeccable, but her pencil danced across her notebook. She was sketching "Snowfield," a sophisticated flower arrangement technique. Still searching for inspiration, she wasn't ready to risk wasting valuable floral materials.

Director Li Mingqiang sat with arms folded, eyes downcast, lost in his own thoughts. The rest mirrored this detachment, eyes fixed ahead, minds seemingly elsewhere.

"If no one wishes to contribute, shall we adjourn?" Principal Zhang's fingers drummed impatiently on the table.

"Principal, it's not that we're unwilling; we just don't know where to begin," spoke up Jia Siting, head of the first-year Chinese department, his expression strained.

Jia typically wouldn't attend such high-level meetings, but since Fang Yan was a teacher in his department and the incident fell under his purview, Office Director Fu Qiang had personally invited him.

"Oh?" Principal Zhang raised an eyebrow. "What's troubling you, Group Leader Jia? We've all worked together for some time. We're committed colleagues—surely we can speak freely?"

"Principal, to be frank, the teacher in question must be held accountable," Jia began, casting a cautious glance at Lu Chaoge before pressing on. "Taking students to the Que River during class, leading to a female student falling into the water—that's a serious breach of duty!"

Without looking up, Lu Chaoge responded, her pencil never pausing, "Group Leader Jia, it seems you haven't gotten your facts straight. Teacher Fang Yan took the students to the Que River to study 'Farewell to Cambridge Again.' This is well-known among staff and students. How does this constitute negligent misconduct?"

"Vice-Principal Lu, as head of the Chinese department, I must point out that I haven't seen any off-campus activity application from Fang Yan. Neither have any of my colleagues," Jia countered.

"Moreover, any innovative teaching methods should be discussed within our department. If effective, we support them; if not, we intervene. Regardless of the merits of Teacher Fang's approach, he failed to inform us beforehand, which is a violation of protocol," he added.

"Vice-Principal Lu, please understand our position. If every teacher went off-script like Fang Yan, abandoning lesson plans to do as they please, our educational standards would fall into disarray. Should we waste the students' precious time and hinder their academic progress, I couldn't bear that responsibility."

Lu Chaoge pressed too hard, snapping her pencil tip. Closing her notebook deliberately, she fixed a piercing gaze on Jia. "Who says Fang Yan didn't submit an application? His report is on my desk as we speak. I've asked Director Zheng to bring it over. You'll see it shortly."

"Who's to say you didn't whip it up for him just now?" scoffed Li Mingqiang. "Besides, activity reports should be submitted to the department head, not the Vice-Principal overseeing personnel."

"Director Li, shouldn't we trust our teachers?" Lu Chaoge shot back. "Fang Yan is more familiar with me since I recruited him. Unfamiliar with some school procedures, he submitted his application to me directly. Yes, he made a procedural mistake, and I'll ensure he is appropriately reprimanded and writes a self-reflection."

This was Lu Chaoge's strategy to mitigate the issue. A new teacher's unfamiliarity with procedures hardly warranted dismissal.

Not giving anyone a chance to interrupt, she turned the tables. "Group Leader Jia, you mentioned that all new teaching methods should be discussed in departmental meetings. May I ask, how many innovative teaching methods has our department reviewed and approved since last year?"

"Well..."

"None," Lu Chaoge answered for him. "Are you suggesting our current methods are flawless and require no improvement?"

"These methods have stood the test of time and have their merits," Jia defended. "Of course, there are areas for improvement, but our experienced teachers make adjustments as needed."

"Then your role as department head must be quite effortless," Lu Chaoge remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

"That's thanks to the trust of our leadership and the cooperation of my colleagues. It's unfortunate that some colleagues don't offer the same support..." Jia, ever eloquent, parried her remarks skillfully.

"Group Leader Jia, the world is evolving, and so are the demands on our students. Shouldn't we empower them to adapt to or even lead these changes, rather than confining them to outdated methods?" Lu Chaoge challenged.

"Vice-Principal Lu, perhaps you're underestimating our students," Li interjected smoothly. "Our graduates consistently secure places in top universities and excel in their careers. Isn't that right, Principal Zhang? I recall suggesting we invite some of our distinguished alumni to our upcoming 50th-anniversary celebration."

Principal Zhang nodded affirmatively. "Indeed, you did."

"Understandably, Vice-Principal Lu has recently returned and may not be fully aware of our school's achievements," Li continued. "We all recognize that Teacher Fang Yan was personally recruited by you, and we respect your investment in him. However, the school's regulations are clear. Teacher Fang violated them, and now a student has been endangered under his supervision. We must provide the parents with a satisfactory explanation."

"Exactly. Accountability is essential."

"Young educators can be impetuous; we can't afford risks with our students' safety."

Principal Zhang's fingers tapped rhythmically. "Let's proceed to recommendations. How should we handle this matter?"

"Dismiss Fang Yan," voices chimed in unison.

"Technically, since he hasn't passed his probation, it's a matter of not renewing his contract," someone clarified.

"I second the dismissal of Fang Yan."

"Sometimes, doing nothing is better than making mistakes," Lu Chaoge asserted. "Teacher Fang Yan is dedicated to his students. While he made minor errors, we shouldn't disregard the value of passionate educators."

"Vice-Principal Lu, downplaying a student falling into the water as a minor error is irresponsible," Li countered.

"The Que River is shallow. There was no real danger," Lu Chaoge replied.

"But what if the student had struck her head on a rock?" Li pressed.

"That's speculative and unfounded," she retorted.

"Isn't your dismissal of the risks equally speculative? We're fortunate nothing serious occurred. Had it been otherwise, we'd be facing severe consequences. We must address such breaches with due seriousness."

Murmurs of agreement filled the room.

Principal Zhang raised his hand. "Let's vote. All in favor of dismissing Fang Yan, please raise your hands."

Hands went up around the table, save for Lu Chaoge and Principal Zhang.

"The decision is made," Principal Zhang stated calmly. "After careful consideration, we've decided not to retain Fang Yan as a first-year Chinese teacher."

Li and Jia exchanged subtle glances, satisfaction flickering in their eyes.

Not only had they removed a troublesome teacher, but they'd also undermined Lu Chaoge's authority.

Returning from abroad doesn't grant you the right to override us. Your foreign methods can't replace our established traditions.

In truth, Fang Yan's situation was merely the catalyst for a deeper conflict between the school's conservative and progressive factions.

Backed by influential board members like Director Zheng, the conservative faction wielded considerable power. Lu Chaoge stood isolated, her efforts stifled.

Principal Zhang turned to her. "Vice-Principal Lu, could you please inform Fang Yan of our decision? Help him understand, so he leaves without resentment. After all, he has ties to our school."

"Principal, I don't believe I'm the right person for that task," Lu Chaoge replied coolly.

A sharpness flashed in Principal Zhang's eyes. "Vice-Principal Lu, as head of personnel, it's within your responsibilities."

"Because before Fang Yan is dismissed, I may have already resigned," she declared. "If he leaves, I leave too."

Gasps echoed around the room; everyone was stunned.

----------------------------------------------------------------

𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 shoutouts 𝘁𝗼:

•Leroy

• Jonathan Bailey

𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸:

• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 50+ chapters 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.

• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗢𝘂𝘁: 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩!

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀!

👉 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬: patreon.com/sorkarnayeem