图片来源：摄图网

今天，Lady Lion 为大家带来一位在中国工作10余年的外教老师的来信。他有非常丰富的教育经历和人生阅历：从一个有读写困难症的学生到纽约城市大学助理教授，最后到中国从事英语口语教学。

以下是他的来信：

我有读写障碍，在写作上有很大的困难，有时甚至连自己的书写都看不懂。但是，在上世纪七八十年代，没有人真正关心这个问题。

因为不喜欢学校，15岁，我就辍学了；17岁，我参加了一次考试，没有读高中就相当于高中毕业了；19岁，我加入美国海军，服务了4年。当时，我有个女朋友，她是个学习很好的学生，后来成为了一名大学教授。1983年，我们结婚了，并有了三个孩子，他们和我一样，也有读写障碍。

在美国西部当蓝领工人，薪酬是很优厚的。离开海军后，我就开着卡车，靠着给别人修理暖器谋生。我彷佛天生就懂机器，修理器械对我来说就像吃饭睡觉那么简单。因为我总是读历史书，1990年，我的妻子对我说，“你应该上大学，学校将是一段很好的经历。”于是，我就一边上学，一边忙于全职工作和抚养孩子。那是我一生中最快乐的时光。

上世纪80年代初，我就开始使用电脑。早期的文字处理程序给了我写作的能力，我的妻子也教我如何在大学里写作。本科，我就读的是纽约州立大学帝国学院，主修世界历史。我参加的这个项目不需要到学校上课。学生会和教授一对一见面，讨论关于课程的学习计划，之后，创建一份论文中使用的书单。每门课程要求我们完成大约三份20～25页的论文。我花了5年才完成本科学习。之后，我又在该校拿到了历史硕士学位。

我曾想过在纽约当一名高中英语老师，并打算在艾德菲大学修读教育硕士学位。但现实没有如想象那般，我并没有成为一名高中老师，而是在纽约城市大学找了份图书馆网络管理员的工作，并自学了计算机。因为我的工作是在学校的学术部门，学校就让我做了助理教授，一边从事图书馆网络管理员工作，每个学期，还给警察们上3节历史课。

2005年，我来到中国，在广东工业大学当英语口语老师至今。我非常喜欢教书。有学习障碍和不喜欢学校等因素，让我更加能理解学生，成为一个更好的老师。中年开始教书以及为人父母的经历，给了我与其他老师不一样的视角。在中国，我把很多学生当成自己的孩子，希望帮助他们找到最闪光的自己。

任何正式或非正式的教育都能使人发挥所长。世界上有很多聪明的农民或工人，他们只是没有机会上学。不管是正式或非正式的教育，我们都应该尝试去丰富充实人类的思想。

I dropped out of school at age 15, I just didn’t like school. I am a dyslectic, but at that time no one really cared about that problem.  All 3 of my of my kids are dyslectic.  I have trouble writing and some times can’t even read my own hand writing.  At age 17 I took a test to saying I passed high school, at age 19 I joined the American Navy for 4 years.  At this time I had a girlfriend who was a very good student; she went on to be become a university professor. We married in 1983 and had 3 kids.  After I got out of the Navy I drove a truck and leaned how to fix machines that makes heat for houses. Being a blue collar worker in the west the pay is very good.  I am mechanically inclined and fixing most machines comes as second nature .   In 1990 my wife said to me I should go to university because I am always reading history and school would be a good experience.  I liked going to school and was very busy with a full time job full and raising 3 kids.  It was one of the happiest times of my life. 

I had computers from the early 1980s and the early word processing programs gave me the ability to write.  My wife taught me how to write on a university level. The university I went to was State University of New York, Empire State College.  I majored in early modern World History. The program I was in had no classes; students would meet with a professor one on one and talk about a plan of study for the class. After the meeting you would create a bibliography of books that you will use in the papers. Each class required about three 20 to 25 page papers.  It took me 5 years to finish my undergraduate degree, after that I got a master degree in history from the same university. I finished in one year.  I had thought about becoming a high school teacher in New York and also got a second masters in Education from Adelphia University in New York.  I never become a high school teacher. I got a job as Network Administrator for a library in the City University of New York.  Being mechanically inclined I taught myself computer networking.  The job in the University was in the academic department of the school so the university made me an Assistant professor. The School I worked in taught policemen, so I ran the library computer network and taught 3 classes of history to policemen each term.

In 2005 I came to China and have worked in GDUT teaching oral English. I enjoy teaching very much, as some one that has learning disabilities and didn’t like school it helps me understand students and be a better teacher. Furthermore, starting teaching in middle age and being a parent gave me a different perspective than  teachers that never had  any children.  In China I see most of my students as my children and try to get them to work to the best of their ability.  

Any formal or informal education brings out the best in people.  There are as many geniuses that are farmers or workers as there are in universities worldwide.  These people just didn’t have a chance for a formal education. People should try to enrich their minds through formal or informal education.    

你对Leo Evans有什么想说的吗？ 或者你有教育故事或教育观点与大家分享吗？欢迎来信：chuying.liang@jmdedu.com 或  lei.peng@jmdedu.com。