Jiang Zhaoqi, a one-legged teacher, teaches students basketball at Qingjiang Primary School in Zuofang Town, Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province, on September 7. Supported by a crutch, he has been teaching in the primary school for 39 years, unfazed by discouraging family and friends. (Photos: IC)

Jiang helps his students with homework. As a teacher, he has been putting his heart into his students.

Jiang answers students’ questions during the break. He has been studying textbooks and teaching methodologies for many years. His students said, “Jiang’s every class is very interesting, and we love attending his classes.”

Standing on the teaching dais, Jiang hardly asks for a leave. In May 2014, he suffered a lot due to gastritis, but didn’t go to hospital until the summer break, so as not to affect his classes.

Jiang plays Ping-Pong with students after class hours. Since many teachers have left due to poor conditions in the primary school in the countryside, Jiang has taken on multiple responsibilities including teaching Chinese, math and arts, without a complaint. He said, “The school is my home,” when his family members and friends persuaded him to spend more time with his family.