"Which side does the sun rise from?" a math teacher asks her fourth-grade student.

"The west?" the boy replies hesitantly, his wide eyes full of innocence. Laughter ripples through the office as he grins, adding, "I always miss it – I get up too late!" His teacher, momentarily speechless, joins in the laughter.

Ding Yuling bursts out laughing when helping her student with a math problem in her office. (Screenshot from Ding's Bilibili video)

This light-hearted exchange took place in the office of an elementary school in Anhui, an inland province in eastern China, when Ding Yuling, a math teacher born in 1993, was tutoring one of her struggling students in probability.

Such humorous conversations can be found across Ding's Bilibili channel, where she documents quirky, endearing moments with her students. Since joining the platform, Ding has amassed 1.4 million followers in just three years by sharing slices of life from her rural classroom.

Ding Yuling enjoys a spring outing with her students. (Photo provided to People's Daily)

Content creator

Ding's Bilibili account serves a simple purpose: to record her students' endearing moments and to challenge misconceptions about rural Chinese schools, often seen as outdated or lacking in quality education. Her mission is to show the vibrancy and potential of these countryside children.

Ding Yuling and her students jump rope at school. (Screenshot from Ding's Bilibili video)

Alongside the growing likes and shares, Ding has earned a loyal following of fellow teachers who comment with encouragement and teaching advice. But perhaps most touching, Ding has earned a following of "online students." "They trust me," she said, "They share stories from their elementary school days and tell me they wish they had a teacher like me back then. Some have even decided to volunteer as rural teachers because of my influence. These messages encourage me and remind me that, even though I'm just a rural school teacher, I have the power to make an impact."

Parental figure 

Ding's commitment to her students goes beyond the classroom. Her first video on Bilibili showed the process of creating a prosthetic limb using 3D printing for a disabled student in her class. After months of self-study, Ding successfully printed it. Seeing the student, newly equipped with the prosthetic limb, run and play with her classmates filled her with pride.

Ding Yuling rides a three-wheeler, helping her student sell seedlings after school. (Photo provided to People's Daily)

Ding regularly visits her students' homes, many of whom are "left-behind children" whose parents work far away, leaving them in the care of elderly relatives. "Sometimes I'm their teacher, but other times I have to step in as their parent," Ding reflected. 

She started hosting monthly birthday parties for her students, as many hadn't celebrated their special day for years. They blow out candles and share cake, which brings them moments of joy and a sense of belonging.

Ding Yuling hosts a birthday party for her students. (Screenshot from Ding's Bilibili video)

The affection between Ding and her students is mutual. They lovingly call her "the flower of the village," and on Teachers' Day, they surprise her with small tokens of appreciation. Some invite her to their homes for a meal, while others pool their money to buy her flowers.

Ding Yuling eats lunch with students in their classroom. (Screenshot from Ding's Bilibili video)

"My students listen to me. Since our Chinese teacher became pregnant, I told them no one was allowed to eat pungent snacks in class. And for the whole semester, they held off. Not a single piece of durian candy or spicy snacks were eaten in class, and the air in the classroom was wonderfully fresh," Ding recounted with pride.

Caring teacher

For Ding, being a good teacher is simple. "A teacher should care about more than just their academic progress. They should care about their personal growth as well," she said.

Ding Yuling and her students have a picnic. (Photo provided to People's Daily)

Ding believes in seeing the world through her students' eyes. "You can't just tell them to stop playing video games all day. That doesn't work. You need to understand why they play," Ding explained. "Some have told me they're lonely because no one is at home, so I organize spring outings, village fruit-picking trips and other activities to help alleviate those feelings of loneliness and guide them away from excessive gaming." Ding added.

Ding Yuling watches her student play video games. (Screenshot from Ding's Bilibili video)

Ding has also worked to build her students' confidence. One shy girl in her class barely raised her head. With encouragement, the girl gradually found her voice, participating in class and playing with her classmates.

Another mischievous boy, prone to picking on others, eventually confided in Ding about his troubled home life. "He was sensitive and easily provoked, so he acted out to protect himself. After we talked things through, his behavior changed significantly. He rarely fights anymore," Ding said.

Ding even directed her students in skits about handling bullying, sharing the videos online in hopes of helping others. "If just one person watches and learns from it, then it's all worth it," she said.