"A teacher is someone who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts." The title "teacher" is simple, but the mission it carries is extraordinary. In the pursuit of knowledge, the greatest fortune is to have a good teacher to enlighten and guide. As another graduation season arrives, feelings that have been long-held rush forth. Writing about a teacher, especially one who is dearly respected by my daughter, brings a surge of emotions, and I find it difficult to know where to begin. Principal Chris of SHBS has been a significant guide in my daughter’s life, teaching her to bravely pursue her passions and stay true to her beliefs. Here, I want to solemnly express, “Principal Chris, thank you for your hard work and dedication.”

What manifests during the romantic phase of adolescence determines how one's future life will be shaped and enriched by ideals and imagination. In Chris's view, students are brought to the telescope to observe the stars, and in the students' hearts, Chris provided them with the free pathway to a brilliant starry sky. Throughout my daughter's three and a half years of high school at SHBS, I witnessed Principal Chris's vast knowledge and vigor, his approachability and tolerance in daily life, and his full support, professional attitude, and insightful opinions during my daughter’s college application process. I deeply feel how fortunate and blessed my daughter is to be Chris's student.

The fundamental goal of education is "people". Students are flesh-and-blood individuals, and the purpose of education is to inspire and guide their self-development. Principal Chris not only guided my daughter's academics, but he also paid attention to her emotional regulation and character development, caring about her interpersonal skills and manners. Chris, by example, taught students how to speak more politely and dignifiedly, helped them overcome shortcomings in speech and behavior, and constantly used various methods favored by students to encourage my daughter, who was initially introverted, to engage with others, understand the world, and truly grow.

When my daughter first entered SHBS, she felt her English speaking skills were poor and timidly asked Principal Chris if he could help her improve her conversational English. To her surprise and delight, the principal agreed to practice with her in his spare time. Since then, her interest in learning English has grown daily. Therefore, during each semester's parent-teacher meetings, Principal Chris's one-on-one slots are always the first to be booked, and parents, whether in face-to-face or video meetings, can always sense his expectations and care for their children and his passionate dedication to his educational work.

"A teacher is someone who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts." The title "teacher" is simple, but the mission it carries is extraordinary. In the pursuit of knowledge, the greatest fortune is to have a good teacher to enlighten and guide. As another graduation season arrives, feelings that have been long-held rush forth. Writing about a teacher, especially one who is dearly respected by my daughter, brings a surge of emotions, and I find it difficult to know where to begin. Principal Chris of SHBS has been a significant guide in my daughter’s life, teaching her to bravely pursue her passions and stay true to her beliefs. Here, I want to solemnly express, “Principal Chris, thank you for your hard work and dedication.”

Knowledge must not become rigid but should be lively and dynamic – this is the core issue of all education. The direction of education is how to help students understand the forest through the trees. Principal Chris advocates for education to be vibrant and energetic, opposing the mere imparting of knowledge and instead guiding students towards self-development. Education is the art of learning to apply knowledge, stimulating students' curiosity, enhancing their judgment, improving their ability to adapt to complex environments, and using the acquired knowledge to make predictions about significant events, centering education around its eternal and sole theme – a rich and colorful life. Principal Chris is a master teacher who blends education with fun. According to my daughter’s feedback, in his literature and history classes, Chris is patient and thorough, making complex and abstract issues easy to understand, often enlightening students and making them feel as if they are bathing in a spring breeze. He not only "gives them a fish" but also "teaches them to fish," guiding students to learn more knowledge, think critically, and cultivate a broad vision. Under Principal Chris' influence, many students at SHBS have developed a strong interest in niche yet valuable American liberal arts colleges, and some have successfully applied to these excellent institutions with the help of various resources coordinated by Principal Chris. He excels at igniting students' curiosity and spirit of exploration, fostering independent and objective scientific thinking, and teaching students how to read and think. This dedication extends beyond current students. Principal Chris visits overseas universities each year to see alumni, encouraging them to actively organize alumni associations and exchange and support each other. He listens to the voices of alumni as both a friend and a mentor, helping them navigate the uncertainties of studying abroad. The light in the eyes of SHBS graduates when they see Principal Chris on foreign campuses is a testament to the lifelong gratitude and respect they hold for him.

Spending time with Chris, you will discover that he truly implements warm-hearted education in every moment of his work. In Chris's eyes, there are no "hopeless children" or "worthless children." Regardless of a student’s grades or family background, he treats everyone equally. To Principal Chris, the issue isn't who they are at 18, but who they will become afterward. During the application season, despite his busy schedule, Principal Chris creates WeChat groups for students, combining school counselors and study abroad consultants to use all available resources to develop suitable application strategies and goals for the students. In the annual Shanghai construction and career exploration activities at SHBS School, Chris actively leverages his connections to provide students with various resources to broaden their horizons. When taking students out of school to explore social practices, he nurtures their interests and thinking directions like a mother cat caring for her kittens. In his spare time, he would casually treat students to meals and drinks, helping them find the crux of their problems through relaxed, friendly conversations. His vision is to make every life brilliant. Reaching into students' hearts, always maintaining a loving, childlike, and poetic heart, this is the starting point and the ultimate goal of education. I think, for Principal Chris to come all the way from the United States to China to teach, if he didn’t regard education as his lifelong passion and career, how could he remain so composed in the face of numerous challenges for over a decade?

Without interest, there is no development of intelligence; interest is a prerequisite for attention and understanding. Over the years, Principal Chris has nurtured the spiritual growth of both teachers and students, striving to ensure they "have light in their eyes, love in their hearts, and a home for their souls." He never preaches big truths but uses his enjoyment of the learning process and passionate engagement as an example, which many students admire. He truly practices the principle of "playing heartily and studying earnestly." For instance, when I first met him in 2020, his Chinese was almost non-existent, but he hired a Chinese teacher at his own expense to learn and communicate. In his spare time, he explored many beautiful places in China to understand its rich culture. Now, Principal Chris can even comment in Chinese on social media and give speeches in Chinese at school meetings and ceremonies. His insights into Chinese culture are so profound that even native Chinese students admire him, witnessing the truth that interest is the best teacher!

Principal Chris is a wise man in life, both a teacher and a friend, subtly influencing without being intrusive. Some say that a good education requires both a good teacher and a good friend. For my daughter, Principal Chris is both. Describing his help with "understanding you, trusting you, assisting you" might still fall short. He physically demonstrates the first lesson to students: we must be kind, grateful, respectful, and confident. Learning should be practical, and one should learn to be a good person. A small act of kindness in life may benefit someone immensely in the future. Every time I walk into SHBS’s campus, I am amazed that Principal Chris can call almost every student by name, enthusiastically talking about their strengths and characteristics as if a proud father speaking of his children. This deep bond of teacher-student affection makes Principal Chris widely loved by students and parents. Amid the exodus of foreigners from Shanghai over the past three years due to the pandemic, many international school foreign teachers left. We, as parents, and the children were anxious about whether Principal Chris could stay. But it turned out that under his leadership, the foreign teacher team at SHBS not only stayed during the most challenging times and maintained the quality of teaching but also influenced the students with their optimistic and positive attitudes. Principal Chris’ charisma has infected us, subtly passing it on to us.

The process of my daughter's growth is fast, often leaving no time to listen to the quiet emotions around or to savor the happiness flowing before us. Life is short, often not allowing enough time to write a perfect chapter or to fully express our gratitude to teachers. Principal Chris is the best example of "a good teacher with profound knowledge and a virtuous character". He encourages students to keep exploring, to discover with curiosity, and to challenge their inner prejudices with an open mind. As he advised at the graduation ceremony: read books, travel, embrace new adventures and challenges. We all should do the same: seize every opportunity in each year, each week, each day to improve ourselves and continue growing.

The figures of the teachers at SHBS stand tall and firm,

Making us feel the love like spring silkworms and the warmth like red candles.

“Since my students are spread all over the world,

Why bother to plant more flowers in front of my hall?"

Once bathed in the apricot rain, a lifetime of gratitude for the teacher’s kindness.

Dear Principal Chris and the teachers at SHBS, thank you!