Keystone Magazine Keystone Magazine 5th EN | Page 55

Teacher Profile
Passionate, positive and perky are some of words that come to
mind to describe Keystone’s secondary school Chinese Language
and Literature teacher, Pei Lu. Whether it is teaching Chinese
classics or a contemporary literary work, Ms. Pei is not only
able to connect with her students through her pedagogical tact
honed over 10 years, but also helps them relate to their lessons
academically and personally. Students are drawn to her because
of her ability to understand today’s teenager and her youthfulness.
She is one of them – their very own Peter Pan. Fortunately for
the students, Ms. Pei is also part of their life after school because
she is the Associate Dean of the Residential Life program. In this
administrative role and also as a dorm parent, students living
on campus get to continue their interactions with Ms. Pei in the
residence halls. She has also taught Chinese in Beijing’s No.125
Middle School and Yew Chung International School before joining
Keystone. She holds a graduate degree in Chinese Language from
the Beijing International Studies University, and a postgraduate
degree in Linguistics from Beijing Foreign Studies University.
A
n intense, involved and invigorating
session of Chinese Language and
Literature can feel exactly like an
engrossing video game of Final Fantasy or
Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto where
you lose track of time and the tension rises,
as your blue energy counter drops by the
second. So at the end of one of her classes
when a grade 10 student said, “I am low on
blue from your Chinese class,” she was not
taken aback. She not only knew what this
student was referring to, but also was content
that students could feel the depth and
dynamism of Chinese literature. As a gamer
herself, her favorites being Master Yin Yang
and Marks of Heaven, her student’s remark
was a compliment.
Making the Classical Pop
But if you really want to compliment and
impress Ms. Pei, you have to be familiar
with the latest tunes in the world of pop
culture. According to this trendy teacher
from Southern China, pop songs have not
changed much from the Yuefu poetry genre
of the Han Dynasty. “Let’s take the song
‘ W hen,’ sung by the popular Taiwanese
music duo Power Station. The lyrics for this
song, “When mountains have no cliffs, when
riverbeds run dry,” are drawn from the folk-
style Yuefu poem titled, ‘Oh God.’ Making
linkages between pop culture and classical
literature not only allows Ms. Pei to connect
with her students, but also makes it easier
for the students to learn classical Chinese
literature. “Our Chinese class is so interesting
and lively. When she teaches us, it feels like
there are new ideas constantly sprouting
in our heads. She is great, just like a kid at
heart!” says Cindy Liang from grade 10.
www.keystoneacademy.cn
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