Transforming the Spirit of the Educator into a Conscious Ideological and Practical Commitment

A strong nation must first have strong education; strong education must first have strong teachers. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “We must implement the action of forging strong teachers through the spirit of the educator, strengthen the construction of teacher ethics and conduct, improve the quality of teacher training and development, and cultivate and build a high-level teaching force for the New Era.” From the requirements for “Four-Have” good teachers to the proposal of the spirit of the educator, and then to the “implementation of the action of forging strong teachers through the spirit of the educator,” this reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest expectations for the construction of the teaching force in the New Era. The spirit of the educator unique to China takes Marxist theory as its ideological essence, takes the spiritual genealogy of Chinese Communists as its continuous bloodline, takes traditional Chinese teacher ethics culture as its historical origin, and takes China’s century-long educational endeavors as its developmental accumulation. It possesses rich connotations in six aspects: ideals and convictions, moral sentiments, educational wisdom, diligent attitude, benevolent heart, and the pursuit of promoting the Way. It is an important guideline for promoting the healthy development of education. On the new journey, the vast number of teachers must transform the spirit of the educator into a conscious ideological and practical commitment, caring for the nation and the world, steadfastly holding the three-foot podium, pursuing truth and wisdom, diligently cultivating a benevolent heart, and shouldering the responsibility and mission of nurturing new generations for the era.

强国必先强教，强教必先强师。习近平总书记强调，“要实施教育家精神铸魂强师行动，加强师德师风建设，提高教师培养培训质量，培养造就新时代高水平教师队伍”。从“四有”好老师的要求到教育家精神的提出，再到“实施教育家精神铸魂强师行动”，体现了习近平总书记对新时代师资队伍建设的殷切期望。中国特有的教育家精神以马克思主义理论为思想精髓、以中国共产党人精神谱系为血脉赓续、以中华传统师道文化为历史渊源、以中国百年来的教育事业为发展积淀，具有理想信念、道德情操、育人智慧、躬耕态度、仁爱之心、弘道追求六方面的丰富内涵，是推动教育事业健康发展的重要遵循。新征程上，广大教师要将教育家精神转化为思想自觉、行动自觉，心系家国天下、坚守三尺讲台、追求真理智慧、勤修仁爱之心，担负起培育时代新人的职责使命。

Caring for the nation and the world. Patriotism is the deepest and most enduring emotion in the human world. Since ancient times, educators in China have always possessed the broad-minded sentiment of caring for the nation and the world. The family-nation sentiment in excellent traditional Chinese culture, such as “cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world” and “when the great Way prevails, the world is for all,” is the root of the spirit of the educator. Cultivating the profound sentiment of caring for the nation and the world, inheriting the responsibility and commitment of embracing the world, transmitting the rich humanistic spirit and moral concepts of excellent traditional Chinese culture to students, guiding students to integrate patriotic feelings, aspirations for a strong nation, and actions to serve the country into the struggle to uphold and develop the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to set great aspirations, cultivate great virtues, become great talents, and shoulder great responsibilities—this is the duty and mission of the vast number of teachers.

心系家国天下。爱国是人世间最深层、最持久的情感。自古以来，我国的教育家始终具有家国天下的博大情怀。“修身、齐家、治国、平天下”“大道之行、天下为公”等中华优秀传统文化中的家国情怀，是教育家精神的根脉。涵养家国天下的深厚情怀，传承胸怀天下的责任担当，把中华优秀传统文化中丰富的人文精神和道德理念传递给学生，引导学生把爱国情、强国志、报国行融入坚持和发展中国特色社会主义事业的奋斗之中，立大志、明大德、成大才、担大任，是广大教师的职责所在、使命所系。

Today’s students are the main force for realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the future, and the vast number of teachers are the dream-builders who forge this Chinese nation’s “dream team.” When General Secretary Xi Jinping met with representatives of teachers and students at Beijing Normal University, he emphasized: “National prosperity, ethnic rejuvenation, and educational development require us to vigorously cultivate and build a high-quality, professional teaching force with noble ethics, exquisite skills, reasonable structure, and full vitality, and require the emergence of a large number of good teachers.” This important exposition clarifies the important role of teachers in achieving national prosperity and ethnic rejuvenation. On the new journey to achieve the Second Centenary Goal, teachers are an important force. The “ideals and convictions of having a great self in one’s heart and serving the country with utmost loyalty” and the “pursuit of embracing the world and transforming people through culture” in the spirit of the educator place corresponding requirements on teachers in the New Era. In the critical period of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, we must keep in mind the original aspiration and founding mission of educating people for the Party and cultivating talents for the country, bravely act as light-kindlers, strive to be guides, and work hard to cultivate more new generations for the era who are reassuring to the Party, patriotic and dedicated, and capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation.

今天的学生就是未来实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦的主力军，广大教师就是打造这支中华民族“梦之队”的筑梦人。习近平总书记在同北京师范大学师生代表座谈时强调：“国家繁荣、民族振兴、教育发展，需要我们大力培养造就一支师德高尚、业务精湛、结构合理、充满活力的高素质专业化教师队伍，需要涌现一大批好老师。”这一重要论述阐明了教师对于实现国家富强、民族复兴的重要作用。在实现第二个百年奋斗目标的新征程上，教师是一支重要力量，教育家精神中的“心有大我、至诚报国的理想信念”和“胸怀天下、以文化人的弘道追求”对新时代教师提出了相应要求。在以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期，我们要牢记为党育人、为国育才的初心使命，勇作燃灯者、争为引路人，努力培养更多让党放心、爱国奉献、担当民族复兴重任的时代新人。

Steadfastly holding the three-foot podium. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “It is precisely because of their love for education and love for students that many of our teachers have the strength to prepare a lesson for a lifetime, to silently dedicate themselves on the three-foot podium for a lifetime, the courage to step forward when students encounter danger, and the sharpness to dare to conquer new knowledge and new learning.” The “moral sentiments of words being the standard for scholars and actions being the model for the world” in the spirit of the educator emphasizes leading by example and establishing teaching through virtue; the “educational wisdom of enlightening wisdom and moistening the heart, and teaching according to aptitude” reflects the professional spirit of continuously exploring the laws of education, the laws of talent growth, and the laws of running schools. Against the backdrop of the New Era, the new generations for the era that education aims to cultivate are “generation after generation of socialist builders and successors who are fully developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise,” and “generation after generation of pillars of talent who are highly capable and able to shoulder heavy responsibilities in socialist modernization.” This determines that in the practice of nurturing new generations for the era, the vast number of teachers need to have a firm belief in enduring long-term efforts and maintain persistence and love for the educational cause.

坚守三尺讲台。习近平总书记指出：“正是因为爱教育、爱学生，我们很多老师才有了用一辈子备一堂课、用一辈子在三尺讲台默默奉献的力量，才有了在学生遇到危难时挺身而出的勇气，才有了敢于攻克新知新学的锐气。”教育家精神中的“言为士则、行为世范的道德情操”强调以身作则、以德立教；“启智润心、因材施教的育人智慧”体现不断探寻教育规律、人才成长规律和办学规律的职业精神。新时代背景下，教育所要培育的时代新人是“一代又一代德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人”，是“一代又一代在社会主义现代化建设中可堪大用、能担重任的栋梁之才”，这就决定了广大教师在培育时代新人的实践中，需要有久久为功的坚定信念，葆有对教育事业的执着和热爱。

On September 29, 2024, the awarding ceremony of the National Medals and National Honorary Titles of the People’s Republic of China was solemnly held at the Great Hall of the People. Those who received the national honorary title of “People’s Educator” were Zhang Jinfan and Huang Danian. [1]1 Zhang Jinfan (born 1930) is a legal historian; Huang Danian (1958–2017) was a geophysicist who returned to China from Britain in 2009 and led major technological projects. The “People’s Educator” is one of the highest national honorary titles in China, awarded by the state. Regarding the deeds of the two People’s Educators, it is written: Zhang Jinfan “is a famous jurist and legal educator in our country, the main founder and outstanding representative of the discipline of Chinese legal history in New China, and his research achievements laid the theoretical foundation and structural paradigm of the discipline of Chinese legal history,” and he “is loyal to and loves the Party’s educational cause”; Huang Danian “filled multiple technological gaps for China’s ‘sky survey, earth exploration, and sea penetration’” and “loves the educational cause, consciously practices the spirit of the educator, and has made outstanding contributions to our country’s educational and scientific research endeavors.” The deeds of the two People’s Educators differ in content, but both are filled with love for the educational cause. Steadfastly holding the three-foot podium is precisely interpreting the love for the educational cause through concrete actions. Teachers should innovate teaching methods, integrate genuine feelings into teaching, enhance their skills in educating people, and use solid knowledge to cultivate the pillars of the nation.

2024年9月29日，中华人民共和国国家勋章和国家荣誉称号颁授仪式在人民大会堂隆重举行。荣获“人民教育家”国家荣誉称号的是张晋藩和黄大年。关于两位人民教育家的事迹这样写道：张晋藩“是我国著名法学家和法学教育家，新中国中国法制史学科的主要创建者和杰出代表，研究成果奠定了中国法制史学科的理论基础和结构范式”“忠诚和热爱党的教育事业”；黄大年“为中国‘巡天探地潜海’填补多项技术空白”“热爱教育事业，自觉践行教育家精神，为我国教育科研事业作出了突出贡献”。两位人民教育家的事迹内容不同，但都饱含着对教育事业的热爱。坚守三尺讲台，正是以实际行动诠释对教育事业的热爱。教师应创新教学方法，把真情融入教学，提升教书育人本领，用扎实学识培育祖国栋梁。

Pursuing truth and wisdom. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the vast number of teachers should “firmly establish the concept of lifelong learning, strengthen learning, broaden horizons, update knowledge, and continuously improve professional ability and the quality of education and teaching,” and that Chinese youth in the New Era should “strive to learn and master scientific knowledge, improve inner qualities, hone solid skills, and make their thinking horizons, ideological concepts, and cognitive levels keep up with the increasingly rapid development of the times.” The main duty of teachers is to impart knowledge, and further to “teach people to seek truth,” which requires teachers to seek truth and be realistic, becoming models for pursuing truth and wisdom.

追求真理智慧。习近平总书记指出，广大教师要“牢固树立终身学习理念，加强学习，拓宽视野，更新知识，不断提高业务能力和教育教学质量”，新时代中国青年要“努力学习掌握科学知识，提高内在素质，锤炼过硬本领，使自己的思维视野、思想观念、认识水平跟上越来越快的时代发展”。教师的主要职责是传授知识，进而“教人求真”，这就要求教师求真求实，成为追求真理智慧的榜样。

The “diligent attitude of studying diligently and acting resolutely, seeking truth and being innovative” clarifies the mental state required for teachers to pursue truth and wisdom. “Studying diligently and acting resolutely” emphasizes learning truth and putting it into practice, which conforms to the practicality of truth emphasized by the Marxist view of truth. “Seeking truth” emphasizes having the spirit of seeking truth from facts, viewing things with an objective perspective, and pursuing truth; “being innovative” encourages continuous exploration and breakthroughs in knowledge, technology, and ways of thinking to adapt to the development needs of the times. The “diligent attitude” embodies a down-to-earth, in-depth learning attitude, indicating that teachers should maintain a humble and pragmatic attitude in the process of pursuing knowledge and practice. Always pursuing truth and wisdom, winning students’ respect and recognition with profound professional knowledge, deep theoretical foundations, and solid teaching abilities, and striving to be a “great master” who unifies the “classics teacher” and the “human teacher,” can better support students’ dreams of becoming talents.

“勤学笃行、求是创新的躬耕态度”阐明了教师追求真理智慧需要的精神状态。“勤学笃行”强调的是学习真理并付诸实践，这符合马克思主义真理观所强调的真理的实践性。“求是”强调要有实事求是的精神，以客观的眼光看待事物，追求真理；“创新”鼓励在知识、技术以及思维方式上不断探索和突破，以适应时代的发展需求。“躬耕态度”体现一种脚踏实地、深入实际的学习态度，指明教师在追求知识和实践过程中，应该保持谦虚务实的态度。始终追求真理智慧，以渊博的专业知识、深厚的理论功底、过硬的教学能力赢得学生的尊重、得到学生的认可，努力做“经师”和“人师”相统一的“大先生”，才能更好托举学生成才梦想。

Diligently cultivating a benevolent heart. “Education is a ‘benevolent and loving’ cause,” and “a good teacher should be a benevolent teacher; a person without love cannot become a good teacher.” There are many excellent qualities of good teachers, but fundamentally, the most important quality is love for students, having a “benevolent heart of joy in teaching and love for students, and willingness to dedicate.” Education is a spiritual practical activity of two-way interaction between teachers and students. Love is the beginning for students to open the door to knowledge and enlighten their minds; love can nourish and bloom the beautiful flowers of students’ hearts. Good teachers’ education and guidance of students are filled with love and trust. Under the premise of combining strictness and love, they reason with students and move them emotionally, so that students become close to their teachers and believe in their Way, possessing a spirit of courageous struggle and an optimistic and upward attitude towards life.

勤修仁爱之心。“教育是一门‘仁而爱人’的事业”，“好老师应该是仁师，没有爱心的人不可能成为好老师”。好老师的优秀品质有很多，但是从根本上讲，其中最重要的品质是对学生的爱，有“乐教爱生、甘于奉献的仁爱之心”。教育是师生之间双向互动的一种精神实践活动，爱心是学生打开知识之门、启迪心智的开始，爱心能够滋润浇开学生美丽的心灵之花。好老师对学生的教育和引导是充满爱心和信任的，在严爱相济的前提下晓之以理、动之以情，让学生亲其师、信其道，具有勇于奋斗的精神状态、乐观向上的人生态度。

Teachers should pour their warmth and emotions into every student, narrowing the distance with students through genuine feelings, sincerity, and authenticity, moistening their hearts, and making themselves good friends and confidants of students. Recognizing the differences in students’ family environments and life experiences, understanding their growth experiences, and providing care and guidance according to their personal characteristics, interests, and needs; actively building trust relationships, establishing bridges for listening and communication, paying attention to students’ feelings and needs, and helping them overcome various difficulties; valuing students’ mental health, providing sufficient humanistic care, using appreciation to enhance students’ confidence, using trust to establish students’ self-esteem, so that every student can grow healthily and every student can enjoy the joy of success.

教师应该把自己的温暖和情感倾注到每一个学生身上，通过真情、真心、真诚拉近与学生的距离，滋润学生的心田，使自己成为学生的好朋友和贴心人。认识到学生家庭环境和人生经历的差异性，了解学生的成长经历，根据他们的个人特点、兴趣和需求提供关怀和指导；主动构建信任关系，建立起倾听和沟通的桥梁，关注学生的感受和需求，帮助他们克服各种困难；重视学生的心理健康，提供充分的人文关怀，用欣赏增强学生的信心，用信任树立学生的自尊，让每一个学生都健康成长，让每一个学生都享受成功的喜悦。

(Author: Shi Xu, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Suqian University)

（作者：侍旭，系宿迁学院党委常委、副校长）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧