My “Comic” Teacher

“White clothes, a big head, a round belly, and sandals that expose the toes.” Let’s guess who this could be? That’s right, it’s our art teacher—Teacher Ma. Why do I say that? Listen to me explain.

Teacher Ma doesn’t have the best temper; he likes to criticize mischievous students in class, and when he gets angry, he might even slap their palms. We all avoid bothering him. He always wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses with perfectly polished lenses. There are a few small dark moles on his face, and his round head looks like a ball. His nose is tall, and his little eyes blink frequently, as if they’re hiding many thoughts. His belly is particularly big; when he stands, it’s like he’s carrying a small ball with him. His arms are thick, which makes him look very strong.
But Teacher Ma is incredibly talented! The calligraphy he writes looks soft and almost alive; his ink paintings are even more amazing. The lotus flower he painted last time had water droplets on the leaves that seemed about to fall off—so real they looked like they were actually there!
There’s one thing I remember very clearly. When we first started third grade, we didn’t know much about his temper. One day, after school, while we were heading home in a line, the group scattered like beads that had come unstrung. Suddenly, Teacher Ma shouted, “Stand still!” His voice made my ears buzz, and we all froze in fear, immediately lining up properly without daring to move again.
Another time during an art class, my deskmate was secretly playing with an eraser. Teacher Ma glared at him and, from three rows away, called out, “Hand over the eraser!” My deskmate’s hand started shaking with fright. But when he saw the crookedly drawn sun we had created, he couldn’t help but laugh. He then picked up a piece of chalk and drew a brilliant golden sun on the blackboard, explaining, “Look carefully; this is how it should be drawn to look good.”
That’s Teacher Ma. His temper might be a bit fierce, but he’s amazing at painting and writing. Actually, we all quite like him.