Title Evaluation Simulator

"Welcome to the 'Teacher Title Evaluation Simulator'. In order to improve the efficiency of the evaluation and reduce human interference, we have launched this completely fair and objective system. Please enter your personal information."

On the screen, the cursor flickered, and Lao Wang typed on the keyboard with a slightly trembling hand. He is a veteran language teacher with twenty years of experience, and his eloquent speeches on the podium have long been replaced by clumsy keystrokes on the keyboard. He is at the critical juncture of title evaluation again this year. Although he is aware of the tricks of the trade, he still holds a sliver of hope and wants to see what score this "completely fair and objective" system will give him.

He entered his name, years of teaching experience, education level, awards, published papers, class performance... Lao Wang filled each detail as perfectly as possible, as if he was filling out a life resume. The simulator "beeped" and entered the next stage.

"Please select your 'Dedication Value'."

Several options appeared on the screen: A. Selfless dedication, regardless of return, giving everything for students; B. Be responsible, complete your job duties, and live up to the responsibilities of a teacher; C. Be proactive, pursue excellence, and continuously innovate in teaching; D. Moderate effort, work-life balance, maintaining physical and mental health at work.

Lao Wang paused for a moment. He hesitated and chose B. He considered himself to have always been responsible, but felt that A was too fake, C was too tiring, and D was too much like lying down. The system gave an evaluation: "Dedication Value assessed as 'Medium', score for this item is average."

Next, the system asked him to select "Interpersonal Relationships": A. Have close relationships with leaders, frequently report on work, and actively participate in various activities; B. Get along well with colleagues, help each other, and make progress together; C. Focus on teaching, don't interact much with others, and don't participate in other activities; D. Have your own personality and principles, don't conform to the crowd, and stick to yourself.

Lao Wang scratched his head and chose C. He felt that teaching was about teaching conscientiously and improving student performance was the key. The system gave another evaluation: "Interpersonal Relationships assessed as 'Poor', score for this item is low."

Then there was "Innovation Awareness": A. Be enthusiastic about various new teaching methods and actively try out new teaching tools; B. Focus on traditional teaching methods and believe that practicality and effectiveness are the truth; C. Combine with actual situations and flexibly use various teaching methods; D. Have no special preference for teaching methods and let things take their natural course.

Lao Wang thought about it. He still preferred the traditional teaching model and chose B. The system prompted: "Innovation Awareness assessed as 'Conservative', score for this item is not high."

The final step was "Comprehensive Evaluation." The system gave a final score: 62 points.

A line of prompts appeared on the screen: "According to this system's evaluation, you have not met the standards for senior title evaluation. It is recommended that you continue to work hard."

Lao Wang was a bit dazed. He recalled the countless homework assignments he had graded over the years, the lamplight late at night while preparing lessons, and the students’ reluctance to part when they graduated. He felt that he had lived up to this profession, but why did this cold and heartless system give him a failing grade?

He wanted to see the scores of other teachers and tried to refresh the page, and found a "Ranking" button. When he clicked in, he saw that the teachers in the top spots all chose A for "Dedication Value," A for "Interpersonal Relationships," and A for "Innovation Awareness." Moreover, their "Comprehensive Evaluation" scores all reached over 90 points. Lao Wang carefully looked at their personal information and found that their number of published papers, class performance, and awards were similar to his, some even less than his.

Lao Wang suddenly understood something. He took a deep breath and clicked "Start Simulation" again, re-entering his personal information.

This time, when the "Dedication Value" option reappeared on the screen, he unhesitatingly chose A. For the next "Interpersonal Relationships," he chose A. For "Innovation Awareness," he also chose A. After he finished choosing, he felt a pang of nausea, but still forced himself to click "Confirm."

The system gave a final "Comprehensive Evaluation" score: 98 points.

New prompts appeared on the screen: "Congratulations! According to this system's evaluation, you have fully met the standards for senior title evaluation. Please go to the relevant department to complete the procedures."

Looking at this high score, Lao Wang suddenly felt a deep sense of sadness well up in his heart. He did not feel a trace of joy; instead, he felt a wave of disgust, as if he had eaten something unclean. He closed the simulator, got up, and walked to the window, looking at the children playing downstairs.

The next day, the results of the title evaluation were posted on the school bulletin board. Lao Wang's name was on the list, with his title evaluated as senior. He saw Lao Li next to him, who had been teaching for thirty years and had always been conscientious, but was still stuck at the intermediate title. Lao Li sighed, patted Lao Wang on the shoulder, and said, "Congratulations, Lao Wang, you still understand the rules."

Lao Wang said nothing and just silently turned around, walking into his office. The simulator was still on the desk, and on the interface, that glaring line was still clearly visible: "In order to improve evaluation efficiency and reduce human interference, we have launched this completely fair and objective system." He picked up his water cup and took a big gulp, but the cup was empty.

He saw that the simulator on the screen automatically popped up a new window. "Congratulations, you have received the 'Most Skilled at Using the Simulator' honorary title. Do you need to share your honor on your WeChat moments?"