Hard Working Substitute Wei: "Not One Less" Wei Essay

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This essay was written by award-winning social studies student Kristi Tso.


As a 13 year old substitute, Wei has to try to keep all 28 of her students from running away in the movie "Not One Less." But trying to do so has been a much harder job than she had expected. You might ask why does this matter to her. It matters to her because if she is able to do so, she will be given an extra 10 yuan on top of the 50 yuan that she is earning for subbing for a month. Although 10 yuan is equal to about $10 USD, it is a lot of money in the poor economy of China.
With students that don't really care for an education, she has to try extra hard to keep them in school. But with a student who is talented in running (being able to run fast), she has run into an obstacle having to try to keep her in school, but eventually she isn't able to keep her. With already one lose, she doesn't believe that she will get the extra 10 yuan, but because the mayor and coach said that they'll talk to Teacher Gao and that he wouldn't be angry but instead proud. Now with another student running away to the city to try to earn money in their hard economy, she has to try hard to earn enough money to get to the city and back with the student, Zhang Huike. While trying to find ways to earn money, she is able to teach her students basic mathmatetics without even trying. But since the the fare is way too high and they can't earn even money, that doesn't stop her. While trying to find ways to earn money, she is able to teach her students basic mathmatetics without even trying. She walks most of the way to the city, hitching a few rides there, taking a whole day. Even though when she gets there and cannot find him with the group he came with, she doesn't quit looking, but instead becomes stubborn, not giving up.