The "multiple intelligences" to which Luo refers derive from a theory put forward by Howard Gardner as a fuller explanation of intelligence. They include those traditionally addressed in the classroom as well as several others. All together, Gardner's theory names seven forms of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

As Luo sees it, we have entered an age in which great weight is placed on educating the whole person; we cannot simply focus on training the intellect and ignore the development of students' other intelligences. A good teacher, whether teaching at the primary-school, secondary-school, or university level, must note where his or her students excel, then encourage and foster their development in those areas. If teachers do so, they will see results.

After so many years in education, Luo habitually observes students' performance in all areas and keeps up with the details of their lives in order to discover their strong points and to better encourage and nurture them. In this way, he has set innumerable students on the road to success.

In 1986, for example, when Luo was a teacher at Yungho's Yung-ping Primary School, he had a student named Han-lung, an upstanding boy who was always sticking bits and pieces of things together. Unfortunately, Han-lung's grades were poor and he often responded to them by tearing down the test scores of his whole class from the wall where they were posted.

"Don't worry about it," Luo told him. "The most important thing is being a good person. Just try your best and you'll learn a trade. For the entire eight years I've been riding a motorcycle to school, one of my old students has been keeping it running for me. In just that little bit of time, he's already become the owner of his own shop. You can follow his example."

At a class reunion years after Han-lung graduated, Luo ran into him, now tall, handsome and sharply dressed. He told Luo that he had become an interior designer making more than NT$100,000 per month. Luo says with feeling, "If we'd only looked at his grades and written him off then, he probably would have become a delinquent and taken a bad path in life. So you can see how important it is for teachers to develop students' other intelligences."

Luo's focus on this approach traces back to valuable lessons he learned from his parents. Luo was born in Pingtung County's Nanchou Township. His father, Luo Chi-tsai, earned his living at a sugar factory, while his mother sold fruit in Tungkang. His father, who raised pigeons as a hobby, had many friends to whom he was very loyal, always providing generous assistance to any who ran into difficulties. Luo remembers that when one of those friends was sent to prison, the man's family was left without anyone to support them. So Luo's father stepped in, providing them with money and food on a daily basis. His example planted the seeds of Luo's later desire to help people and his sense of civic responsibility.

Luo, a large man whose skin glows with health, admits that he was an ugly child. "My elder brother inherited all my parents good points," he says, "while I got all their bad ones. My nose is flat, my mouth wide, and my skin very dark. My nickname was 'Dark-meat Nan,' but some people called me 'Duck Feet' for my pigeon-toed walk. My father raised pigeons, so his friends came over all the time. When they saw me, they used to ask my dad, 'Why is your boy Ah-nan so ugly? How can you bear the shame?' Then they'd turn their heads to look at my brother and say, 'Ah-jen sure is handsome!' These kinds of blows were frequent. They wounded me deeply and made me feel worthless. But my brother never turned away from me; we've been very close ever since we were children."

But Luo's life reached a turning point in the fourth grade. His teacher, a pretty woman who played piano named Tsai Shu-e, one day told him, "Fu-nan, you walk like a duck, and it's not attractive. Your stride has to be upright and proper, or you won't be upright and proper in your dealings with people. You must always pay attention to see if you are walking properly. I want to see you improve a little every day." Tsai's words etched themselves deeply into Luo's heart. After all these years, he is still grateful to her for teaching him to cast a critical eye on himself and breaking him of his pigeon-toed walk.

The multi-talented Luo says that he is also very grateful to Huang Kuang-nan, the director of the National Museum of History and Luo's art teacher when Luo was a college student, for the development of his artistic talents. After discovering Luo's talent for painting, Huang told him: "Whether in teaching or in your own life, remember-the world is a beautiful place, and in it no two flowers are identical. Even those of the same genus and species differ. Similarly, no two people are the same. If you can find a way to appreciate the beauty in everything under the sun, you've done your part."

Huang's words had an impact on how Luo has lived his life and on his teaching philosophy. As a result of them, he respects that which is unique in every student, uncovers the beauty in their lives, and fosters their strengths. "Education is itself an art," says Luo. "Working out how to teach each student, how to manage a school, it's all an art."

Consequently, he works with the teachers, putting himself in their shoes and providing them with full administrative backup. In essence, he is their support crew. "A principal's responsibilities are heavy," Luo says passionately. "Within the school, he has an impact on all the teachers and the students. Out in the community, he affects the parents."

To enable parents to better understand the efforts made by their children's teachers, Luo writes them letters explaining what the school is doing-for example, taking the students to see the latest Harry Potter movie or the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Luo also holds a "cultural exchange" at the school every year, introducing the children to such things as fishing-village culture, Hakka culture, and urban culture. By helping parents understand what their children are learning, he has won their complete trust and made them enthusiastic about helping out with all the educational activities that the school organizes.

Shihfen was one of the places of origin of the "sky lantern." When Luo arrived here three years ago, he initiated an activity that got students started making their own small lanterns and made Shihfen's "sky-lantern culture" still more widespread. He also had the students learn woodblock printing, which allowed the kids to make prints on their ever-more-refined lanterns. Once Shihfen's students learned woodblock techniques, they were able to participate in the Taipei County Bookplate Competition, which, in a tremendous boost to the confidence of these kids from the countryside, they won last year.

Like a child, Luo has a bubbly personality, and he enjoys playing with his students. "A teacher cannot reject any kind of learning because you never know what will inspire a child," he says. "If you can hook children's interest, then getting along with them, and even with their parents and your colleagues, is a breeze."

Luo joined the Tzu Chi Foundation in 1981 and donates a portion of his salary every month to support the group's objectives. In his efforts to realize his educational vision, he has found support in one of the aphorisms of Master Cheng Yen, Tzu Chi's founder: "You must act with joy, gratefully accept what you receive, and apply yourself."

Luo, who does act with joy and gratefully accept what comes his way, believes that there is a spark in every child's heart, and he has devoted himself to fanning each of those sparks into a roaring flame.

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Principal Luo Fu-nan believes it is important to encourage students to develop a variety of aptitudes rather than forcing them down a single developmental track. Luo, a man wholly devoted to his task, uses a variety of activities to build students' confidence. (Photo courtesy of Luo Fu-nan)