In Education, the Most Important Thing is Patience

To Teach Well, You Must Understand Children

With nearly 10 years of associated with the profession, having taught many different generations of students, Ms. Phuong Dung still remembers the memories of her first time standing in class.

"In my class, there was a student with hyperactivity, terribly naughty and also quite defiant, making the teacher very hard. He would never sit still in one place, to the point where I had to sit next to him throughout the lesson.

If it were normal with other students, I would invite him to stand up or invite his parents to work with the school if he hit a friend or had a bad attitude. But I struggled a lot. I asked myself what he needed, what I could do to help him have more motivation to overcome difficulties?

In the end, I decided to accompany him. Every time he caused trouble, I would pull him aside to analyze and explain... Those times were too many to count. After a while, he showed positive signs. He was still naughty but had become more confident."

Ms. Phuong Dung believes that to teach well, teachers must truly grasp the psychology of children. When teachers empathize with children, find their strengths, even very small ones, to acknowledge, to create motivation for them, believe in themselves, they will progress day by day.

"With the same amount of knowledge, some children learn quickly, while others find it difficult even with repeated guidance. In the classroom, some are orderly and focused, while others want to release energy. That is normal and easy to encounter in any classroom. At such times, if the teacher themselves cannot maintain patience, the ones who suffer are the students.

Many years of teaching have made me realize that it is not punishments or report cards that will change students, but it is patience, love, and tolerance that make them progress. They will listen and be free to develop in the direction they should be, not be forced. However, changing a person cannot be seen overnight. In education, the most necessary and important thing is still patience."

Teachers - Those Who Inspire

With nearly 10 years of gắn bó with the profession, Ms. Phuong Dung still has a wholehearted passion for teaching. Her passion stems from the thought that "Teachers not only teach knowledge but also inspire." That thought is drawn from her own experience since she was a student. Her 3rd grade homeroom teacher's wish on her birthday card: "I believe that someday when you grow up, Phuong Dung will become a talented professor, doctor, engineer..." has further motivated, given her confidence, and urged the little girl to always improve herself.

It was also the influence from inspiring teachers that helped Phuong Dung find her passion and decide to refuse opportunities that many people dream of to devote her heart to teaching.

She confided: "I once dreamed of setting foot in France, even just once. So, after a period of teaching, I joined Vietnam Airlines as a flight attendant to fulfill that dream. After 3 years as a flight attendant, I decided to return to teaching with a much lower salary than the flight attendant job. Now if I have to choose between being a flight attendant and teaching, I still choose teaching. I really feel like I want to  associated with and understand that this is what I will pursue for life."

Ms. Phuong Dung (3rd from right) and the teachers of the Secondary English Department.

Many years of teaching in international schools, being trained in an advanced educational environment, Ms. Phuong Dung always wants to bring what she has learned to other schools so that Vietnamese students can learn.

"I always hope that students will be treated the way I see in international schools: All actions of staff are based on the best interests of students first. If it is not beneficial to students, it will be considered for reduction. When there is a problem to be solved between Parents and the School, the School will base on the interests of students to offer appropriate solutions. That is also what I and the teachers at Greenfield are aiming for."

For Ms. Phuong Dung, teaching is not just about imparting knowledge in one direction. From the perspective of a teacher, there are many life lessons that teachers can gather from their students.

"Children are like sponges. They will absorb everything from adults and surrounding friends. Some students like their teacher's style and dress like her. Or even my own child also 'absorbs' the way his teacher speaks in his class. Therefore, from the smallest things, I must be neat if I want my students, my children to learn like that.

Every situation with students is a lesson for me to draw conclusions and learn to improve myself. There is a saying I really like "Every child deserves a champion who never gives up on them". Every child is a special individual. They are born as children. We have to learn to be parents, to be guides for them.

I always believe that when I work with my heart, students will understand. At some point when they grow up, they will remember the affection of their teacher, they will be touched and can teach someone else. To live and do what is right with my heart, to inspire others, that is a blessing for myself" - Ms. Phuong Dung said happily.

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