Teachers from far away provinces drove from 6am to Hanoi to "learn from the master" about "Happiness in education"

The second day (November 24) of the Happiness in Education 2024 Conference attracted special attention from teachers and those working in the education sector in general.

"I have acquired really useful skills and methods, such as how to communicate with students to stimulate their thinking ability," Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung, a teacher at Marie Curie Hanoi School, excitedly said right after participating in the morning's thematic sharing sessions.

Ms. Hong Nhung said: "When I read the topic of the workshop "Happiness in education", I was very excited and registered to participate. Today, coming to listen and discuss directly, I feel really useful. Students today are under a lot of pressure, if we can create a happy and joyful environment for them in schools, it will help reduce their workload a lot, and also help their learning make significant progress".

Education expert Thomas Hobson (Teacher Tom)

The presentation that Ms. Hong Nhung mentioned was by education expert Thomas Hobson on the topic "Communicating with children to stimulate thinking". The speaker is known as Teacher Tom - the name of his famous blog, where he has posted daily articles for over a decade. He is a preschool educator with 20 years of direct teaching experience, international speaker, education consultant, teacher trainer, podcast host and author.

For Vietnamese teachers this morning, Teacher Tom raised a question for reflection and discussion: have we ever stopped to consider how the way we communicate affects children's thinking processes, especially in the early years of life?

According to him, the way specific words are used, and when they are used, can create a meaningful real world for children, in both positive and negative ways, thereby shaping their world.

"The speaker raised difficult communication problems that are often encountered in classes, from which we discussed and came up with solutions. I found many things clear," Ms. Hong Nhung emphasized.

And the advice from the speaker that teachers like Ms. Hong Nhung received was: Learn to communicate without giving orders or imposing, encourage children's freedom and initiative. Encourage children to explore and learn from the surrounding reality. Give children the opportunity to take responsibility and develop the ability to think independently. And finally, help children learn from their own actions. She said that she will apply it to increase the effectiveness of communication with students in class.

How does the way teachers communicate affect children's thinking processes? Photo: TH School

Coming from Bac Giang, Ms. Mai Thu Giang, a teacher at Bac Giang Specialized School, drove from 6am to Hanoi to attend the international seminars with prestigious speakers from around the world. As an English teacher who has experienced many seminars, she commented that the event was organized professionally and systematically by the Institute for Educational Research and Human Resources Development. "The most noteworthy thing is that the speakers shared useful methods and spoke in an extremely inspiring way. I think I can apply a lot of what I learned today to my teaching, helping students love their subjects and their lessons more. Because the current trend is not only to teach students knowledge but also to inspire them to love learning itself" - Ms. Giang said.

Ms. Mai Thu Giang (right cover), teacher at Bac Giang Specialized School, participated in the discussion with other teachers at the workshop.

Bringing together leading education experts

On November 23-24, the Happiness in Education 2024 Conference gathered leading and prestigious educational experts from the country and around the world.

To nurture a happy student requires the joint efforts of educational planners, school leaders, teachers and parents who accompany the child every step of the way. With a deep understanding of this, the Institute for Educational Research and Human Resource Development organizes seminars for different target audiences.

The full-day workshop on November 24 is designed specifically for teachers and education administrators, introducing innovative educational methods and applying technology platforms to improve the quality of teaching and learning. International experts will also share tools and strategies to monitor and promote student well-being, while encouraging critical thinking and a global perspective.

Among the nearly 10 prestigious education experts participating in the conference, besides Teacher Tom, there are some important names. Expert Martin Skelton, special advisor to the International School System, UK, is a famous educator and co-author of the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), an educational framework designed to promote global thinking and personalized learning for young students. Developed in the UK in 2000, the IPC program has been taught by more than 1,000 primary schools in more than 65 countries, including the United States.

Mr. Martin Skelton is also the founding advisor of the TH School system - a model of Happy Schools, applying the SPIRE model in teaching. On November 24, Martin Skelton brought to the conference a presentation titled "The Missing Evidence of Learning".

Associate Professor Dr. Ngo Tuyet Mai - Lecturer at Flinders University (Australia) and lecturer at Hanoi University, teaches TESOL and research methods at postgraduate level; she has also successfully guided TESOL Masters students and taught interpreting and translation skills at undergraduate level. She is the co-founder of Smart Learn Solutions, where she and her colleagues share advanced educational methods with teachers at home and abroad. Associate Professor Dr. Tuyet Mai shares with teachers on the topic of "Promoting happiness and social-emotional health in schools and classrooms".

Professor Yong Zhao - lecturer at the University of Kansas (USA), has received many awards, including the Young Researcher Award from the American Educational Research Association, the Outstanding Public Educator Award from the Horace Mann Alliance of the United States,... His research focuses on the impact of globalization and technology on education. He has published more than 100 articles and 30 books and is recognized as one of the most influential scholars in the field of education. The topic Yong Zhao shared at the afternoon session on November 24 was "Building personalized learning in schools to reach excellence".

In addition, there are speakers such as: Ms. Erin Threlfall, Principal of Primary School, Panyaden International School, Thailand with a sharing session on "Monitoring happiness and mental health: Tools and strategies for schools". Ms. Sheila Ascencio, Canadian education consultant with a lecture on "Action research for comprehensive development and global impact". Dr. Kim Manh Tuan, lecturer at the University of Education, National University, Vietnam, discussed on "Teaching for deep understanding with AI".

Source: https://danviet.vn/giao-vien-tinh-xa-lai-xe-tu-6h-sang-ve-ha-noi-de-tam-su-hoc-dao-ve-hanh-phuc-trong-giao-duc-20241125101409804.htm