Happiness comes from simple but precious things

Having worked with disabled youth for 16 years, Ms. Dinh Lan Phuong, a teacher at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Special School, feels that November 20 is not too different. For her, happiness is the simple things that come from the sincere hearts of parents and students.

Happiness does not necessarily come from gifts of gratitude.

This year, November 20th, Ms. Dinh Lan Phuong (Nguyen Dinh Chieu Special School) was filled with happiness when she received a congratulatory letter from a student. The letter was a valuable gift, which she respectfully hung on the classroom board.

Ms. Phuong understands that for her special students, a letter is the result of their efforts, training and practice.

Ms. Dinh Lan Phuong - teacher of Nguyen Dinh Chieu Special School (red shirt) at the ceremony to celebrate Vietnamese Teachers' Day, honoring excellent teachers and presenting the Vo Truong Toan Award in 2024. Photo: Nguyet Minh

"Up to 80% of the students are in difficult circumstances, so there are almost no gifts for teachers on November 20. Or if there are, we do not dare to accept them. Because more than anyone else, we are the ones who accompany and understand the circumstances of each student," Ms. Phuong confided.

After 16 years of accompanying and teaching disabled children, what makes Ms. Phuong happiest is the love her students and parents have for her. Her happiness does not necessarily come from the gifts of gratitude on November 20th.

With tears in her eyes, Ms. Phuong recalled: "I had a student whose mother was a motorbike taxi driver. The family's circumstances were very difficult. But one day when I went to class, I saw the parent leave a banh gio for me in the classroom. Or when the school moved to another location, she bought me a small bag of sticky rice at the old school and said: "Ms. Phuong will probably crave this from time to time." This was the way the parents showed their affection for her even though they did not have material conditions."

For Ms. Phuong, the happiness of the teaching profession comes from such simple yet precious things. According to her, it is difficult for November 20th of the special education sector to become a big holiday like other sectors. However, she has never felt disadvantaged. On the contrary, she feels that this is a blessing.

Ms. Phuong shared that she really likes the job she is doing. At the same time, she has never felt that she chose the wrong career, so she is very comfortable with the job and is not compared.

"I feel that teaching students with disabilities is not only a profession but also a mission. Right from the start, I identified these difficulties and differences and I accepted them. Other teachers are the same. On this occasion, we congratulate and encourage each other, which is fun," Ms. Phuong expressed.

Mission to accompany less fortunate children

Born a normal child, but the after-effects of meningitis when she was 10 years old left Ms. Phuong paralyzed on one side of her body. After many days of treatment, although she was fortunate to be able to speak and walk, she still had many difficulties in movement.

Determined to have a meaningful life, she passed the entrance exam to the Faculty of Special Education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education. After graduating, she was retained at the school to work. However, with her greatest desire to teach children, she applied to teach at a special education school.

Ms. Dinh Lan Phuong in a class with special needs students. Photo: Thu Hoai/VNA

From here, she has been attached to the mission of accompanying less fortunate children.

"I feel like my dream is gradually fading away. When I first started this job, I thought that if I could teach normal children, it would be much easier. When I teach children with multiple disabilities, I just hope to be able to teach them as easily as children with single disabilities," Ms. Phuong confided.

The most difficult time for Ms. Phuong was probably when she started teaching students with multiple disabilities, who were both blind and deaf. Ms. Phuong said: "I was so helpless that I cried and there were times when I wanted to give up. Parents sent their children to school to be taught, but teachers were helpless because they didn't know where to start because the children could neither see nor hear. I cried a lot during that time, but luckily my colleagues encouraged me."

Gradually, Ms. Phuong regained her confidence in teaching children with multiple disabilities. She saw that many people, even though they were both blind and deaf, could still succeed in the world. So the problem was only in the teachers' teaching methods. From there, Ms. Phuong researched the documents. At the same time, the school's leadership invited foreign experts to provide training. Receiving trust, Ms. Phuong was also sent on training trips abroad such as Thailand, India, etc.

"To say that I am confident in teaching children with multiple disabilities, I am still not confident. However, now I no longer have the intention of giving up, I see that I still have the strength to do it. I believe that each child has their own ability and the task of teachers like me is to find that ability. To do this, I have constantly learned, researched, and found the right method for each child," Ms. Phuong confided.

According to Ms. Phuong, each student has their own world, and the journey to enter each student's world is a unique challenge. Therefore, every little progress of the students is a great joy for teachers and families. She does not wish to turn her students into geniuses or doctors, nurses... on her journey, she only hopes to contribute a little to help them not be a burden to their families in the future.

In 2024, Ms. Dinh Lan Phuong was honored to receive the Vo Truong Toan Award for her contributions to the education cause. In particular, she and the team of teachers at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School successfully rewrote a set of Braille and embossed documents for disabled students in 12 grades according to the 2018 general education program. The time to complete the book set lasted 5 years.

Source: https://danviet.vn/ngay-20-11-cua-giao-vien-day-tre-khuet-tat-hanh-phuc-den-tu-nhung-dieu-gian-di-ma-dang-quy-20241120173048711.htm