Preschool and primary education in Ho Chi Minh City has recently seen many innovations and creations to adapt to development. One of them is the open school and open classroom model.
TRUSTING PARENTS, ENJOYABLE STUDENTS
One morning in November 2024, kindergarten students and teachers of the 19/5 City Kindergarten (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) went to the yard to practice yoga under the guidance of Ms. Thai Thi Kim Anh, a parent whose child studies at the school.
Ms. Kim Anh is a yoga instructor and this is the first time she has been to her child's school to instruct the teacher and other children. "One of the things that always makes me feel happy at my child's school is the sincerity of the teachers and childcare staff. The school is open, public, and transparent to parents from the luncheon meals, the study program, and always invites parents to join the school in many activities such as nutrition festivals, children's classes, parents and children's coffee making days, and now, I get to teach yoga to teachers and children," Ms. Kim Anh expressed.
Students of Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City in a class at the Vietnam History Museum
Also in another open class at the 19/5 City Kindergarten, parents were allowed to join their children in the activity "Printing pictures on flower pots". Grandparents, parents and children participated in steps such as taking family photos, printing photos, "developing photos", printing pictures on flower pots and planting a flower pot together. Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My, a retired math teacher at Nguyen Huu Huan High School (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), shared that just through the eyes, gestures and words of teachers with children in a class, she felt the warmth and trust of teachers and children. "Open schools and open classes help education become transparent, parents trust the school more. Families and schools have more connections, from there, the benefits belong to the learners themselves", Ms. Tra My said.
BE CREATIVE TO ATTRACT CHILDREN
The concern of how to make each lesson not only impart knowledge but also inspire and build a love of learning for students, so that each student can develop their own abilities is the driving force of primary school teachers in Ho Chi Minh City in the new era. This forces them to step out of their comfort zone, change traditional teaching methods, explore new methods, apply modern technology or integrate experiential learning activities, helping students learn through practice and discovery.
At Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School, District 1, on November 12 and 14, 5th grade students had a history-geography lesson integrated with local education at the Vietnam History Museum (District 1). In the museum space, teachers organized many activities for students, such as learning about the basics of Van Lang, Au Lac, Phu Nam and Champa.
The way Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Duyen, a teacher at Le Van Tam Primary School, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City - who was recently honored by the Ministry of Education and Training as an Outstanding Teacher of 2024 - is also an example. For many years, Ms. Duyen has organized open activities such as inviting parents to attend and co-teach a class; and taking students to experience classes outside of real life with parents...
Children and parents join open class at 19/5 Kindergarten City
Ms. Duyen shared: "Each school year, 1-2 parents of students participate in co-teaching with me on topics related to their profession, about 10-20% of parents of students participate in open classes in class and about 50-60% of parents of students participate in experiential activities with students outside the classroom. Through open activities, I receive positive feedback from parents of students, thereby increasing their trust in me. Students are very excited to participate in open classes. From here, they are supplemented and experience necessary skills in practice in addition to the knowledge learned from books...".
The open classes also surprised the parents of the students participating. At Thuan Kieu Primary School, District 12, to teach students an experiential activity on the topic of food safety and hygiene, Ms. Ngo Thi Hoa organized a class in the school cafeteria, so that students in grades 3/5 could hold and observe each bag of cake and bottle of milk with their own hands and practice how to distinguish safe food. In another class, teacher Truong Thi Thuy Duong, grade 4/5, opened a classroom space on the school's soccer field. However, this was not a physical education class but a math class, the lesson "Number of repetitions of an event". The application of the flipped classroom model and the change in classroom space made the parents of the students participating in the class feel the creativity and dedication to the profession of today's teachers.
"STAY " IN CLASS, NO MORE PRESSURE
Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huong, Principal of Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School, District 1, said that the open school and open classroom model is effective first of all for the learners themselves. For example, with history and geography lessons outside the museum, students go on field trips, step out of the traditional classroom space, see the artifacts with their own eyes, and listen to direct explanations from experts with good, engaging voices. At the same time, students can exchange and discuss what they have visited, thereby making them more interested in learning and recording a lot of meaningful knowledge. Ms. Huong believes that innovation and creativity of each teacher is an inevitable requirement in daily work, this does not create more pressure for teachers and students.
"When teachers love their profession, they will always be dedicated and seek creative methods in the teaching process, so that the lessons are most effective for students and students will also be able to convey joy and inspiration from each lesson," Ms. Huong shared.
The model of "open school", "open classroom" will bring many benefits to students, families, schools and society.
Expert Tran Thi Que Chi, Deputy Director of the Institute for Educational Sciences and Training (IES), also believes that when schools are enhanced with "open school" and "open classroom" models, it will bring many benefits to students, families, schools and society. First, schools are transparent, parents understand the school's educational program as well as the connection between parents and schools becomes closer. Next, students are more interested in knowledge in the open classroom space, from which they develop life skills, social skills, and thinking. And next, the innovation of teachers also contributes to arousing and inspiring students' creativity.
And importantly, according to Ms. Que Chi, schools and classes must build a positive learning culture. "Innovation and creativity are only truly effective when built on a foundation of positive learning. That is, not chasing after achievements, encouraging the spirit of real, effective, happy learning, and respecting the creativity of students and teachers," Ms. Que Chi shared.
Department of Education and Training encourages the development of "open classrooms"
In the document guiding some activities at the beginning of the new school year 2024 - 2025, for students preparing for the school year, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City requested that primary schools develop plans to improve the quality of education; publicize the quality of education to each parent, continue to promote the implementation of the "open classroom" model, invite parents to come to class to participate in learning, playing and living activities of students in class, attend seminars, clubs, and educational activities of the school.
The Department also provides guidance on many other important contents. Such as the principal proactively arranging the school plan, building a flexible and suitable timetable; building and implementing a plan to implement digital citizenship skills education according to Official Dispatch No. 3899/QD-BGDDT July 30, 2024 of the Ministry of Education and Training. The implementation must be suitable to the psychological characteristics, cognitive development level of primary school students and the conditions of the school; not causing pressure or overload for students and teachers.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/minh-bach-voi-lop-hoc-mo-185241122180619481.htm
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