Having a son studying in high school in Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Khuyen still remembers her son's tutoring teacher in middle school.

Her name is To Le, a young, talented, and enthusiastic teacher. Ms. Khuyen's child and two classmates started studying with her in grade 8 to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam. Each lesson, usually lasts 2 hours, but sometimes lasts up to 3-4 hours because she wants to teach each student to understand thoroughly and later be able to solve similar problems on their own.

“The children were ‘scared’ of her because she was strict. If they didn’t do their homework, they would leave the class, but they also loved and respected her very much,” said Ms. Khuyen.

She said that since studying with her, her son has not only changed significantly in his results and learning methods, but has also become more responsible, has the will to practice to achieve his goals, and is persistent and disciplined in everything he does.

On that holiday, Ms. Khuyen and two parents bought a fruit basket to bring to her house to show their love and gratitude. At that time, she was preparing to teach, so the giving and receiving happened quickly.

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Teacher To Le's message to parents. Photo: NVCC

But late at night, Ms. Khuyen received a message from her: "I really appreciate your kindness, but in the classes I teach at school or at the center, I strictly follow the rules that on holidays and Tet, I do not give gifts or envelopes, and I do not allow anyone to come to my house. If anyone does not listen, I will not teach them anymore. My parents have worked very hard to raise their children, with so many things to worry about, there is no need to waste time and money coming to my house anymore..."

She added: "I will do my best for the children, that is my honorable promise as a teacher and I hope parents will accompany and encourage their children, their progress is the most precious gift to me."

Reading these lines, Ms. Khuyen appreciated the young teacher even more. Later, when her child passed the high school entrance exam and no longer studied with her, on November 20, she texted to congratulate her and also sent her a small amount of money, simply to show her gratitude, but she flatly refused.

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The teacher's text message insisted on returning the gift Ms. Khuyen sent. Photo: NVCC

Ms. Bich Phuong, whose child used to study at a secondary school in Dong Da, Hanoi, shared that from the time her child was in 6th to 9th grade, the homeroom teacher never once accepted gifts from the family. "She only happily accepted the pictures and cards her child gave her and said thank you," Ms. Phuong said.

Knowing that her family had 3 children and was in difficult circumstances, the teacher encouraged her to let her older child attend extra classes to supplement his knowledge and not charge tuition. When the class organized a picnic, she also called her and said to let her child join the class for fun, she would give her a ticket and the mother did not need to pay.

“Actually, my child and family have received all the 'gifts' from the teacher. She gave me knowledge, kindness, a sense of belonging, integration with the group and motivation to improve,” Ms. Phuong expressed.

Having also had her teacher refuse her gifts several times in high school, Nhat Mai, now a freshman at a university in Hanoi, shared that when she first entered 10th grade, she and many of her classmates did not like her because they found her to be very strict. But gradually, the whole class realized that she was truly dedicated to her job and devoted to her students.

When many parents asked her to teach extra classes, she replied that she had already taught all the necessary knowledge in class. If anyone did not understand, they could send a message on Zalo and she would give them further instructions, but she did not open an outside class.

Once, while studying for an excellent student exam, Mai didn't understand a math problem, so she texted her teacher. She gave her detailed instructions until 1am.

“During the three years we were in high school, she did not accept any gifts from the parents. If any of our classmates brought gifts to our house with their parents, she would refuse and not take them home. The next day, she would bring them back to class and tell the student to take them home. After being treated like that so many times, none of the parents thought about giving gifts anymore,” Nhat Mai recalled.

Teacher Dinh Thi Nhu, a primary school teacher in Hoang Mai, Hanoi, shared that she did not want to receive gifts on November 20 and frankly shared with parents that, instead of giving gifts, she hoped parents would spend time supporting their children in their studies and be willing to listen when she discussed to help their children progress.

“Educating children is a continuous process that requires little by little each day, so it requires understanding and support from parents - that is a wonderful gift for me. Parents always bring gifts and 'ask me for everything', that gift is really too heavy,” the teacher expressed.

Mr. Do An Phu, a Literature teacher at a secondary school in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, said that he sometimes does not want to receive gifts on November 20, but if he refuses, he is afraid of what his students' parents will think.

According to him, giving and receiving gifts on November 20 is not bad because it is the heart of parents and students, in accordance with cultural tradition, but "the way of giving is not as good as the gift" and each teacher can have their own principles about this.

The teacher himself usually only accepts gifts from individuals, refusing gifts from the class on November 20 because he does not want parents to use the class fund to give gifts to teachers. “When receiving gifts, I often try to forget who gave them so that I can be fair to all students. Many times, after receiving gifts on November 20, I find a way to buy things for the children to celebrate in class,” the teacher born in 1984 shared.

Once I was about to drop out of school, a sentence from a female doctor changed my life . Later, when I met many students who had difficulty learning Math, I often repeated what she said: "Answer honestly, do you really want to learn? If you want, I promise to support you with all my heart."