Dr. Tran Thanh Vu interacts and shares with readers in Hanoi on the occasion of the launch of his first book, "Young Teachers and Stories of the Profession" - Photo: T. DIEU
Thanh Vy is a real person, and her story is recorded by author Tran Thanh Vu as a lesson for young teachers in the book "Young Teachers and Stories of the Profession" (Dan Tri Publishing House and IPER), which has just been released to readers.
"You need to know how to exaggerate the truth; that's a necessary skill when applying for a job ."
Thanh Vy's first "disastrous" experience of telling the truth came during a job interview. Through a mutual acquaintance, Thanh Vy applied to a university on the outskirts of the city, quite far from where she lived.
Despite thorough and serious preparation, she delivered a successful and impressive trial lecture, yet she failed. She was bewildered, not understanding why, because after her lecture, many members of the hiring committee had praised her professional competence.
Finally, one of the teachers on the recruitment committee, out of pity, met with Thanh Vy privately and said, "Being too honest has no place in an interview here. You have to know how to exaggerate the truth; that's a necessary skill when applying for a job."
Some time later, Thanh Vy was also accepted to teach at another university. That semester, she was assigned to teach English Reading Comprehension to students majoring in the field for the first time.
In her first class, she confessed to the students, "This is my first time teaching this subject, but I will do my best," and thought to herself, "I'm so humble and honest, they'll probably be surprised."
But before Thanh Vy could even find out if her students were surprised, she herself was summoned to a meeting with the faculty leadership.
"You shouldn't be so honest with your students. You need to be more careful with your words..." Once again, the young teacher was reminded not to be too honest, even with her students. She burst into tears, unable to understand why such a sincere act was met with such reprimand.
Then she realized that there were things that, if said, would cause students to lose trust. Not saying them wasn't lying, but saying them could sometimes backfire and even negatively impact others.
Over time, Thanh Vy learned to think carefully and choose what she should say, and to understand the workplace culture so that she could behave more effectively while still maintaining her own integrity.
The book "Young Teachers and Stories of the Profession" by Tran Thanh Vu - Photo: T. DIEU
Learn from 10 shocking experiences of educators across the country.
Thanh Vy's story is one of 10 stories about the shocks that young teachers in particular, and young people in general, often experience when they first leave school to start working.
Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on the sidelines of the book launch on the afternoon of December 13 in Hanoi, Dr. Tran Thanh Vu - the author of the book - said that the shock from real life is an inevitable experience that almost everyone who begins to adapt to a new environment must face, regardless of their profession.
For the teaching profession, this shock is particularly severe because, in Vietnamese culture, teaching plays a crucial role and therefore faces significant social pressure.
Highlighting the shocks young teachers face when starting work, encountering real-world situations, and sharing lessons learned from those experiences is very helpful for young people.
Therefore, while pursuing his PhD in English teacher training in the UK, Tran Thanh Vu interviewed, collected, and recounted the stories of people who had successfully overcome the shock of reality, writing his first book , "Young Teachers and Stories of the Profession."
The book comprises 10 stories about 10 different shocks experienced by teachers across the country. The author has attempted to collect stories from unique environments, such as specialized schools or schools in mountainous regions, with the aim of providing a more multifaceted perspective.
After each story, the author provides analysis and commentary, based on experience teaching in high school, expertise in teacher training, and knowledge from scientific research.
Tran Thanh Vu also offered specific advice on what young teachers should do or avoid in order to minimize the impact of the real-life shock on their professional and mental lives.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-mon-tot-nhung-truot-tuyen-dung-vi-qua-thanh-that-20251213214031328.htm
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