Education is not only teaching letters but also opening hearts.

Education - after all - is not just about teaching words, but also about opening the heart. A welcoming smile, an open door or just a handshake in the morning - sometimes it is the beginning of a good life.

Small gestures, big impact

Teacher Vu Van Ben, Vice Principal of Tran Nhan Tong Primary School (Dong A Ward, Ninh Binh Province), stands at the school gate every morning, smiles, and welcomes students with a warm handshake. This image has become familiar to students here, but it is not the only one.

In many other schools, the principal and teachers always have their own ways to welcome students - both showing love and giving them positive energy every morning.

At the Practical Primary School, Saigon University (HCMC), for many years now, teachers have stood at the classroom door to welcome students with friendly gestures. In front of each classroom door, there are symbols such as handshakes, fist bumps, high fives or hugs. Students will choose how to greet, and teachers will follow. This small act not only brings joy and excitement to students but also shows the teachers' care and closeness to their students.

Teacher Vu Van Ben, Vice Principal of Tran Nhan Tong Primary School (Ninh Binh province), stands at the school gate every morning, smiling, welcoming students.

Previously, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Binh, Principal of Viet Duc High School ( Hanoi ), also stood at the gate to welcome students every morning and see them off in the afternoon, rain or shine.

Although the school does not welcome students at the gate, the Principal's office of Nguyen Van Luong High School (HCMC) always opens its doors so students can come and go at any time, whether during recess or after class.

Sharing with VietNamNet, Mr. Dinh Phu Cuong, the school's principal, said that his office and the vice principals' offices are always open to welcome guests, students, teachers and parents whenever they want to meet. Thanks to that, all problems of parents and students are resolved promptly. Students with happy or sad stories and thoughts all come to share. For him, matters related to students and parents are always the top priority.

Education with love and understanding

Recently, the education sector has been plagued with heartbreaking stories such as an 8th grade male student in Lao Cai being pushed over a railing and falling into a lake by his friends; a 10th grade male student in Thanh Hoa being beaten to death by a group of friends; in Ha Tinh, a 9th grade male student being beaten to death by a senior from another school; in Ho Chi Minh City, an 8th grade student at An Dien Secondary School was beaten by a group of friends, causing three broken ribs.

These incidents raise a big question: How should we educate students? Should we discipline them with harsh measures or with understanding and love? If we apply strict discipline, students who commit mistakes will certainly be punished appropriately, but after receiving the punishment, what kind of people will they become? If we discipline them with sympathy and love, will that be enough to help them change?

I remember what Mr. Le Ngoc Diep, former Head of the Primary Education Department (Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City), once said: "When the school door opens, many stories happen. Each era is different, but the pedagogical environment is a place where people from many families and many different situations gather. Studying and living together under the same roof of the school, there will inevitably be many joys and sorrows, anger, many situations that are both noble and bitter."

Good morning greetings from teachers and students of Saigon University Primary School.

According to Mr. Diep, in every schoolyard, at every level, in every era, there are "wild horses", and wild horses are usually good horses. The duty of a teacher is to accept everything - to educate, to forgive, to love - as the slogan that every school hangs in a prominent place: "A teacher is like a gentle mother". All students who come to school are good children. From the time they enter the teaching profession, teachers have been taught that.

Therefore, he hopes that teacher training colleges must fully equip teachers with knowledge and skills - so that they have both courage and a loving heart, know how to cooperate and be friendly with parents. Even though the school yard has many "wild horses", teachers still have to help students realize the good things about themselves and the school they are attending. The role of the principal and teachers is extremely important, so that the school can truly become the trust and love of the family and society.

Mr. Dinh Phu Cuong said that he always reminds teachers to create good relationships with students' parents, to treat them fairly, to love their students, and to educate them with love and heart. "Do not force students into a path of resistance. Whenever teachers feel helpless, bring them to see me, I will accompany them to educate and help them solve the problem," he said.

According to Mr. Cuong, in a changing society, school is the last lifeline for students. “If we let them go and push them out into society, people out there will have to bear a 'defective product' that is much more complicated to fix. A teacher must be both a teacher and a friend, and must know how to listen and understand so that students feel respected. Only then will they be willing to share and change.”

Being close, understanding, and accompanying - that is how educators keep the flame of humanity burning in every classroom. Because education, after all, is not just about teaching words, but also about opening the heart. A welcoming smile, an always open door, or just a morning handshake - sometimes it is the beginning of a better life.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/giao-duc-khong-chi-la-day-chu-ma-con-mo-cua-trai-tim-2462202.html