Happy with my teaching profession.

(Dong Nai) - It's been almost four months since she started her new job - a classroom teacher. For many people, four months is just a short time, but for her, it's been a journey full of change, challenges, and also joy.

She used to be a reporter and editor for a news agency – an attractive job with a stable income. However, when she had to transfer to a job far from home, she chose a different path: she applied to teach so she could be closer to her elderly parents, so that every evening after work she could cook them a hot meal, and every morning she could ask if they slept well the night before.

I once asked her if she regretted leaving a job many people dream of. She smiled, her smile slightly subdued before brightening again: “Of course I regret it. But my parents are getting old, and I don’t have much time left. Besides, teaching was my dream when I first graduated. It’s just that I didn’t have the opportunity back then. Now that the opportunity has come, it would be a waste not to seize it.” She said it softly, but her eyes shone with happiness.

From a journalist specializing in humanitarian programs, she now stands on the podium, teaching Literature to fifteen and sixteen-year-old students. Perhaps because she has had so much contact with people facing hardship, she always looks at her students with affection. She prepares each lesson meticulously, writing lesson plans with utmost care. During recess, instead of sitting in the teachers' room, she goes down to the schoolyard, sits next to the children, chats with them, listens, and then tells them stories she encountered while working as a journalist: about people who, despite suffering many disadvantages, still wholeheartedly strive for what is good.

She often told me, "Teaching Literature isn't just about teaching words; it's also about teaching emotions and how to show compassion." Perhaps that's why, for her, each lesson wasn't just about imparting knowledge, but also about sowing seeds of kindness in her students' hearts, guiding them on how to treat others with sincerity.

Once, she told me about a student in her class – a quiet, reserved boy who kept to himself, to the point that his classmates sometimes couldn't understand him. He didn't participate in games, didn't speak up, and even during recess he would just sit alone.

Seeing this, she proactively tried to get closer to him, and one late afternoon after school, she asked him to stay behind to talk.

"Why have I noticed you haven't been smiling much lately? Is something bothering you?" she asked, her voice gentle as if afraid of hurting the boy's feelings.

- "Yes... I'm fine."

"Is it okay to sit in a corner all the time? Everyone in class is your friend."

He bowed his head, hesitated for a long time, then softly said, "My family is poor... I'm afraid my friends will look down on me. I don't dare participate in anything."

She gently patted his shoulder: "Being poor isn't your fault. Everyone has different starting points. What matters is that you're hardworking and kind. I believe your classmates will appreciate you for who you are, not for what you have."

He looked up, his eyes red and swollen: "But... what if my friends laugh at me?"

- "If someone laughs, just look them straight in the eyes and say: 'I'm just like you, trying my best every day. Good people will understand. Those who aren't so good will change eventually. And I'll always be here when you need me.'"

The next day, she saw the student proactively playing hacky sack with the boys in the class. Then, a few weeks later, he started participating in class and school activities. Seeing him smile, her eyes lit up as if she herself had just received a gift.

When she recounted that story to me, her voice was full of excitement, like a child showing off a new toy. Listening, I felt a warmth in my heart. It turns out the joy of teaching is so simple: just a small change in a student, a grateful glance, a radiant smile… that's enough for a teacher to feel that their efforts are truly worthwhile.

She said that ever since she started teaching, every morning she wakes up eagerly preparing her lessons, looking forward to going to school to see what new things her students have to offer. She said, "Happiness doesn't need to be sought far away; just hearing the children greet me, seeing them attentively listening to my lecture... that's enough."

On the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20th, I would like to send you a simple wish: I wish you always keep the flame of passion for your profession burning, always find joy in each lesson and each student's face. May the path you have chosen always bring you the most beautiful seasons of your life.

Ha Trang

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202511/hanh-phuc-with-teacher-profession-718039a/