Dreams are nurtured into a passion for the profession.
While the mist still lingered over the high mountain slopes and touched the roofs of the Dao ethnic minority people's houses, we arrived at Mo Si San Primary and Secondary School. The weather was quite cold, but the footsteps of students from both levels were already bustling along the roads. Teacher Hoang Van Hanh arrived at school at 6:30 a.m. Today, hearing that a group of reporters was coming, he was dressed more neatly than usual. His kind face impressed us from the first meeting. Having dedicated sixteen years to this remote border region, Teacher Hanh has devoted his youth and passion to "sowing knowledge and nurturing people."
As a native of Hai Phong , this handsome young man dreamed of becoming a teacher even as a student. After three years of training in the military, he continued to pursue his dream. Teacher Hanh shared: "Standing on the podium is not just a profession for me, but a path to contribute to changing the lives of the children I teach."
Teacher Hanh meticulously taught and guided his students in writing each stroke of the pen.
In 2009, Mr. Hanh was assigned to teach at Mo Si San school – one of the particularly difficult mountainous areas of Phong Tho district (formerly). The road to the village was then just a dirt path, dusty in the dry season and slippery and muddy in the rainy season. The classroom was built from rudimentary wooden planks, with an old corrugated iron roof and rickety desks and chairs. The students were mainly Dao ethnic people, many of whom couldn't speak standard Vietnamese fluently, were hesitant to communicate, and were so shy that they only dared to sit huddled at the back of the class. Looking into the eyes of those children, Mr. Hanh became even more determined to stay at the school, in the classroom, and in the village to teach.
Sipping his hot tea, the teacher recounted his first morning teaching. He was fluent in standard Vietnamese, but his students only knew the Dao language. The entire lesson was filled with a sense of emptiness. That night, the "ferryman" lay awake, racking his brains for a teaching method that would facilitate easy communication and learning for both himself and his students. In subsequent lessons, he only taught one or two letters at a time, teaching both reading and writing. At the end of each lesson, he even proactively went to local homes to learn to speak the Dao. And so, day by day, the first basic arithmetic and the first strokes of writing gradually took shape in the eyes of his students, brimming with determination.
Devoting all our heart and energy to the students.
The job of "spreading literacy" in the highlands has never been easy. The school where Mr. Hanh works is several tens of kilometers from the center. The road is treacherous, especially during the rainy season and floods, when he has to leave his motorbike behind and walk across the stream. By the time he arrives, he's soaking wet. "Back then, the Dao students suffered a lot. They didn't have books or much clothing; they ate corn, sweet potatoes, and cassava for breakfast, sometimes even drinking plain water to fill their stomachs. Many children had to drop out of school because of large, impoverished families... It's heartbreaking to think about," Mr. Hanh confided, his voice trembling.
To prevent his students from giving up halfway through, the teacher tirelessly climbed hills and crossed streams, going from house to house to encourage them to attend school. He remembers one family at the very end of the village, on a steep slope where they had to cling to tree roots to climb. But when he saw his students smiling and running out to greet him, all the hardships seemed to vanish. Facing countless difficulties, Teacher Hanh still maintains a simple belief: "If I give up, my students will be at a disadvantage" - this saying is also the motto that has kept him persistent for the past 16 years.
For first-grade students who are still shy, Mr. Hanh always gives them special attention and care.
We heard from the teachers at the school that Mr. Hanh is an excellent teacher, but what everyone admires most is his rare dedication and devotion. Many times, the school assigned him to teach older classes, suitable to his abilities and experience, but he always politely asked to stay with first-grade students. It wasn't because first grade was "easy to teach," but because Mr. Hanh always believed that the first strokes of letters and the first sounds of syllables are the most important foundation for each child's long learning journey. He chose to teach first grade to instill in them perseverance, carefulness, and a love of learning from the simplest things.
The students always listened attentively to Mr. Hoang Van Hanh's lessons.
Ms. Tan Chin Kieu (a parent whose child is studying in Mr. Hanh's class) shared emotionally: "I have never met a teacher who loves his students so much. My child entered first grade feeling unfamiliar and shy, but after only two months under Mr. Hanh's guidance, he can write many words, read fluently, and even read aloud to the whole family. We truly admire and are grateful to Mr. Hanh."
These simple stories further illuminate the image of a teacher quietly sowing seeds of knowledge, so that one day, those green shoots will grow with the love, perseverance, and dedication that the teacher has bestowed upon them.
Continuously innovating teaching methods.
Not only is Mr. Hanh persistent in his teaching, but he is also constantly striving to find new methods to help students in mountainous areas learn better. Having been involved with first-grade students for over 10 years, he understands their difficulties and limitations. He actively applies information technology, organizes group activities, and provides students with practical experiences to make each lesson more engaging and interesting. His innovative teaching method, "Some Measures to Improve Spelling Skills for Students in Class 1A1 – Educational Technology," recognized by the former Phong Tho District People's Committee in 2019, is the result of this persistent innovation.
Not stopping there, every year he continues to improve his professional skills and learn from colleagues to enhance the quality of his teaching. For him, "to be a good teacher, you must learn throughout your life." From the beginning of his career (December 1, 2009) until now, Mr. Hanh's journey has been one of perseverance and dedication.
These efforts were recognized with numerous awards: the title of excellent teacher at the provincial level, a certificate of merit from the People's Committee of Phong Tho district (formerly), a certificate of merit from the People's Committee of Lai Chau province, and the title of outstanding grassroots emulation fighter...
In particular, Mr. Hoang Van Hanh is one of four teachers in the province who had the honor of going to Hanoi to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Education and Training and a Certificate of Merit from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union for his significant contributions to the education and training of young generations, and for participating in the "Sharing with Teachers" program in 2025. But more than all those awards, what makes him most proud is the growth and development of his students.
Teacher Hanh received a Certificate of Commendation from the Minister of Education and Training and a Certificate of Commendation from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union for his significant contributions to the education and training of young generations, and participated in the "Sharing with Teachers" program in 2025.
Principal Dong Xuan Loi commented on Mr. Hoang Van Hanh with great respect: “Mr. Hanh is one of the teachers I always feel completely confident in when assigning tasks. He is not only professionally competent but also responsible and deeply passionate about his profession. Teaching first grade is very demanding, requiring patience and meticulous attention to detail, but Mr. Hanh always works with all his enthusiasm. Generations of students he has trained have shown remarkable progress right from their first classes. The school is very proud to have dedicated teachers like Mr. Hanh.”
In this remote border region of the country, amidst the white blossoms of the bauhinia tree each spring, the image of teacher Hoang Van Hanh quietly walking along the familiar path has become a familiar sight to the local people. He goes about sowing knowledge as if sowing seeds of hope. The generations of students who have grown up from Mo Si San school today are the most beautiful testament to that silent but persistent journey.
Source: https://baolaichau.vn/xa-hoi/lang-tham-dua-do-de-hoc-tro-duoc-sang-chu-1224256
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