From children with no future, Mr. Nguyen Quang Phu's students at the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education, District 7 (HCMC) gradually found their way, thanks to the care and companionship of a dedicated young teacher.
It was pouring rain, four children in a room in An Hoa 3 apartment building (District 7, HCMC) chattered and called each other to get their clothes in.
Seeing that he had finished his work, teacher Nguyen Quang Phu (32 years old, teacher at the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education, District 7) continued to review lessons for the students living with him.
In a 48 square meter rented room, five teachers and students gather to study and bond together. The students under this roof, some are from Ho Chi Minh City, others come from Tay Ninh, Dak Nong or Nghe An.
According to the young teacher, the children who currently live with him, although not related by blood, treat each other like brothers and sisters. They are students of the center, have difficult circumstances and were brought to live with him.
Pointing at the students, the teacher said proudly: "You have just been commended by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. This student just won first prize in the handheld calculator competition, this student was awarded the title of Excellent Math Student of Grade 12. This student alone won an Olympic prize in math. And this student is an excellent student, consecutively receiving many scholarships."
Graduating from the pedagogical major with strong opposition from his family, the young teacher was invited to teach at the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education, District 7 since 2013. After that, he became an official teacher until now.
Since joining the regular education environment, Mr. Phu started tutoring weak students every day. His house became a place to review lessons. Gradually, the number of students coming to him increased, filling the small room. Before he knew it, more and more students asked to stay with Mr. Phu.
Recalling when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, the young teacher fell into economic crisis because his salary was not enough to take care of the students.
"I was appointed to the staff in 2019. At that time, my salary was very low, so I could only afford to eat every day. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the area where I lived was locked down, so I had no other source of income besides my salary. The teachers and students huddled in a windowless room, contributing rice to feed each other," Mr. Phu recalled.
After all the difficulties passed, the teacher continued to let the students stay with him. In 2021, he moved to a new 2-bedroom apartment, so that the students could live more comfortably.
The living room is used by the teacher as a place to review and support knowledge for students. The remaining rooms are full of bookshelves, so students can read and relax after hours of studying and working.
Every day, after a busy day at school, the young teacher returned to his rented room to tutor his students until late at night. His family, aware of his actions , not only stopped protesting but also supported him.
After teaching English to his 9th grade roommate, Bui Minh Man (20 years old) returned to his desk. Man was just accepted into the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education with great excitement. Man said that this was something he had never dared to think about before.
Man was a child who grew up without love. His father died early, and his mother worked alone, doing all kinds of jobs to take care of him.
Throughout his studies, Man worked to earn money to support his life. However, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 has left the male student in a deadlock.
After three months without work, Man was kicked out of her room by her landlord because she owed two months' rent. Wandering the streets, Man tried to hold back her tears as she looked at her uncertain future, her thoughts were stuck in her head.
Hearing that Man had no place to stay, a classmate immediately contacted teacher Nguyen Quang Phu.
"You gave me money to pay off my rent, invited me to stay at your house and eat with you. You were like my savior. Without you, my life would have ended," Man confided.
Living together, Mr. Phu taught Man a lot of professional knowledge and good things in life. Seeing that Man had a talent for drawing, he guided him to study fashion design. In no time, the young man now passed the entrance exam to his dream school.
"Up to now, my study and living expenses depend on scholarships and loans from Mr. Phu. He lent me money, but I don't know when I will be able to pay it back. I just want to study hard so I can get a job soon, support myself, and repay the opportunity he gave me," Man confided.
Having been with the young teacher for 7 years, Doan Van Hung (25 years old, student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education) also thought his life would come to a dead end when he decided to drop out of school in 8th grade. At that time, Hung worked as a construction worker in Dong Nai province in the morning and returned to Ho Chi Minh City in the evening to work as a waiter.
As the days went by, the young man’s temper became more impulsive. However, he could not avoid sleepless nights and tears welling up in his eyes as he could not escape poverty.
"I thought a lot. If I didn't continue studying, I would probably spend my life working as a construction worker with a meager salary. I decided to change. Only by studying can I change my fate," Hung said.
Returning to grade 8 at the age of 17, Hung felt shy because he was studying with younger children. It took him a long time to absorb knowledge.
"Luckily, I met Mr. Phu. I proactively asked to go to his house to review my lessons and then asked to live with him. Now, the impulsive, aggressive boy from the past is a good student, in his final year with a better personality, thinking and a brighter future," Hung said proudly.
In the young teacher’s joyful eyes, few people understood that he had spent a lot of time to influence these children. Because their past and circumstances, if told, would be very heartbreaking.
Yet, the teacher who brought the children back from the brink that year, humbly said: "I am just a small catalyst on their journey full of determination."
Attached to the vocational education and continuing education environment, the 9X teacher also has many special generations of students.
Talking about the first class of students he taught at the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education in District 7 (HCMC), Mr. Phu was "shocked".
"Looking around the class, everyone is older than me. They come back to writing too late, making it very slow to absorb knowledge. Moreover, each person has a special situation and strong personality, so it takes a lot of time to train them," he shared.
Or like Ms. Ngo Thi Kim Chi (64 years old) - the oldest candidate of the 2023 high school graduation exam - is also a student of a 32-year-old teacher.
In 2019, when he took over the class, he thought the grandmother of a student in the class was there to observe. After asking, he was very surprised and confused because he did not think there would be such an old student.
"At the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education, there are many older students studying, but Ms. Chi is the oldest person here. I admire her for her love of learning, her determination and her strong will to learn," Mr. Phu shared.
According to the male teacher, having to teach older people initially made him feel pressured and embarrassed. Sometimes, the young teacher could not help but feel helpless when encountering students who were difficult to approach. But then both teacher and students tried to complete the teaching and learning tasks well.
When he first started his career, he had to travel 2 hours every day to get to school. His finances were also unstable because he was not yet on the payroll. But these things did not seem to deter him from loving his job.
According to teacher Phu, students at the center have a more difficult starting point than others, so their personalities are also different. To influence them, teachers always have to be patient and need a long time. Because knowledge is a problem, but how to stabilize the psychology and orient the students is very difficult.
"Many nights I tossed and turned thinking about my students. And then I realized the best way is to talk to them to understand them better," the teacher confided.
For teachers, when they overcome that challenge, they themselves will receive results beyond their expectations. That is when students become more understanding and change their personalities more.
During lunch with students or staying up all night to review lessons with them, Mr. Phu feels like a companion rather than a subject teacher.
"I myself still have many things to learn from you. Because you live with great determination. If you decide to change your life, you will make great efforts and determination in your work and studies. In moments when I feel like giving up, I am given a lot of motivation when I think of you," said Mr. Phu.
At the age of over 30, Mr. Phu has not thought about getting married because he still has many plans for his students.
"For me, each student turning a new page in life is a great happiness. It feels like I have done something most meaningful in life. Therefore, I have no other wish than to see them succeed and realize their dreams," the teacher confided.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Phu also shared that he and his students are implementing a plan to open a math club at school. Each person has a task, from design to expertise, he believes that there will be new opportunities for the next generation of students.
Talking about his cherished dreams, young teacher Nguyen Quang Phu said there are still many things. Although it is still raining outside, the rented room is warm. Because it is filled with the protection between teacher and student, as if they are blood relatives.
Ms. Ho Thi Phuoc Tho - Director of the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education, District 7 - commented: "Teacher Nguyen Quang Phu is a young teacher, not only solid in his expertise but also enthusiastic, meticulous, perfectionist in his work, and dedicated to his students."
Mr. Phu's deep impression on the Board of Directors was the times the male teacher applied to borrow the classroom in the evening to tutor students with weak academic performance and who had not yet mastered the knowledge of the lesson.
"There are days when the teacher "runs shows" in four classes. He lectures in one class, assigns homework to another, then runs to another class... He proactively provides extra tutoring with the heart of a ferryman; sometimes I think that being a teacher is not just a job but also a career," Ms. Phuoc Tho shared.
Content: Huyen Nguyen - Nguyen Vy
Photo: Hai Long
Design: Patrick Nguyen
Dantri.com.vn
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