The pioneer teacher in creating 'Happy School'

GD&TĐ - Teacher, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoa - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary and High School has just been honored by Hanoi City as "Outstanding Citizen of the Capital" - he is also the pioneer teacher in building the "Happy School" model.

Pioneering Turning Point: Building a Private School from Scratch

In 1993, when the private school model was still new and even unfamiliar to many parents and students, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa chose a way against the current. With courage and ambition, he and some like-minded friends boldly borrowed money from friends and parents to establish Nguyen Binh Khiem School.

Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary and High School (Photo: NTCC)

From the first bricks, the small school with only 70 students has become one of the first non-public schools in Hanoi, opening up new learning opportunities for many families, while affirming a different direction in education .

That bold decision not only demonstrates the spirit of daring to think and dare to do, but also proves the pioneering spirit of a teacher with a desire for reform and innovation.

Happy students before good students

What makes Nguyen Binh Khiem School stand out is the humanistic educational philosophy that Mr. Hoa always adheres to. He often says: “The happiness index and progress of students are the measures of the quality of education.”

With the motto and goal of education being for people, giving children wings to fly, Mr. Hoa emphasizes personality education first, knowledge later. Building schools on the path of "educating students to become good people". According to him, schools are not only places to provide knowledge, but also places to teach students how to live, how to love, how to mature to become decent people before becoming good people.

“Caring for each student, helping each student progress”

With many years of practical experience working in the education sector, he has shaped the educational path he is aiming for: "The measure of educational quality is the development of each student - the progress of the learner."

In his eyes, students are innocent, pure, sometimes hyperactive and naughty, but all deserve to be loved and protected. A stubborn child is not a burden, but a soul that needs to be understood and sympathized.

Therefore, instead of just focusing on imparting knowledge, Mr. Hoa pays more attention to nurturing personality, forming moral qualities, thereby building generations of Creative - Successful - Happy students.

"Pioneer" school

In the 1990s, when most high schools still maintained a traditional model that focused heavily on theory and exam pressure, teacher Nguyen Van Hoa chose a completely different path for Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary and High School.

Right from the beginning, he boldly introduced to the school models that had never existed in high school. The model of semi-boarding and was one of the first schools to organize semi-boarding in Vietnam - something that few private schools at that time could do - so that students could have a place to rest, eat and live right at school. This helped parents feel secure, and students had a scientific and disciplined learning environment.

When all three levels of Nguyen Binh Khiem School were operating stably and had a large number of students, Mr. Hoa continued to improve the school's students with a bilingual school model. But instead of copying from other places, he built a separate bilingual program, suitable for the characteristics of the school's students. And now bilingualism has become the strength and spearhead of Nguyen Binh Khiem School.

Not stopping there, he also designed a curriculum that was linked to real-life experiences: field trips, learning outside the classroom, linking book knowledge to real life. He valued the training of life skills, from communication, teamwork to self-care. Thanks to that, students not only excel in knowledge but also mature every day, confidently integrating into society.

In addition to the main curriculum, the school also focuses on building a rich club system, providing opportunities for students to explore their passions and develop their abilities. From music , fine arts, sports to scientific research, life skills, etc., each student has their own "playground" to practice their mettle, build confidence and affirm their self-worth.

Teachers are the root for the development of "Happy School"

Mr. Hoa shared during the meeting (Photo: Minh Ngoc)

For Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, building a happy school cannot stop at students, but more importantly, it is necessary to create a team of teachers with enough heart, vision, and talent. He always has a question in mind: "How can teachers understand and love their students more?" And the answer he found is school psychology.

He shared: To teach well, first of all, you must understand the psychology of students. Because there are very pitiful children who do not receive proper care from their parents, leading to stubbornness or naughtiness. A good teacher, according to him, is someone who knows how to listen, sympathize, and inspire joy so that each day at school is a happy day.

From that philosophy, Mr. Hoa always focuses on training and developing teachers. He encourages teachers to learn more about psychology, to be close to and care for students like older friends. For him, a happy school cannot lack happy teachers - those who transmit positive energy, spread love, and grow up with students through understanding.

Mission of "Happy School" in the future

Teacher, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoa (Photo: Minh Ngoc)

Not stopping at the successes he has had, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa continues to cherish a great aspiration: to build a comprehensive personalized school model. There, each class will be divided into small groups according to ability and strengths; students do not study according to a rigid pattern, but are able to maximize their own strengths, and are deeply nurtured in the fields they are talented in.

With that vision, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa is gradually creating a new educational model, where school is not only a place to teach, but also a "second home" - where students are loved, live happily, and are fully prepared to confidently step into life.

“Every teacher should be a psychologist and educator. And principals are not only managers but first and foremost must be career inspirations, instilling confidence in the true and precious values ​​of the teaching profession. Principals must become talented psychologists and educators.” - Teacher, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoa shared.

Not only is he a pioneer in building the Happy School model, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa also records his journey through the pages of books. The two works: “The teacher who builds a happy school” and “Building a happy school – The path I take” are the journey of his educational career during 30 years of dedication to the teaching profession.

Two works: "The teacher builds a happy school" and "Building a happy school - The path I take" .

Over 30 years of development, Nguyen Binh Khiem School under the leadership of Mr. Hoa has achieved many achievements:

- 2006: Recognized as a National Standard School;

- 2015: Recognized as a high quality high school;

- 2021: Recognized as a National Standard School for the second time;

- 2013: Awarded the Third Class Labor Medal;

- 2019, 2023: Twice awarded the Second Class Labor Medal.

Received many Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Education and Training and Hanoi City People's Committee, and Excellent Emulation Flag from the City People's Committee.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/nguoi-thay-tien-phong-kien-tao-truong-hoc-hanh-phuc-post752409.html