At Doan Ket Primary School in particular, and in Lai Chau province in general, Ms. Pham Thu Hien is renowned for her multifaceted talents, especially her beautiful handwriting and calligraphy. She has also fostered a movement to improve handwriting among students in her school and in Lai Chau city. She was also the first person to introduce the beauty of Vietnamese calligraphy to students and people in Lai Chau.

Teacher Pham Thu Hien (teacher at Doan Ket Primary School, Lai Chau City, Lai Chau Province). Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

In early 2024, Ms. Hien also personally funded a large handwriting competition for students from across the city and several neighboring districts. Parents, students, and colleagues know Ms. Hien for her love of teaching, her affection for children, her enthusiasm, dynamism, and creativity in her work. Ms. Hien's lessons impress not only with her use of positive teaching techniques through words and gestures but also through body language. This makes the lessons more engaging and enjoyable, and students become more confident and interactive in various ways.

The handwriting of teacher Pham Thu Hien. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Ms. Hien is always creative, preparing and investing in costumes, and embodying characters in her lessons to make them enjoyable, exciting, and easy for students to visualize. “When teaching students, I don’t mind looking bad; I always tell myself to push beyond my limits. In observation lessons, I still design my lessons in a way that is approachable, lighthearted, and cheerful. While other teachers might wear traditional Vietnamese dresses in those observation lessons, I might create a sun formation with related costumes and sing and dance in front of the class. What makes me very happy is that after sharing some of my lessons on my personal Facebook page, colleagues both inside and outside the province have given me many compliments and expressed their desire to learn from and share my teaching,” Ms. Hien recounted.

Ms. Hien is always creative in every lesson. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

In her lessons, she strives to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge, allowing students to embody characters through dramatization, helping to connect knowledge with real-life situations. With her simplicity, approachability, and deep understanding of each student's psychology and personality, her teaching methods and approaches are always engaging, even for shy, ADHD-prone, or inclusive students. Ms. Hien shared that to have successful lessons, she always ponders, invests time and effort, and prepares in advance for various situations, strategies, and supporting materials. It is this love and dedication to her profession that has inspired her students and colleagues. In her role as a homeroom teacher, Ms. Hien always has many innovative ideas in coordinating with parents to educate their children and effectively engaging students in activities organized in the classroom and at school. This has been affirmed by her honor of winning the "Best Homeroom Teacher at the Elementary Level" award at the City-level Excellent Homeroom Teacher Competition. Not only is Ms. Hien professionally competent, but she also possesses many other talents such as: drawing beautifully, singing well, dancing gracefully, and the ability to choreograph cultural performances and write scripts for short plays. Therefore, in flag-raising ceremonies or cultural competitions and performances, she and her students always present captivating performances, contributing to the promotion of the school's cultural and artistic activities. Ms. Hien also actively participates in cultural, artistic, and sports activities, as well as community outreach work. She also wrote the script, directed, and acted in a play that won first prize in the "Skilled Community Outreach" competition in 2024 organized by Doan Ket Ward. Afterward, she was selected to participate in the city-level "Skilled Community Outreach" competition and won third prize overall. Currently, Ms. Hien is the Head of the Grade 1 Professional Team at Doan Ket Primary School and is also a key teacher at the city and provincial levels. Every year, she is entrusted by the school to train the team of teachers participating in the city-level and provincial-level excellent teacher competitions, achieving a 100% success rate. Previously, after graduating from Dien Bien Pedagogical College in 2001, Ms. Hien volunteered to work in Ta Leng commune, Phong Tho district (now Tam Duong district). With her expertise and efforts, Ms. Hien was recognized by her superiors and was appointed as the deputy principal of Ta Leng Primary School, Tam Duong district in 2007. Having moved to the city 13 years ago and been associated with Doan Ket Primary School for 6 years, the teacher born in 1980 feels happy with her current role as a teacher: "I don't want or need to take on a management position because I want to directly stand in front of the class, directly teach, dedicate more attention and love, and spread teaching methods to young students."

Ms. Hien with her students. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

The teacher describes herself as someone who is always full of energy and has a positive mindset. "No matter how tired I am, when I see my students, I feel a special surge of emotion and all my fatigue disappears." Ms. Hien also shows great care and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. She once organized free tutoring for five students undergoing long-term treatment and over 40 students whose parents were involved in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, Ms. Hien continues to provide financial support for school meals to one student in her class who comes from a difficult family situation.

Ms. Hien and her colleagues at Doan Ket Primary School, Lai Chau province. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

With tireless efforts, Ms. Hien has consistently achieved the title of excellent teacher at the city and provincial levels; for many years, she has received certificates of merit and commendations from various levels,... Recently, Ms. Pham Thu Hien was honored by the Ministry of Education and Training as an Outstanding Teacher of 2024.