From the map of childhood to the journey of sowing knowledge

Among them is teacher Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (born in 1987), History and Geography teacher, Thang Son Secondary School (Thanh Son District, Phu Tho ). Ms. Thuy is like a breath of fresh air, persistently accompanying ethnic minority students, helping them overcome barriers, access knowledge, technology and confidently rise up.

Becoming a teacher is not only because of passion, but Ms. Thuy also wants to inspire her students.

"Without you, I would always be a shadow in the classroom."

From a young age, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy was fascinated by maps and stories about distant lands. For her, each river and mountain was not only dry knowledge but also a vivid memory, a curiosity about colorful life. It was this love that led her to study Geography and later to the teaching profession, a choice not only because of her passion but also because of her desire to inspire her students.

"Teaching Geography is not only about imparting knowledge, but also about helping students broaden their horizons and connect where they live with the big world out there," Ms. Thuy shared. For students in disadvantaged areas, Ms. Thuy always finds ways to make the subject more accessible: from hand-drawn maps and simple terrain models to turning the classroom into virtual tours where students act as tour guides to introduce their hometowns. Each lesson is a gentle adventure, nurturing love for the homeland and awareness of environmental protection.

However, the journey was not easy, especially when she taught a class with a majority of students from ethnic minorities. The biggest barrier was not only language, but also shyness and self-consciousness. To overcome this, Ms. Thuy combined lectures with visual images and group games. Experiential activities not only created excitement but also helped students absorb the material easily. She made teaching aids herself, printed maps, and built models of mountains and forests with foam and handmade paper to make the lessons more lively and familiar to the students.

When asked about the story that touched her the most, Ms. Thuy told about a Muong ethnic student named Dong. Dong was quiet and withdrawn during the first months of the school year. "He sat at the back of the class, never spoke up, sometimes I thought he was... dozing off." But she saw in his eyes a love of learning suppressed by shyness and self-consciousness.

She started spending time talking to me during recess, encouraging me in every small test, and encouraging me with very gentle words: "I think you have potential!" And then, from a student who always avoided her gaze, Dong gradually stepped up to the podium to speak. At the end of the year, he won second prize at the district level in Geography, a big surprise for the whole class.

"The day she sent me the letter before transferring to another level, there was a line that made me choke up: If it weren't for you, I think I would always be a shadow in the classroom ." That story is the reason why teacher Thanh Thuy, despite being asked many times to move closer to home to teach "more leisurely", still resolutely stayed at Thang Son Secondary School, where there are students who need encouragement to gain confidence and knowledge.

For class 6B, the age of transition from primary to secondary school, she built the classroom like a "small family". Every week there is a "listening hour" where students can freely share their joys and sorrows, and a "speaking mailbox" where they can send what they want to say but dare not say out loud. "Only when they feel safe and respected, will they dare to speak up," Ms. Thuy said.

Teaching with love and understanding

Not only is she a teacher who has won the title of "Excellent Teacher at the District level", Ms. Thuy is also the tutor of many students who have won high prizes in Geography competitions. When asked about her secret, she just smiled: "Actually, there is no big secret. When teaching in a difficult area, the most important thing is to understand the students and be flexible in handling situations."

She always believes that a good lesson does not only come from a standard lesson plan, but also from the teacher's attentive eyes for the students. There were days when she had to spend the whole afternoon walking into the village, just to give the students a hand-drawn map. When she called a student to the board, he burst into tears, not because he was afraid, but because he was recognized for the first time. She said: "Students in this area do not lack intelligence, they just lack faith and teachers are the ones who rekindle that light."

She made teaching aids, printed maps, and built mountain and forest models using foam and handmade paper to make the lessons more lively and familiar to the children.

She said that many students do not have technology devices, so she records her lectures and sends them to their parents via Zalo. Some students do not have internet connection devices, so she goes to their homes, bringing paper maps, simple models and open-ended questions, helping them learn through... conversation. For her, learning does not necessarily have to be confined to books, but can start from the hill behind the house or the stream by the roadside.

She also constantly self-learns. From training classes to researching new technology tools for online teaching, she is proactive. "If I don't change, how can I expect my students to change?", her gentle but sharp statement makes everyone nod in agreement.

Her biggest concern right now is helping ethnic minority students access technology. Many of them are smart but lack opportunities. If they had more devices, smart classrooms, and large playgrounds, they would go a long way.

She has taught nearly 200 ethnic minority students in her class for eight years, many of whom are now university students, some of whom have returned to her old school to follow in her footsteps as young teachers. "That's what makes me happiest," she said, her voice soft and her eyes shining.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy not only teaches Geography, she also teaches her students to see themselves on the map of life. Her quiet work is spreading the positive values ​​of humanisticeducation , contributing to the effective implementation of Project 8 on promoting gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children, especially in ethnic minority areas. Each lecture and each caring gesture of hers are small but sustainable steps on the path to empowering female students, building a fair and hopeful school environment.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/tu-tam-ban-do-tuoi-tho-den-hanh-trinh-gioo-mam-tri-thuc-20250511170351525.htm