A teacher whom students love so much, the President of School Trade Union, Mrs. Ninh Hanh Quyen took some time from her busy schedule to share her thoughts and invaluable advice with students.

Journalist: Dear ms Quyen, Trade Union Congress tenure 2012 – 2015 of Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted has been organized recently. As the President of Trade Union, what are you expecting from the School Trade Union of new term?

Mrs. Quyen: As the President of School Trade Union, I hope all activities of Trade Union will develop at a higher level to be commensurate with our school's magnitude. All teachers and school staff at Hanoi – Amsterdam High School possess excellent expertise; consequently, it is essential to give assistance in accordance with the professional quality of Trade Union members.

Journalist: You are one of the six judges at NHAT’ 12 – Festival for the talented, with which talent repertoire are you most impressed?

Mrs. Quyen: Actually, this is not the first time I have partaken in NHAT as a judge. At both NHAT this year and even in previous years, the repertoires of specialized blocks had their unique features. They delicately and sophisticatedly conveyed their attributes through the performances, which expressed their talents noticeably.

Journalist: To your way of thinking, what are the outstanding strengths as well as weaknesses of Hanoi – Amsterdam students?

Mrs. Quyen: Rarely do I focus on the negative aspects of each person; especially with Amsterdam High School, figuring out existant shortcomings must be more difficult (LOL). I find our students not only superb at academic fields but also gregarious and creative. According to what I have gathered from observation and direct involvement in several events, our students are really versatile.

Journalist: What brings you to Civic Education and your passion for this subject?

Mrs. Quyen: Normally speaking, learners often think Civic Education does not promote its value immediately. I myself take interest in this subject because Civic Education, in my belief, will bring students the method of assessing and analyzing the situations and help them sharpen many social skills.

Journalist: Have you got any adversities in the teaching process?

Mrs. Quyen: For Ams students, I don’t see see any problems. Oh, difficulty yes, Ams students are excellent. Thus, their expectations landed on me are different from those of others. When I taught at other schools, I didn’t have to try my best but still made the students there satisfied with my lectures. However, at Ams School, the difficulty is that I need to do things so as to live fully up to students’ expectations.

Mrs. Ninh Hanh Quyen in the talk.

Journalist: Generations of students at Hanoi – Amsterdam High School really love you and have the general comment: “Thanks to Mrs. Quyen, Civic Education periods became exhilarating and much less monotonous”. Can you share your teaching pointers that make students love you this much?

Mrs. Quyen: I’m not sure those are the tips or any kind. I just think that I need to fulfill my responsibility. When at class, as I said above, I scarcely look on the negative side but the strengths and the positive ones of a person or a course of action. What I see most clearly is that Ams students are very talented. It’s a pleasure to cooperate with the elite citizens of the future. Everybody has experienced student time, so I always put myself into students’ positions to know what they think and what they want, then adapt lessons’ knowledge to real life. I also utilize natural and social understanding from other subjects to design more familiar, exuberant and receptive lectures with my students.

Journalist: Do you have any memorable moments during your teaching time?

Mrs. Quyen: I have unforgettable memories, but the most memorable one was quite long ago, when I was at old Ams campus. Class 12A2 held an impressive birthday party for me, though that day was not my birthday (laughs).

Journalist: What do you hope from students at your subject particularly and in study – life commonly?

Mrs. Quyen: Teachers’ expectations for students are enormous. Of course, our school teachers, including me, embrace certain wishes for students. Because the process of admission into our school is strictly hard, your graduation and further study is a foregone conclusion. I hope all of you will be admitted to prestigious universities in Vietnam and all over the world. With the Civic Education subject, I only wish for your possession of good problem – solving skills in life. For instance, in your class, please listen, empathize and share with your friends. I’m not aspiring much from you students for knowledge from books, what I expect most are your practical life skills.

Journalist: Have you got any advice or messages for students in this school year 2012 – 2013?

Mrs. Quyen: This year is lucky for me to teach all classes of grade 10. I love to see each class having its own style. Social-specialized classes are vibrant and lively, whereas natural ones have a logical and “philosophical” way of thinking. I want you guys to have mutually good feelings for one another, so that your study path at Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted will always be the beautiful memory in your lives. I also wish you students will love Civic Education subject like I love you guys.

Thank you so much for this meaningful conversation!

Author: Ton Vu Bao Tram (Anh2 12-15)

Translator: Nguyen Ngoc Van (Anh1 11-14)