Reporter: Hello Ms Quyen. First of all, I want to thank you for spending some of your time joining the interview today. Can you share with us how you have become a teacher, specifically become a teacher in History?

My interest in History has formed since High school years. Back then, I felt that studying History is very interesting, and there were many things I hadn’t known; lessons from History were worth considering and valuable in real life. Therefore, I had always dreamed to be a History teacher since then and chose to study in History major at University of Pedagogy to have a chance to know and research more about History, hoping to be able to share my knowledge with students in the future.

Reporter: The teaching career requires a lot of efforts from teachers. When met with difficulties, which is the motivation for you to get over and solve them?

Being a teacher is not a lesurely career as people have long assumed. Actually, teachers in modern time are under great pressure from students, schools, parents and society. There are not only joy and happiness but also difficulties. Every time faced with problems in the career, the person I always think of is my mother. My mother is not a teacher. But for me, she is the most important teacher. My mother has taught me lots of things. When I  grow up, my mother has become a close friend who is willing to listen to my lament, sharing, encouraging me to go through hardship. Thanks to that, all of my tiredness disappears, my mind is “enlightened” and I know exactly what I must and should do.

Ms Quyen (the fourth from left side) with other teachers during the Opening Ceremony of the school’s Traditional Space

Reporter: To many students, History is “considered” to be an uninteresting and hard subject to memorise. So for you, to make students like this subject more, which is the most effective solution?

After many years of teaching, I understand that it is not that students don’t like history in general, but the fact is that they don’t like the subject of History. Maybe, the textbooks are partly to blame for containing too many events, and sometimes teachers are too focused on imposing opinion. Therefore, during in the process of teaching, I try to give out documents, images, films about history for students to observe and evaluate by themselves, or I can let them depict history in their own ways by drawing pictures, stories or making short films. Besides, I can let them interact with foreign Historians’ evaluation and opinion – those who are “on the other side” – to give them a more objective view on history.

Reporter: On the first time becoming the form teacher of a gifted class, did you feel anxious? What has made you understand your students and vice versa?

The first time becoming the form teacher of a gifted class, of course every teacher will be nervous. But I soon got used to it, although it requires lots of hard work, I receive much more happiness. Students now are a completely different generation from ours before. You have better learning condition, you are more active, creative, have more choices and therefore you are under much more pressure. So to understand my students, I always think that what comes from the heart will reach the heart. I try to treat all of my students, even the naughtiest ones, with true love and am always willing to listen and share with them, understand and teach them, helping them to solve their problems during puberty years and aiding them in orienting their future wisely.

Teacher Quyen with her students

Reporter: As a teacher, what do you expect from your students?

I have had unforgettable High school years which were full of happiness. Therefore, I always want my students to have memorable time too, hoping that they will have soul mates to remember about in the future and they can learn the most basic knowledge, improve their moral qualities, good habits, develop necessary skills for a more independent life in University and above all, for their life in the future. High school years pass by very quickly, so appreciate the time you can stay together!

Thank you so much for your heartfelt share. As Vietnamese Teacher’s Day 20/11 is coming, I wish that you will always be healthy, happy and determined to help more students reach the peak of knowledge in the future.

Reporter: Tran Kieu Anh – History Class 1720

Translator: Truong Hai Ha - English 2 1922