The journey to bring children back to the village
Born and raised in the land of Xin Man - Tuyen Quang (old Ha Giang), the childhood of Ms. Vuong Thi Tuoi - a teacher at Ban Di Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Na Lung village, Xin Man commune, Tuyen Quang province is associated with terraced fields and winding dirt roads leading to small classrooms.
As a child of an ethnic minority, Ms. Tuoi has long understood the disadvantages and difficulties of children in mountainous areas when access to knowledge is limited. Therefore, after graduating from the pedagogical school, the young female teacher decided to return to the land she was born in to contribute with a simple but great aspiration - bringing new words and knowledge to the village, helping them confidently step out into the wide world while still preserving the origin of the nation.
The first day standing on the podium, watching the students sitting below, I was moved with tears. I see the image of my own childhood in them, I feel like I am reliving a life full of hardship but full of desire to learn - Ms. Tuoi recalled.
In the early years of working, teaching and learning conditions in mountainous areas were extremely difficult. The school has many small locations, temporary facilities, lacking tables and chairs, and almost no teaching equipment. But for her, that difficulty never let her down.
"Now, the school has been invested in, much more spacious, no more separate schools. They can study in a better and more convenient environment" - she happily shared.
Digital lessons in hot weather
In the context of educational innovation and the era of technology 4.0, Ms. Tuoi realized that if they only teach by traditional methods, students will find it difficult to keep up with development requirements, especially students in mountainous areas. Despite the lack of conditions, weak network connections, and limited equipment, the female teacher still persists in learning, self-discovery, consulting friends, and finding ways to apply digital tools to her lectures.
Ms. Tuoi started using simple software to design lectures, create games, create videos, or design illustrative images for collective activities. Before organizing games, I only read questions and students answered them, now I can project questions, images, and vivid videos onto the screen that make them much more excited, Ms. Tuoi said.
Thanks to her digitized lessons, students gradually become more confident, boldly sharing opinions, and even making their own clips introducing their classrooms and villages. In the past, many students were very shy, afraid to speak, and afraid to express themselves. Now that they know how to find information themselves, dare to stand in front of the class to present and express their thoughts, that makes the young female teacher extremely happy.
In addition to professional work, Ms. Tuoi always puts a lot of effort into Team activities and the children's movement. The female teacher believes that this is a comprehensive training environment, helping students not only study well but also mature in skills and personality.
Not only serving learning, information technology also helps Ms. Tuoi and her students preserve and spread traditional ethnic culture. At Ban Di Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, every Tuesday, students will be able to wear traditional costumes of their ethnic groups: La Chi, Mong, Dao, Tay, Nung to participate in folk games and collective activities.
Ms. Tuoi instructed students to film clips, take photos, and record those moments to share online, as a way to introduce the beauty of their homeland's culture. The children were extremely excited, playing and studying at the same time.
Each product is not only a skill lesson, but also a source of pride for me and my students about our ethnicity. Through that, they understand that technology does not lose identity, but on the contrary, can become a bridge connecting to bring traditional culture closer to friends everywhere" - Ms. Tuoi said.
Spreading the beauty of national culture
In the coming time, Ms. Tuoi hopes to spread the technology teaching model to more colleagues, so that all teachers in the highlands can apply information technology in teaching, thereby improving the quality of students' learning.
According to Ms. Tuoi, to do that, teachers must first of all be proactive in learning, not afraid of difficulties or new things. In addition, there should be more training courses, supporting equipment, and network communication lines to make it easier for teachers in mountainous areas to access technology.
More than anyone else, I understand that the education path in the highlands is still difficult, but also full of hope. I will continue to learn, innovate and be creative to both improve the quality of teaching and preserve and promote the traditions of my hometown. I believe that when students are inspired and given opportunities, they will become the golden seeds, bringing knowledge, belief and love for national culture to build their homeland to become more and more beautiful" - Ms. Tuoi expressed.
During her work, Ms. Tuoi has been a typical example of her efforts and dedication to the cause of education in the highlands. In 2025, Ms. Vuong Thi Tuoi was honored to be nominated for commendation in the program "Sharing with teachers" implemented by the Vietnam Youth Union in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training and Thien Long Group.
