Ms. Ngo Hong Hiep (born in 1974) has 25 years of experience in the teaching profession. Ms. Hiep started working in the education sector in 1999 at Ho Chi Minh City College of Food Industry, then transferred to teach at Nguyen Van To Secondary School (District 10); from 2009 to present, she has been a Literature teacher at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (District 3).
Ms. Hiep said that before deciding to change her career path to become a teacher, she had a period of time working in another job with a fairly high income at that time.
"In fact, making the decision to change jobs at that time was not easy, I had to think a lot. I realized that I had not done anything for my life, I needed to be responsible for the next generation. From then on, I decided to change direction, choose to become a teacher, and have been with her until now," Ms. Hiep recalled.
According to the female teacher, in the first years of changing careers, she often felt regretful, thinking, perhaps she had made the wrong decision, because the salary for teachers at that time was quite low, and her family's life encountered many difficulties.
"But then, after all, I still continue to stick with the teaching profession, perhaps that is my fate, my career. In particular, the maturity of the students during the teaching process proves to me that I did not make the wrong decision when choosing this path.
I remember the 2011-2014 school year, I, the students and their parents organized some volunteer activities. After those volunteer activities, I saw that the students had changed a lot. They were more conscious and knew how to appreciate what they had. Until now, many students still call me from time to time to ask me about places that are still in difficulty and need help. I am really happy to know that they have grown up," Ms. Hiep said.
Sharing her professional experience, Ms. Hiep said that each teacher has their own experience accumulated through each year of teaching, and the same goes for her.
"I think that to teach well, it is necessary to understand students, to put yourself in their shoes, to know what pressures they are under. Literature is a subject that requires perception, each student will have their own perspective and feelings; when you understand what students need, you will come up with appropriate teaching methods, thereby arousing their love for literature so that they are more interested," Ms. Hiep shared.
Ms. Hiep also said that constantly updating lectures and teaching methods by applying information technology is also a way to help students avoid boredom.
"In the teaching process, I have never directed students to any practical work. I only hope that through Literature, I can help them gain a rich vocabulary, so that in the future, no matter what situation or job they are in, they can use language most fluently...", Ms. Hiep said.
For the younger generation who intend to pursue a teaching career, she advises them to be prepared to accept the pressures and difficulties of the profession. In particular, they must love their students and put themselves in their shoes, only then will they understand and do well in their professional and homeroom work.
Regarding the award Vo Truong Toan received this year, Ms. Hiep said she was very happy, because this is a noble award for those working in the teaching profession.
"The award recognizes my dedication to my profession and is also a motivation for me to continue trying," said Ms. Hiep.
2024 is the 27th time the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has coordinated to present the Vo Truong Toan Award to outstanding teachers, educators, and managers of the city.
This year's award recipients include 37 teachers, civil servants, and public employees from preschool, primary, secondary, general education, and vocational education and continuing education centers, and 13 managers of schools, departments, and professional offices under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training.
