Teaching children with disabilities - a journey of patience
Soc Son School for Disabled Children currently has 90 students aged 6 and up, each with their own story. They come here with congenital disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disability or hearing loss. Notably, many children have not just one disability but multiple disabilities. Therefore, teaching them is not just a job, but also a journey of patience, love and sacrifice.
“The biggest challenge is not knowledge, but students’ awareness. Deaf children are usually healthy and have good learning ability, but those with intellectual disabilities or Down syndrome are a completely different story. There are days when we teach the letter O for a whole session, but the next day the children cannot remember it, like a blank sheet of paper,” shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Quyen, Vice Principal of the school.
But instead of being disappointed, the teachers here choose to be patient, gentle, and encourage little by little, because they understand that the children's progress is a long process.
The curriculum is designed based on the State's primary education framework, but the school adjusts it to suit each child's ability. The goal is to help them learn to read, write, and most importantly, to integrate into life.
In class, teachers do not impose punishment when students do not know their lessons or do not do their homework. As long as they diligently come to class every day and cooperate, that is a success.
Happiness choked when the child said his wishes
Teaching children with disabilities is a job that requires more patience than expertise. Teachers not only face difficulties in teaching, but also have to deal with unexpected situations. Many children are hyperactive, sometimes unable to control their emotions, causing destruction, screaming, even punching and throwing chairs at teachers and friends. However, with patience and close coordination with families, teachers gradually help children improve their behavior and find peace of mind.
Despite the hardships, the teachers here always find joy in the small steps their students take. That is when they learn to listen to their teachers, sit up straight, or simply greet their teachers clearly for the first time.
Ms. Le Thuy Nga, Principal of Soc Son School for the Disabled, shared that she could not forget the emotional memory of a meeting with children in an apartment building in Hanoi on Vietnamese Teachers' Day. When a child from the school boldly stood up to wish the teachers a Happy New Year, the whole hall fell silent. Those simple wishes from a disabled child became an extremely precious gift that the teachers had been waiting for for many years, their hearts choked up, tears welled up.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, few people realize that the teachers at Soc Son School for the Disabled have spent their youth, even their entire lives, to see their young students gradually integrate and stand on their own two feet.
Join hands to help disabled children have full meals at school
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Quyen, Vice Principal, shared: “Currently, each student has to pay an additional 13,000 VND/day for boarding meals. However, some students in difficult circumstances cannot pay for meals, so they have to go home at noon and cannot go to class in the afternoon, affecting their studies. Therefore, the school hopes to receive support from benefactors to ensure that all students have a full boarding lunch every day.”
