Independent study: Relying on information from the Internet, Huynh Ngoc
Bang Tuyet devises interesting lectures for her students.
VietNamNet Bridge – "Bang Tuyet" means ice and snow, but this teacher -- who
decided overnight to devote her life to helping children with Down syndrome and
autism -- has a warm heart that contradicts the coldness of her name.
Huynh
Ngoc Bang Tuyet's eyes brightened and filled up at the same time.
One of
her students with Down syndrome at the Niem Tin (Belief) School for Disabled
Children had just said something praising her.
The
student's words could only be understood with difficulty, but for Tuyet, the
praise was ample reward for the time and effort she has spent year after year,
teaching her students to perform such simple actions as washing their hands,
brushing their teeth, and using a spoon to eat.
For her
current class of 12 students aged seven to 16, Tuyet is more than a teacher.
Over the eight years she has spent at the school, she has been a mother, a
nurse and a caregiver for many children. But it is not a job that she had
planned to take.
"I
once watched a television report on schools for disabled children. I came to
the school asking for information so I could arrange to send my nephew, who has
special needs, to study here. Unfortunately, it was not a suitable
school," Tuyet recalled.
But
while walking around the school and seeing the children there, she was deeply
moved and wanted to do something for them.
"I
felt sad for them, so I applied for a job here."
Tuyet
does not just turn up every day and help the children with whatever they need.
She frequently visits bookstores and browses the Internet in order to get more
information on teaching methods and materials that she can use to help her
wards.
When
she applied for the job, Tuyet knew that she would have to take care of the
children for years. Some students are 10 or 13 years old, but have the mental
growth of nine-month-old infants.
Nguyen
Thi Hue, who sends her 12-year-old grandson, Nguyen Ba Duy, to Tuyet's class,
said the boy has begun behaving well at home in recent years thanks to Tuyet's
teaching methods. He is now able to take care himself and invite others to have
meals at home.
In tears,
Hue said: "Tuyet is a good teacher. She never accepts gifts from me as she
knows my family's situation."
Tuyet,
who'd previously had 26 years of experience in pre-school education, talks
frequently with her students' relatives to understand more about their
background so that she can fashion appropriate teaching strategies.
Apart
from being a teacher, she has to play the roles of a mother and even a nurse
when she is class.
Some of
her students suffer from frequent epileptic fits, so she has to know very well
the measures to be taken to deal with them. She also has know-how to deal with
several different problems and conditions that her students live with.
"I
am aware that I have to be devoted and patient to help the children to know the
simplest thing and develop the most basic skills, like drinking water, eating
rice, going to the restroom," Tuyet said.
It is
not so difficult to be devoted and patient once people realize what a big
difference such small skills make, she added.
This is
why she is always smiling, although taking care of 12 children afflicted by
these conditions is a daunting task.
Tuyet
recalled that when she began teaching at the school, she was beaten by the
children and could not understand why they did it. Later, she recognized that
the children were unhappy. Approaching them with compassion, she tried to find
ways to understand them better and instruct them in basic daily activities.
Now,
several of her students can wash their hands, hold a glass to drink water, peel
boiled eggs. These simple achievements have required great efforts from the
teacher who is always looking to be creative and make her lessons simple and
interesting.
After
class, she returns home, but refused my request to visit her family.
I found
out later that she takes great care of her parents-in-law and husband. Tragedy
visited her happy family in 2000 when her husband had a serious traffic
accident and "lost his mind". Despite such a tough situation and the
meagre salary that the school gives, she insists on helping the children.
Do Thi
Xuan, another teacher at the school, said she admires Tuyet and has learnt a
lot from her.
In fact
everyone who meets Tuyet learns from her. Her limitless patience and love are a
lesson in compassionate living for everyone.
Source: VNS
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