Thinking about the teaching profession

In society, there are professions that, once you leave them, you no longer want to think about, but teaching is different. I know that in this particular field, there are teachers who, even after their retirement,Officially retired decades ago, yet the vocation of teaching seems to remain intact within them. They are beautiful flowers that deserve to be cherished in society. It's no coincidence that in society, only two professions are called "teachers": teachers and doctors. Despite this glory, for a long time, the teaching profession was still "turned away" by society:Only those who can't find a way to get into teacher training college end up running alongside their rat.Then there was a period when students flocked to teacher training colleges, not necessarily because of passion or dedication to the profession, but because there were no tuition fees, and it was easy to find a job after graduation. Generally speaking, it's an unstable profession. Or it could be difficult; not everyone can do it. So, is being a teacher really that difficult? Personally, it wasn't until I officially completed nearly 40 years of my career that I found an answer that I could consider somewhat acceptable: being a teacher might be easy for some, but for others, it's truly difficult. It's easy because, on the surface, compared to many other professions, teaching doesn't require "muscle," the work seems "leisurely," "easygoing": no manual labor, no daily commute to the office, and respected by many in society (how else would someone be called a teacher if they weren't "respected"?).

The teaching profession faces a lot of social pressure, but few teachers become wealthy from their profession.

But being a teacher is also difficult. Because once you accept this job, it also means accepting sacrifice: one cannot become rich by being a teacher (except for a few exceptionally talented and outstanding individuals). There has long been a saying in folklore...Without trade, there is no wealth.Having dedicated almost my entire life to teaching, I can confidently say that in our society, very few teachers are wealthy (or those who are wealthy must have additional jobs or some kind of "shady" activity). Recently, I read online that a study at an American university suggests that Vietnamese university professors can earn billions of dong annually. I also know of a few professors (thanks to tutoring or some kind of "trick") who earn billions of dong annually, owning cars and mansions. But these are exceptional cases. Generally speaking, the majority of teachers in our society are still very poor, while the social pressure they face is immense. This has its reasons; the teaching profession (and also medicine) is always subject to criticism and scrutiny from millions of people. Every family has members who are studying (and receiving medical care). And naturally, all issues concerning... Regarding education, exams, the ethics of teachers and doctors, and even their jobs, people often place all the blame on the education sector. Indeed, society's view of these "two professions" is sometimes very unfair. Let me give you an example: in the recent confidence vote for the ministers, both the doctors and teachers were ranked last. Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry and Trade, also the head of the industrial sector, who for nearly half a century (since the country's reunification and international integration) hasn't even produced a decent screw, and whose automobile production is still a distant dream, importing even the smallest consumer goods like toothpicks, threads, and needles, still receives a higher confidence rating than the doctors and teachers. Society is truly very unfair. I say this so that everyone can have a more impartial view of the teaching (and medical) professions…

I assert that being a teacher is difficult, partly because anyone who enters this profession must be prepared for sacrifice, must set an example for their students, must have compassion, and sometimes must even resort to hypocrisy—that is, to deceive oneself in the face of overwhelming desires, yet still force oneself to suppress them. Faced with material desires and base passions, the teaching profession acts as a barrier preventing teachers from being swept away. Teachers, like doctors, once they enter the profession, carry with them the Hippocratic Oath: not only must they be role models in morality, but they must also be role models in their profession. I don't believe that expertise here means having a lot of degrees (although that's also part of their responsibility), but rather about truly delving deep into one's specialized field, being passionate and dedicated, having enough enthusiasm to inspire passion in students, and being creative – "creative," as Professor Do Duc Hieu, my and many generations of Literature students, said, so as not to "turn students into copies of themselves."

I once experienced emotions that almost brought tears to my eyes when I happened to read my teacher's heartfelt words on November 20th, in the final years before his passing:Every year, November 20th feels like someone else's birthday to me. Recently, some former students have been writing on my behalf. The teachers and students work together, immersed in a culture of camaraderie and affection. I am indebted to these students; they are a source of light in my life."; and "I love teaching; it harmonizes perfectly with writing literary criticism and conducting literary research. With a strong sense of national pride in my blood, reading modern authors from around the world often feels like getting lost in a labyrinth of literary theory and philosophy, like a "wild man" wandering into a modern city. I always tell myself: don't live in fantasy, you must learn; you must keep moving forward, you must "run," hoping to catch up with the world, catch up with humanity.Indeed, for a long time, Professor Do Duc Hieu lived right in the heart of Hanoi (26 Hang Bai Street), yet he seemed like someone who had wandered off from another planet. He abandoned all his (material) desires to wholeheartedly devote himself to books and student training, remaining naive about the world of money, even to the point where he didn't have 50,000 dong in his pocket for a daily meal, which was already very meager.

Author Tran Hinh and teacher Dang Thi Hanh/Photo: Thanh Long

Throughout my life as a teacher (and also as a student), I have witnessed many exemplary teachers right beside me—Professor Phan Cự Đệ, Hà Minh Đức, Lê Hồng Sâm, Đặng Thị Hạnh, Nguyễn Văn Khỏa…—whose actions, though very ordinary and simple, have always made me think deeply. Some of these simple actions and thoughts I have been able to emulate, and some I haven't, but all of them have left me with profound gratitude, because thanks to them I have gradually perfected my professional character. Being a teacher is not easy, even when one is fully equipped with the knowledge to impart to students, with many years of teaching experience and a wealth of experience—one must never be complacent before each class, and must always ensure they grasp every detail of the material before standing in front of the class. I remember a long time ago, around 1977 or 1978, I was assigned to teach a part-time class in Hai Duong with Professor Do Duc Hieu. At that time, Professor Do Duc Hieu was the vice-head of the Literature Department, in charge of professional matters, and we were in the same subject group. The night before the class, wanting to be in the best health for the next morning, I went to bed early. But I was very surprised when, after dozing off, I suddenly woke up and saw that there seemed to be a faint light on my teacher's bed: he hadn't gone to sleep yet, he was flipping through a book, seemingly quietly so as not to disturb the sleep of the person next to him. When I asked, "Professor, why haven't you gone to bed yet? We have an early lecture tomorrow, don't we?" The professor, who had been teaching for thirty years, quietly replied that evening, in a way that would later make me feel embarrassed: "Hinh, you go to sleep. I'll stay up a little longer to review the lesson for tomorrow's class."

A teacher who had nearly thirty years of teaching experience (at that time), and who had mastered his lectures, yet still carefully reviewed every page of his lesson plan the night before class, taught me a profound lesson in the teaching profession: a teacher should never allow themselves to be "careless" in front of students, because to them, each teacher is considered a "living saint," always speaking the truth and accuracy. Avoidable mistakes in teaching can sometimes leave lasting "haunting" impressions on students. A teacher's negligence may not be as "deadly" as a doctor's, but it can still have equally harmful consequences: students may lose faith due to incorrect knowledge, or it could lead to "mistakes" in their future careers, significantly impacting society. Indeed, being a teacher is not easy.

I think that in the Faculty of Literature and at the former University, as well as the current University of Social Sciences and Humanities, there are many exemplary teachers (whose names I can't list here) who have dedicated their entire lives to their profession. In their old age, some are "well-off," others are somewhat "well-off," but few are wealthy. Therefore, accepting the teaching profession is not easy. But if I were told that, now, if I had a magical power to choose again, I would still choose to be a teacher. I'm being serious, not exaggerating at all, because my son, who currently works for a foreign company, has often said to me, half-jokingly, half-seriously:I find my parents really strange. They've worked in the same place for decades, earning just enough for a modest life, yet they've never once considered moving anywhere."That's true. For me, where else could I choose to go when all this time I've only been 'trained' to be a teacher? If I weren't a teacher, I really wouldn't know what other profession to pursue. Ultimately, being a teacher is a kind of happiness, or in other words, a 'billionaire,' a billionaire in spirit. I can confidently say this based on my nearly 40 years of teaching experience. Please be patient and listen to my explanation..."

But teaching is a sacred and noble profession.

Firstly, as I mentioned above, there are many professions in society, but only two are called "teachers": teachers and doctors, and that is a blessing. Secondly, being a teacher, at least I get the joy of teaching every day, of sharing my limited knowledge with many generations of students, of watching them grow and contribute to their families and society. I would like to recount a few small, amusing stories. A long time ago, I once took my friend Nguyen Huy Hoang (currently in Russia) to the emergency room at a hospital. He had appendicitis. While rushing him on a stretcher into the operating room, both Nguyen Huy Hoang and I were startled:Hello, teacher.!” We looked up, and a middle-aged woman, who had just greeted us, introduced herself as one of the teachers' students. That day she was in the hospital visiting a relative. Seeing the teacher lying on the emergency stretcher, she spontaneously offered a respectful greeting (a small joy); another time, on my way to class, when passing an intersection, because class was about to start, I took advantage of the red light to quickly "run" through. A police officer stopped my car with a very serious expression, and the first thing he did was ask for my identification. That day I didn't have my ID with me, so I quickly told him:I'm sorry, please just write out the penalty for me, any amount will do, but hurry up, I'm about to go to class.When the police officer heard me say, "It's almost time for class," and realized I was a teacher, he immediately changed his attitude and said to me, "Then you should hurry up, and pay a little more attention next time."There was no penalty notice. Another time, about 20 years ago, I was giving a guest lecture at the Faculty of Literature, Hue University of Science. On the very first day of class, I witnessed an unexpected sight: a whole 'forest' of female students below, all wearing white ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), I asked..."What's wrong, kids?"?", the entire forest of white flowers unanimously replied: "VThat's the teacher, sir!“I was deeply moved. Later, I learned that because I was a visiting teacher from the North, and it had been a long time since a teacher from the North had come here, the students spontaneously decided to wear white ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) to class to surprise me… Indeed, being a teacher is truly a blessing, because in life you get to encounter countless “small joys like that.” It’s no coincidence that folk traditions have for generations held sayings honoring teachers:Without a teacher, you can't achieve anything.”, “A single word can make a teacher, half a word can make a teacher.” (“Even a single word or half a word can be learned from a teacher.”), “If you want to cross the river, build a bridge; if you want your children to be well-educated, cherish the teacher...."

That's all I've learned from my teaching career over the past nearly 40 years. In our generation, choosing a profession wasn't really that important. But today it's different. I know that young people today don't prioritize teaching everywhere. Society is more "pragmatic" now, and career choices lean more towards "materialism," making spiritual values ​​more fragile. Furthermore, due to the fierce competition for money, while many good examples still exist in the education system, there are also quite a few "dark examples." But no matter how things change, I believe the teaching profession will always be necessary, important, and sacred to many people. There will be no good society without good teachers.

                                                                                                                       20/11/2014