Inclusive Education - Teaching from the Heart
Inclusive education is no longer a new part of the education sector's mission worldwide, but in Vietnam, many teachers are still confused and unfamiliar with it. Many students with disabilities have difficulty accessing knowledge, integrating with peers, and being equal in society.
Where and how to start?
In the small room where the school combines the library and the "Inclusion" room, Ms. Thuy, a vocal music teacher at Tran Phu Secondary School, will meet biweekly with students with disabilities. She teaches children life skills and other fun activities, such as making refreshing lemonade for the summer. The teachers thoughtfully guided the 10 students step by step, reminding them to go home and practice making it for their parents.
“Each student with disabilities has a unique personality and strengths. I accompany them and help them better understand their own value through their emotions and actions, helping them become more open with those around them. At first, my colleagues and I encountered many difficulties when approaching the students. Some students ran around during class, or did not pay attention in class, affecting other students, but gradually, when you learn to be more patient with children and understand them better, everything becomes easier.”
In the Inclusion room at Nguyen Ba Ngoc primary school, each special lesson will only consist of 1-2 children, but the lessons are carefully and interestingly prepared by Ms. Hieu. Because the children's attention spans are shorter than those of other students, the teacher divided the activities into appropriate time periods and paired them with illustrative, colorful lectures so the children can fully enjoy and participate.
As a Gen Z teacher, Ms. Hieu was assigned to teach the Inclusion class right from her first day. Now, nearly 5 years into her career, she has never once felt like giving up or at a disadvantage compared to her peers when taking on classes with students with disabilities. Her dedication is rewarded with the students' progress. When they memorize all the letters and read each number, she feels even more motivated. "When I'm devoted to the children, they also love me back," Ms. Hieu shared.
In the Vietnamese inclusive class (a public school class with students with disabilities participating in the same curriculum) led by Ms. Linh at Phan Boi Primary School, she always uses free time to provide additional guidance to students with disabilities.
She assigns students in groups to tutor those students, so they can keep up with the whole class and not feel lost. When she first accepted students with disabilities, she often felt very sad because she did not know how to help them write beautifully, read quickly, or correctly calculate like other students, despite spending a lot of time guiding them. But after taking many training courses on the skills and knowledge needed to teach students with disabilities, she realized she should let them develop their strengths rather than force them to follow the schedule as she had hoped. Some of her students won prizes in drawing competitions thanks to her changes in teaching methods.
To bond with students with disabilities, professional knowledge alone is not enough. The bond between teacher and student is also about being understanding and loving, helping students overcome timidity and proving that life is still full of meaning. Understanding the disadvantages of children with disabilities, teachers have become second fathers and mothers figures who are always there for them and open a new world with less fortunate students with love and tolerance.
In addition, teachers need to update and practice appropriate teaching methods for students with disabilities. Teachers also accompany parents on this arduous journey, so that no one is left behind, and open the doors to the future for children with disabilities, and improve equality in social integration for them.
The above schools receive support from the Inclusive Education Project, jointly implemented by VNHIP and the Research Center for Inclusive Development (RCI). The project has supported the establishment of Inclusion rooms at schools and organized capacity-building training for primary and secondary school teachers on teaching students with disabilities.
Inclusive education is no longer a new part of the education sector's mission worldwide, but in Vietnam, many teachers are still confused and unfamiliar with it. Many students with disabilities have difficulty accessing knowledge, integrating with peers, and being equal in society.
Where and how to start?
In the small room where the school combines the library and the "Inclusion" room, Ms. Thuy, a vocal music teacher at Tran Phu Secondary School, will meet biweekly with students with disabilities. She teaches children life skills and other fun activities, such as making refreshing lemonade for the summer. The teachers thoughtfully guided the 10 students step by step, reminding them to go home and practice making it for their parents.
“Each student with disabilities has a unique personality and strengths. I accompany them and help them better understand their own value through their emotions and actions, helping them become more open with those around them. At first, my colleagues and I encountered many difficulties when approaching the students. Some students ran around during class, or did not pay attention in class, affecting other students, but gradually, when you learn to be more patient with children and understand them better, everything becomes easier.”
In the Inclusion room at Nguyen Ba Ngoc primary school, each special lesson will only consist of 1-2 children, but the lessons are carefully and interestingly prepared by Ms. Hieu. Because the children's attention spans are shorter than those of other students, the teacher divided the activities into appropriate time periods and paired them with illustrative, colorful lectures so the children can fully enjoy and participate.
As a Gen Z teacher, Ms. Hieu was assigned to teach the Inclusion class right from her first day. Now, nearly 5 years into her career, she has never once felt like giving up or at a disadvantage compared to her peers when taking on classes with students with disabilities. Her dedication is rewarded with the students' progress. When they memorize all the letters and read each number, she feels even more motivated. "When I'm devoted to the children, they also love me back," Ms. Hieu shared.
In the Vietnamese inclusive class (a public school class with students with disabilities participating in the same curriculum) led by Ms. Linh at Phan Boi Primary School, she always uses free time to provide additional guidance to students with disabilities.
She assigns students in groups to tutor those students, so they can keep up with the whole class and not feel lost. When she first accepted students with disabilities, she often felt very sad because she did not know how to help them write beautifully, read quickly, or correctly calculate like other students, despite spending a lot of time guiding them. But after taking many training courses on the skills and knowledge needed to teach students with disabilities, she realized she should let them develop their strengths rather than force them to follow the schedule as she had hoped. Some of her students won prizes in drawing competitions thanks to her changes in teaching methods.
To bond with students with disabilities, professional knowledge alone is not enough. The bond between teacher and student is also about being understanding and loving, helping students overcome timidity and proving that life is still full of meaning. Understanding the disadvantages of children with disabilities, teachers have become second fathers and mothers figures who are always there for them and open a new world with less fortunate students with love and tolerance.
In addition, teachers need to update and practice appropriate teaching methods for students with disabilities. Teachers also accompany parents on this arduous journey, so that no one is left behind, and open the doors to the future for children with disabilities, and improve equality in social integration for them.
The above schools receive support from the Inclusive Education Project, jointly implemented by VNHIP and the Research Center for Inclusive Development (RCI). The project has supported the establishment of Inclusion rooms at schools and organized capacity-building training for primary and secondary school teachers on teaching students with disabilities.
