Education for Happiness – The Ideal of a Teacher with 15 Years of Teaching Experience
The teaching profession is not only merely about educating children but also a journey filled with love and responsibility. In the work of each teacher, the transmission of knowledge must always go hand in hand with building, nurturing, and caring for the dreams and aspirations of their students, thus cultivating a happy environment – where students can fully express themselves and develop comprehensively in their mental, physical, and moral aspects, shared Ms. Vu Thi Mai Huong – Principal of Sydney International School System.
In this edition of RT Connection magazine, we invite our esteemed readers to listen to the heartfelt words of Ms. Vu Thi Mai Huong about her meaningful journey at SISS – a newly established unit of RT Holdings experiencing remarkable growth.
Can you share some insights about your work process at RT Holdings and your current position?
For me, working at RT Holdings has been a significant turning point in my educational career. I officially joined RT Holdings in August 2022. During my 18 months of working here, thanks to the trust from the leadership, I have had the opportunity to hold various important positions, including serving as Principal of WASS Kindergarten Campus at 260 Dien Bien Phu, Head of Academic Affairs, and currently Principal of Sydney International School System.
How do you feel about being the “pioneer” leading the SISS community? Do the challenges of leading a new school or a new brand make you anxious?
Being appointed to lead a new school system by the leadership was truly a challenge for me. Throughout my career, I have always seen challenges and difficulties as valuable opportunities for learning, expanding knowledge, and accumulating more skills and experiences.
Above all, I enjoy working with young children. Seeing them happy and carefree with their friends and teachers every day fills me with happiness. This is the biggest motivation for me and the team of teachers and staff at SISS to strive harder to provide a positive learning environment for the students. Additionally, I feel fortunate to work with a dedicated and enthusiastic team. For me, this journey has never been solitary, and although there are difficulties and challenges ahead, I believe that with passion, proactive work, and a spirit of progress, the SISS community will continue to develop and make even stronger impressions on the path ahead.
In the process of developing and managing an international school, what do you think is the most important factor that needs to be focused on?
As a school organized according to the model of happiness education, I believe that the first and most important aspect in the operation and management process is human resources. A school with teachers and staff who are dedicated to their profession, loving students as their own children, will create “happy classrooms.” Alongside this, to uphold and sustainably develop this ideal, every member of the SISS community must always be flexible in applying technology, innovating teaching methods to improve quality, and creating a safe learning environment that encourages creativity and confidence in students.
Could you highlight some outstanding achievements of the SISS community in its first academic year?
The first academic year was indeed a challenging one for teachers and students at SISS, as everyone worked together to build everything from the smallest bricks. However, I am more confident when I see positive changes at the school and the activities successfully organized with enthusiastic participation from students such as House Sports Day, Happy 100 First Days at School, or most recently, TEDxSISS Youth 2024. This year also marked SISS’s first participation in the Vex Robotics Championship 2024. Although we did not achieve high results, I can see great efforts from both teachers and students in this competition. For me, that’s also a success, a stepping stone for teachers and students to gain more experience and skills in upcoming activities.
Could you share your thoughts on the teaching profession and your aspirations for RT Holdings in general and SISS in particular in the future?
I have been involved in education for nearly 15 years. During this time, I have been fortunate to work with many dedicated managers, colleagues, and partners who have inspired me greatly on my educational journey. I understand that the portrait of a teacher in a new context needs to be “positioned” through requirements for standards, creativity, and the pervasive spirit. Therefore, I always hope to create a friendly, happy learning environment where teachers can listen and share difficulties to find solutions together, and students are loved and cared for in terms of their academic pursuits, psychological health, and emotional well-being. For SISS in particular, what the community of teachers at the school will strive for is to provide a quality international learning environment, while continually improving the mental “health” of the students. This is also the strength that SISS will focus on developing in the future.
