Story in a charity class: The teacher is also a friend

Teacher Nguyen Duc Cam's passion for volunteering has lit up dreams for disadvantaged children in a charity class.

Teacher Nguyen Duc Cam enthusiastically guides children in doing their homework - Photo: BE HIEU

Regularly 2-3 times a week for 8 years, Mr. Nguyen Duc Cam (32 years old, from Nam Dinh , currently a math teacher and secretary of the Youth Union of Binh An Secondary School, Thu Duc City) drives more than 10km to go to the charity class at the headquarters of Quarter 5, Binh Trung Dong Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City.

The students here all come from poor families. Some of them cannot afford to go to school, and some are orphans and have to work hard to make a living by selling lottery tickets or collecting scrap metal.

Every day at around 4:30 - 5:00 pm, the children eagerly run to class, looking forward to meeting their teachers and friends. They greet everyone they meet with a friendly greeting. The fun and stories of children continue to resound until Mr. Cam begins the lesson.

At the beginning of class, the teacher spent time answering students' questions about their homework. Some students competed to get answers from him, while others innocently joked with him.

Teacher Nguyen Duc Cam shared, "The classroom is not only where I teach, but also where I learn many meaningful lessons about love and sharing from the children" - Photo: BE HIEU

Teacher Cam said he spends time talking, not only teaching but also sharing with students stories of everyday life.

I believe that respecting and treating students as friends will help them feel comfortable and trust, and thus be willing to share everything in life.

"The classroom is not only where I teach, but also where I learn many meaningful lessons about love and sharing from the students. Even though life is difficult, the students are still full of desire to rise up" - Mr. Cam confided.

Nguyen Nhut Anh (16 years old) shared: "I see my teacher as my brother, my father. There are times when he is strict, but it is because he wants us to be better every day. In addition to teaching math knowledge, he also teaches us about ethics so that we can grow up more comprehensively."

Teacher Nguyen Duc Cam is one of 457 faces receiving the title "Outstanding Young Teacher of Ho Chi Minh City" in 2024 - Photo: BE HIEU

Although the classroom lacks facilities and many students are of different ages, teaching is a bit difficult at first, but the smiles and small progress of the students are the biggest motivation in the teacher's teaching journey.

Teacher Cam said that there was once a student who, after many times of not being able to do a simple calculation, unexpectedly solved a problem correctly. The student smiled brightly and said: "I did it, teacher." That moment made him realize that all his efforts were worthwhile. It was the joy and progress of the students that made Teacher Cam even more confident that he was right in choosing this path.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cau-chuyen-o-mot-lop-hoc-tinh-thuong-nguoi-thay-cung-la-nguoi-ban-20250106102359947.htm