Happiness sparkles on the podium

People often look for happiness somewhere far away, in great, grand things. As for me, a primary school teacher, I find happiness in the clear sounds of the children's spelling, in innocent eyes and sometimes in simple gifts like a small candy that a student hastily pushes into my hand. My happiness, as a primary school teacher for decades, is as simple as that, it sparkles like the pure sunlight on the schoolyard every morning.

I will always remember the little student named Vinh, a smart boy but struggling with the "S" sound in English. With more than thirty years of experience, it seemed that I was powerless before his stubborn tongue. When practicing reading with him, every time he tried, all that came out was a dry "xì" or "xìt" sound, I involuntarily shook my head, followed by bursts of laughter from the whole class. At those times, my heart sank. I sternly reminded the children, but in my heart I told myself, let it be, never mind, when he grows up he will know.

But my heart as a teacher did not allow me to give up. I still persistently called out to him, correcting him little by little. Seeing the little student painfully purse his lips, wrinkle his nose to make a correct sound but failing, I felt so sorry for him. I could only encourage him to try harder in class, at home, wherever he could.

And then the miracle happened one early morning. While I was still busy connecting the computer, Vinh rushed into the classroom like a gust of wind, gasping and boasting: “Teacher, I can read it now…”.

My heart skipped a beat. I turned around, looked deeply into her clear eyes that were shining with pride, and asked:

- What's your name?

- My name's Vinh.

The word “name’s” rang out, with the “S” sound at the end gently, naturally like a passing breeze. At that moment, all the sounds around seemed to stop. My eyes suddenly welled up with tears, a boundless, pure and sweet happiness welled up in my chest. I quickly wrote on the board a few more words with the “S” sound at the end as if to check if he could really pronounce it, miraculously, he read it all fluently and naturally like a gentle flowing stream.

Oh my, that happiness is flowing into my open heart. So happy, my little student has done it! He has conquered himself. To me, that is not just a syllable pronounced correctly, it is a testament to tireless effort, the sweet fruit of faith and perseverance. That happiness makes me feel elated all day long.

My happiness sometimes comes from unexpected and smaller things. During recess, while I was busy preparing some pictures for the next lesson, a little girl sneaked up to me, put a candy in my hand and ran away before I could realize who she was. She must have been afraid that I would refuse. Holding the pretty candy in my hand, my heart felt strangely warm. All the fatigue of paperwork and exams seemed to disappear, leaving only the pure feelings of children anchored forever in my heart.

The happiness of a primary school teacher like me (and many other colleagues) is also during recess, when I can return to being a child. The students invited me to play ball with chopsticks. My hands, which had been used to holding chalk for decades, were stiff, but when I clumsily tossed the ball up, waited for it to hit the ground once and then caught it, the whole group clapped and cheered as if I had just performed a miracle. Childhood memories flooded back to me. I told the students that in the past, I did not have a beautiful ball like this, but had to pick up young grapefruits that had fallen from the garden to play with. The students' eyes widened, curiously asking all sorts of questions. It was during those times of "playing together" that I understood more about the world of the students, knew which students were living with their grandparents, which students were in difficult circumstances... to love and share more.

And then I realized, happiness is not only about receiving, but also about giving. At the beginning of each school year, I often prepare small gifts: a stack of notebooks, a bag of cute tumbler toys. Those are rewards for enthusiastic speaking, for excellent answers or a small good deed. I will never forget the bright faces, the eyes sparkling with pride and the joyful steps when the children received the gifts. The material gifts, though small, have ignited joy and excitement in the children, so that "every day at school is truly a happy day".

Happiness, to me, is not something far away. It exists in the round “S” sound of a student after many days of hard work. It is sweet in a small candy given away in a hurry. It is bustling in the laughter in the school yard and sparkles in the happy eyes of children. Happiness is when we realize that, with our own love and patience, we can not only feel it, but also spread it, lighting up joy and happiness in the souls of those around us. The happiness of our teachers and students has multiplied the happiness of many families and parents, that is for sure!

Ngo Thi Ngoc Diep

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202510/hanh-phuc-lap-lanh-tren-buc-giang-e2d15c0/