A "ten out of ten" lecture

Sunday - 31/03/2024 07:15

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu, a lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu - a dedicated educator at the Faculty of Education, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), is a teacher whose students score 10/10, even... 11/10. If it's lower than 10, it's because: "Sometimes, a score of 9.5 will make her happy and willing to receive."

Career “chooses” people

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu was 1 of the 9 outstanding lecturers rewarded by HUST in 2023. She became a lecturer strangely because she had been working in another specialization for 5 years beforehand. Dr. Tu was allowed to approach teaching at the Faculty of Education, taking on the responsibility of teaching Soft Skills alongside some Information Technology modules.

Embracing a career in education, Dr. Tu has discovered that the teaching profession allowed her to leverage her strengths, as evidenced by the heartfelt messages and letters of appreciation from students who had been impacted by her teachings.

A letter Mrs. Tu received from her student

Letters and messages from students warmed her heart. Those "priceless treasures" motivated Mrs. Tu to "fulfill the love for the teaching profession". She always encourages her students: "Let you express positive emotions and love to those around you!"

Despite having been involved in the teaching profession for many years (graduated from HUST in 2004), Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu retains the respectful tradition of addressing her seniors as teachers. Even when being honored as an Outstanding Lecturer in 2023, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu expressed surprise and a sense of humility owing to her feeling of not being good enough like many others. "It's not that I'm not confident with what I've achieved, it's just that I have many extremely talented, dynamic and creative colleagues," confided Mrs. Tu.

Working in an environment full of talented people brings Mrs. Tu great development opportunities: "The precious thing I received is the trust of my leadership. They empowered me to make meaningful contributions and establish myself within the field." She affirmed: "HUST nourishes my soul with tolerance and love. I always appreciate everything I receive from HUST."

Not only learning from other lecturers, but Mrs. Tu also actively seeks learning opportunities from her students as well. Remarkably, Dr. Thanh Tu once taught a male student - the person she called "Big Friend" - who battled significant health challenges that impeded daily activities like speaking, walking, and writing. When taking the exam, he had to ask for an extra 30 minutes because he didn't write as fast as other students.

When she saw the group of male students sitting at the bottom of the lecture hall, Mrs. Tu invited "Big Friend'' to be in front to be more convenient in learning, but she received the response: “Please let me sit in my group like other normal students.” Despite many difficulties in daily life, the male student still studied well and graduated from HUST with very good achievement. “If I were you, I wouldn't have such determination. Thank you for having the courage to chase your dream.", Mrs. Tu shared her admiration towards her "Big Friend''.

The lecturer’s love, kindness, and dedication made her beloved by many students. Almost all students naturally gravitate toward a teacher who offers gentle guidance, inspires them to reach their full potential, and motivates them to overcome life's challenges.

Students..."grade" their teacher

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu (to the right) goes on a business trip with her colleagues & students

Numerous students credit Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu with the ability to capture their hearts. Some sentiments from her students are listed below:

Ngo Xuan Huy, a cohort 59 student, School of Information and Communications Technology shared: "Thanks to Mrs. Tu, I have more motivation and determination to apply for a postgraduate scholarship. For me, studying for a master's degree abroad after obtaining the HUST prestigious degree is one of the best decisions I have made. Mrs. Tu is the person who helped me orient myself and come to the right decision.

If I could "grade" Mrs. Tu, I would give her a score of 9/10. I hope that with the remaining 1 point, she will always maintain her current love for the teaching profession so that the next generations of HUST will have the opportunity to experience an extremely professional but also very humane pedagogical environment.”

Danh Tu, a cohort 63 alumnus, School of Information and Communications Technology confided: "For me, Mrs. Tu is a very enthusiastic lecturer. She has a very skillful and sophisticated way of interacting with students and is an abundant and positive source of energy. Therefore, Mrs. Tu's class is always full of students attentively listening to lectures. She encourages us to share our views on life and social issues. She motivated introverted students to step out of their comfort zone, and bravely share their stories and opinions with the whole class. From a student who used to be “very poor in communication", "afraid of standing in front of crowds”, ... thanks to Mrs. Tu, I have realized many positive things in life. Mrs. Tu is the lecturer that I impressed and loved the most during my student time.”

Nguyen Lam Hai, a cohort 63 student in class GIMP 17, School of Information and Communications Technology said: "When talking about Mrs. Tu, there is only one word that can cover everything: Kindness. She has given us many opportunities to try in many different fields, and at the same time made us look back at ourselves to determine who we are, and what our values are so that we can have motivation to strive on our chosen path. There is no scale to evaluate kindness and dedication. I hope she will have good health to create many invaluable learning experiences."

Nguyen Huu Truong, a cohort 67 student, School of Chemistry and Life Sciences stated: “Mrs. Tu is very special to me. Before meeting her, I was very self-conscious, shy, and indifferent to life. Thanks to her heartfelt sharing, I have learned a lot of soft skills and shaped myself to create my human identity. She always guides students toward a kind and ethical lifestyle.

Mrs. Tu is also a trusted advisor and companion. She always listens and encourages me when I get in trouble. Her support and affection have helped me overcome all challenges. I believe that what I learn from her will deeply affect my future.

On a scale of 10, I would rate her 9.5 because when she receives a score of 10, she may be under pressure. Sometimes, a score of 9.5 will make her happy and willing to receive."

Tran Yen Vi, a cohort 66 student majoring in Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Life Sciences affirmed: "Mrs. Tu is a nice teacher who has good expertise. She is very friendly with her students. I feel that Mrs. Tu has profound knowledge and rich experience. Above all, her teaching style is very interesting, even the class on Saturday morning cannot make me sleepy or bored. In addition, she is an inspiration to students. I like the stories she tells as examples; they help us understand the lesson and spread positive energy to everyone."

Dinh Thi Trang Nhung, a cohort 67 student majoring in Food Engineering, School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, expressed: "Mrs. Tu is a very friendly lecturer with students. Her classes are comfortable. She brought us many vivid examples, not just slides with dry theories. She always listens to students' opinions and gives us advice. If she can't, she also "asks for debt" for thinking, but she never leaves those questions hanging. She works very conscientiously. Even late at night, she always tries to correct group exercises so that we can have the most complete report.

For me, Mrs. Tu is 10/10. I know when she reads it, she will say "I don't deserve this point yet", but to us, Mrs. Tu deserves it, very very worthy!"

Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Thao, a cohort 67 student majoring in Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, recalled: "Mrs. Tu has a lot of positive energy but is also shy when receiving compliments or kind words. To me, Mrs. Tu is a truly dedicated lecturer. Every day standing on the podium, she brings all her knowledge to her students. She is always ready to listen to her students, give students the right to make decisions, respect, and devote herself to students. It's hard to find such a dedicated lecturer.

Mrs. Tu has given me a lot of positive energy. She taught me how to share, listen, and even improve my outlook on life in the best and most authentic way. For students, going to work and school takes a lot of energy and time, but in each of her classes, I feel very relaxed. To be more precise, her classes are sessions where students share their individual feelings, and she is ready to listen to everything.

If I were to "grade" Mrs. Tu on a scale of 10, I would not hesitate to give her a score of 11. I am very grateful to her because she has created extremely good values for her life and the people around her."

Nguyen Hoai Nam, a cohort 63 student majoring in Systems and Thermal Equipment, School of Mechanical Engineering, related: “My classmates and I were fortunate to meet Mrs. Tu through studying Soft Skills in the 2020.2 semester. She is an exemplary, responsible teacher who always cares for her students when they have difficulty studying. Besides, her lectures are useful and valuable to us. In addition to professional knowledge such as time management, confident communication skills, presentation skills, etc. We also learned life lessons through her own experiences, which helped us visualize more visually the importance of the subject, as well as increase the connection between lecturers and students.

For me personally, my first impression of Mrs. Tu was her voice. I still clearly remember that first online class, when she started lecturing, I had to exclaim in my heart "Your voice sounds so good", cool and comfortable. At the same time, combined with a logical and in-depth narrative explanation, it makes me love the subject instead of the dry boredom regardless of online or offline form.

Before knowing her, I was a shy and introverted student. Combined with my disability, I always had negative thoughts and low self-esteem. After meeting and confiding in Mrs. Tu, I gradually opened my heart and thought more positively: "This life is always full of difficulties, but there are also many beautiful things, as long as we have the will to make an effort. Do our best, one day we will succeed.”

Thanks to Mrs. Tu, my academic performance gradually improved. From my first-year CPA of 1.91/4.00, I tried to reach a CPA of 3.33/4.00 (no need to study for improvement) and was preparing to graduate with a good degree. Besides the encouragement from my family, Mrs. Tu is a great motivator to help me become the best version of myself. I am always grateful, love and consider her as my second mother. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu is 10/10!”

Tran Trang - Mai Duong

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