(VOVWORLD) - Teacher Nguyen Quoc Thu Tram, the principal of Binh Minh kindergarten in the central city of Da Nang, is known for her many education initiatives. Tram is dedicated to her students, many of whom are mentally impaired.
 Nguyen Quoc Thu Tram and students at Binh Minh kindergarten in the central city of Da Nang. (Photo: VOV) |
Tram’s initiative on toys to help disabled kindergarteners integrate won her a first prize at the municipal level followed by a consolation prize at the national level in the 2016 Technical Innovation Contest. She was recently named an outstanding individual in the emulation movement in Da Nang in the 2015-2020 period.
Tram says toys for disabled children are difficult to find in the market and are very expensive. This gave her the idea of using natural materials to create safe, environment-friendly toys for children. Tram’s bamboo boats and colorful pencil pots help disabled children integrate into the school environment.
She has also done a lot of research on better teaching methods. Tram and the other teachers in her school have created age-appropriate toys that make disabled children more independent and stimulate their interest in learning.
“At our school, we teach the children useful skills. A kindergarten teacher needs to love her pupils as if they were her own children. Our teachers are trained to use methods designed specifically for working with disabled pupils,” said Tram.
To help the environment, Tram uses household waste to make toys and other teaching tools for her school.
Le Phan Quynh Chi, a teacher at Binh Minh kindergarten, said, “It’s difficult to teach disabled children. Ms. Tram makes sure we’re trained to help disabled children integrate into the school and into society.”
 A corner of Binh Minh kindergarten. (Photo: VOV) |
Disabled and autistic children start out limited in their communication with others. Patient teachers using handmade toys encourage the children to communicate more and that helps them integrate more successfully.
Hoang Thanh Ha, the mother of a Binh Minh pupil, said, “My daughter is 5 years old and is not confident in communicating. At Binh Minh kindergarten, she has been taken care of very well by the teachers”.
In the 2018-2019 school year, Binh Minh kindergarten was chosen by the Ministry of Education and Training as a pilot school for its children-centered teaching models.