Binh, 32, an alumnus of the English specialized class at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, won third prize in the national merit exam for English in 11th grade and second prize in 12th grade.

While he was a fourth-year student at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Binh was invited by his former teachers to return and support the merit team.

“When I returned to support younger students, I was very excited to pass on the knowledge and experience I had gained as a national team member. At the same time, I was worried because my teaching skills were still developing, and I was afraid I might not be able to convey everything effectively,” Binh recalled.

In 2016, after graduating, he officially joined Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted. Since then, he has participated in training the national excellent student team every year, including three years as team leader.

Few people know that when he chose to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education, he had already dreamed of returning to his high school to teach. One important motivation was an unfinished aspiration from his student days: winning First Prize in the National Excellent Student Competition.

“From the very beginning of my teaching career, I hoped that my students would achieve first prize in the national competition in English, a dream I once pursued. Over the past decade, that has been both my motivation and my goal, pushing me to constantly explore and innovate in my teaching methods,” he said.

According to Binh, the greatest challenge in leading the English team lies in building an appropriate exercise bank. The national competition requires high-level language proficiency and exposure to diverse authentic materials. Searching for suitable learning resources to design practice tasks is very time-consuming.

In addition, the preparation period is highly demanding, as students must absorb a vast amount of knowledge. Beyond assigning and reviewing practice tests, teachers must vary teaching methods to maintain students’ motivation and prevent burnout. Grouping students and assigning peer-support tasks are also used to improve effectiveness.

Every night, Binh reflects on each lesson plan to deliver engaging classes. However, he is not alone in this journey. Other teachers in the department also contribute to training, each bringing a different teaching style and helping to create a flexible and inspiring learning environment.

“For me, each national competition is only a small milestone in the students’ journey of discovering and demonstrating their language ability. My role is to provide maximum support so they can realize their full potential and go as far as possible.

“Throughout the teaching process, I am not only a teacher at the podium but also a senior companion. At times, I am a friend, ready to listen to their exam pressures or personal concerns. When students feel trust, their learning journey becomes lighter and more effective,” he shared.

A student dream fulfilled

The 2025–2026 academic year marked Binh’s third time as team leader of the school’s national English team, and also an outstanding achievement: all 16 out of 16 participating students won prizes.

Notably, the team secured two first prizes, including one student who won both first prizes and became the national top scorer - Doan Thai Minh.

When he learned that his student had become the national top scorer with 16.8 points, Binh was overwhelmed with joy, as no previous member of the school’s national English team had achieved this distinction.

“The achievement Thai Minh earned in the recent national competition is entirely deserved, reflecting his tremendous effort throughout his preparation journey. I feel that my own student dream has finally come true in a truly wonderful and proud way,” Binh said.

Minh said Binh has been a great source of inspiration in his academic and personal growth.

Binh’s teaching methods are both effective and distinctive, particularly his approach of having students cross-check and grade each other’s work. This method enhances objectivity while helping students develop self-assessment skills, error correction, and multi-perspective thinking, Minh said.

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