Written by: Phan Thi Quynh Trang, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The Mentoring Season 2 program, founded by Ms. Trang Phan (10 Most Influential Entrepreneurs of 2023), is sponsored by ClassPoint. It all started with some wondering. As a seasoned educator, Trang has always thought about how she could contribute to education in her country-Vietnam in a meaningful way. A lot has been discussed on how to improve students’ learning with new textbooks, and new methodologies coming into practice. However, Trang saw a lack of discussion in professional development for teachers, who definitely play a major role in education. She realized that it is not enough for teachers to rely solely on textbooks, textbooks, and lectures in order to be effective educators, and teachers tend to resist changes and stick to the status quo. Trang saw the need for a program that offered direct guidance from experienced mentors, giving them the chance to learn from people who had been through similar experiences. It will also require educators to learn new things and reach out of their comfort zones. And from that, the Mentoring program took off.
As part of the program, mentees receive one-on-one support from mentors and work collaboratively with other mentees on different tasks set forth by the program, creating a sense of a learning and mentoring community. Young educators can gain valuable skills through guidance and support from mentors-experts in the field of English language teaching, who can pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement for each mentee and allow mentees to have a better vísualization of themselves and what they can bring to Vietnam’s education. That is not something we can often come by in a classroom or a course.
Mentors and Mentees of the program
The program has been a success due to Trang’s dedication, ClassPoint's support, and the participation of all mentees and mentors. From hundreds of applications, more than 45 mentees and 4 mentors were selected for the program's first round. In the program's first weeks, the feedback was wholly positive as participants expressed great excitement about what they can learn and achieve from the program.
During the show's semi-finals, the top 20 Mentees faced tougher challenges after 6 weeks of intense training. As the trainees prepared for the semi-finals, mentors continued to guide and support them. Mentors can showcase their knowledge and skills during the semi-finals, and hone their skills as global educators. They received valuable feedback and constructive criticism from their mentors and ClassPoint. To advance to the final round of the program, the 10 best mentees were selected after the semi-finals.
The program's success is partly thanks to some other experts who accompanied Trang during the program and provided academic support for the program. It’s Duc Phan, ESL academic program coordinator at Vinschool, and Dao Duy Tu education system, Nga, program manager and teacher of GCED at Swinburne University, and My Ngo, a program coordinator.
Duc and Nga acted as academic expert in English language teaching and provided direct feedback to each team’s lesson plan and recorded performance, and hosted a workshop that helped answers mentees’ questions about teaching and provided directions toward standard-based teaching.
In the realm of professional development for educators, the importance of continuous growth and learning cannot be overstated. With the role of the academic expert in the program, Nga, currently the academic coordinator at Swinburne Vietnam, was dedicated to providing English teachers with the essential soft skills, innovative teaching techniques, and up-to-date educational theories to flourish in their classrooms. She believes it is crucial to equip educators with the necessary tools to inspire and empower the next generation of learners.
We look forward to the next challenging season of the meaningful Mentoring Program. Wishing all teachers good health and a fresh spirit for the upcoming school year.
Phan Thi Quynh Trang, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Teaching and training ESL has always been my passion, and I am dedicated to contributing to the success of others. I am enthusiastic, creative and caring, proficient in theory and practical application, and always strive to provide quality lectures and provide quality care to my students.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, I realized I needed to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. The only option I had at that time was to either lose everything or to continue on the educational career path that I had chosen. However, I had to continue in a completely different direction. And I realized that Technology has made it possible for educators to connect with audiences and share their expertise in seemingly unlimited ways.
Since I have expertise in teaching, I can apply products to teaching and point out the weaknesses of manufacturers. Through my contribution to educational technology units in the country, I discovered that the educational entrepreneur creates positive value change using economic resources named "studying". A new challenge worth taking on is motivating educators to realize their value, stay current, and broaden their horizons for the sustainable development of the educational technology industry. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
