Evelyn’s Life as a Teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Evelyn completed a five-month TEFL internship with us in Vietnam, before travelling across Asia and later returning to Vietnam to work full-time as a teacher. What began as an internship quickly became a long-term journey, shaping both her career and her life abroad. This is Evelyn’s story, an honest look at life as a teacher in Vietnam, inside and outside the classroom.

A Typical Morning

My alarm is screaming again, but there’s no time to hit snooze. I drag myself over to the curtains and allow the sunlight to tumble in. It’s 6 am and already the streets are alive, bustling with vendors and people on their way to work. I throw on my clothes, lanyard swinging, and head downstairs to join the masses. I grab my breakfast Bánh mì and jump onto my bike. By now I know how to blend into the endless stream of traffic. It seems funny now when I think of my first day in Vietnam over a year ago, terrified of the streets and all of their madness. Now it just  makes sense. Class starts at 7am and the kids here are raring to go, so I make sure to stop at a coffee stand to put my few phrases of Vietnamese to use. There is nothing quite like a Cà phê sữa đá in the morning and as the coffee surges through my body I am suddenly ready to face the madness.

Teaching Science and Maths Through English

The students stand as you enter the classroom and greet the teacher to a well rehearsed chorus before descending into a cacophonous mix of chatter and movement. “Ms, Ms, Teacher, Teacher, look at this, TEEEEEAACHERRRRRRR! Do you know what I did this weekend? Ms, Tommy hit me. Ms Ms MSSSSSSS!”. All of my students are about 14 years old so there is always a lot to be said. I write the agenda on the board and we begin. Teaching math and science to Grade 8 students is a mixed bag but we always make it fun. The students have excellent language skills and are well up for jokes and banter.

My company provides the material for me in advance so that I can prepare for any questions or experiments that we may have to complete. I get my worksheets printed at the office and everything from hearts for dissection to wooden planks for building levers. Sometimes when I have too much to carry I can join the taxi of teachers headed to a particular school, though when I can I prefer to drive. It saves a lot of time on the busy streets. 

Inside the Vietnamese Classroom

I have about 8 different classes of students and each class has between 30 and 36 students. Now, after 4 months, I feel I know a little about each child. I have an assistant in each class who reports to the company about the class, communicates with parents and when necessary, helps to keep the class in check. Though sometimes we both have to just look at each other as chaos erupts.

As the kids are learning these topics through English with a goal to go to University abroad or international High Schools, it’s super important to speak very clearly and choose words carefully. My students often forget that I’m Irish for this reason. I make sure to  hit them with a “fair play lads, fair play” every now and then. After a double period of either math or science I head back to my bike. I’m often accompanied by a small group of chatterboxes who want to gossip and tell me all of the class drama. If a student has been on a trip they sometimes bring me a little trinket as a gift. It warms my heart though it does mean that my keys now weigh a tonne!

A Typical Schedule as a Teacher in Vietnam

I usually teach 2 groups in the morning then we pause for the midday lunch and nap. The napping skills of the Vietnamese are unmatched. It’s common to see Grab bike drivers draped over their handle bars, passed out in the shade or office workers rolling out a blanket to sleep under their desks for an hour. This is any time between about 11am to 1pm and varies slightly depending on the classes. After nap time, I  head to teach another 2 groups in the evening. I have one morning off each week to do administration and class preparation.

When I’m not working I love to explore the city. There are thousands of gorgeous and niche coffee shops to chill with friends. The shopping scene is incredible. When I’m not saving for future travels I’m hitting the boutique streets and thrift shops to stock up on the immaculate style here. I teach at a smaller local language center 2 days a week to make some extra cash. Here I teach smaller children between ages 6 to 8 so we have to play a lot of high energy games to keep them focused. Then I like to head to the gym to unwind. There are always lots of classes if I’m lacking the motivation to work out on my own. I also take a Vietnamese language class 2 times a week!

Life Outside the Classroom in Ho Chi Minh City

I’ve been lucky enough to be included in some fun friend groups from the office and on the weekends I’ve gotten to visit their family homes. Their mother cooks a spread of Vietnamese dishes for us to share and we fall asleep on rock solid beds or lay out in silence under the blanket of twinkling stars, a vast contrast from the inner city. There’s something for everyone in Ho Chi Minh. Food, coffees, parties, museums, architecture, adventure and there’s always an event to stumble across. When Vietnam wins a national football game, it won’t matter if it is the middle of the night, the entire city will rise and take to the streets waving flags and clanging pots, bike horns blaring to celebrate. The restaurants are bustling until 11pm as locals bellow “Một – Hai – Ba – dzô!” while clashing beer glasses and smells of local delicacies waft through the air. Like every city, Ho Chi Minh never stops and it may seem intimidating at first, but Ho Chi Minh gives back what it receives. If you are friendly with people here they will return a wave and a smile. When you make an effort to try to speak Vietnamese, locals will patiently try to help you and eagerly encourage your attempt. If you are rude and unfriendly, you’ll get what you deserve. Don’t be surprised if you receive the same energy returned. 

The Reality of Life as a Teacher in Vietnam, and Why it’s Worth it!

Life as a teacher is busy. Don’t expect to arrive a role with short hours and limited responsibility. You are here to work with your students to help them achieve their goals. Education is taken very seriously here and students will expect you to understand this. Sometimes you will sacrifice your Saturday or your evenings for parent teacher meetings or extra classes. The mornings are early and sometimes the students are overwhelming. Be prepared for bad days as well as amazing days. It’s not for everyone. This goes for teachers anywhere in the world. You will need a lot of energy to overcome the language barrier and culture shocks alongside your workload. Sometimes it’s a lot but even on my bad days there is nowhere else I would rather be. For every tough day and tough student there is an incredible day. To make things even better, you can explore DaLat mountains, cruise the Mekong delta or bake on the beaches of Phu Quoc island on your weekends. 

Other blogs from Evelyn:
Evelyn’s Summer after her TEFL Internship

TEFL in Vietnam: Meet Evelyn

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