For early childhood teacher Thuy Trang Luong, shaping young minds means you must always be open to learning more yourself.
“There is a quote that serves as a guide for my teaching,” explains Trang, “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”
It was this drive for lifelong learning that inspired Trang to leave her job as a primary school teacher in Vietnam and make the move to start a career in Australia.
“Deep inside, I knew there was something missing from my teaching profession,” says Trang.
“I believed that I was seeking self-development, and it would be greater if I could learn from a more developed educational system.”
After arriving in Australia, Trang started a degree in teaching and began her placement journey in a local high school. It wasn’t long before she realised her true passion lay in nurturing a much younger cohort of kids.
She took a step back to reevaluate her direction and decided to start with a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121, followed by a Diploma in the same field.
At the same time, she dove into hands-on experience at a day-care center, honing her skills in caring for and teaching young children.
Then, when she was ready, the former teacher enrolled in a Bachelor of Education (Early Years and Primary) at Melbourne Polytechnic. It was a moment Trang will never forget.
She recalls, “The first day of orientation left me with a strongly positive impression, and after graduating, I know one thing for sure: my choice to study at Melbourne Polytechnic was absolutely right.”
Completing her studies was not without its challenges, like living far away from her family and learning English as a second language - all during the middle of a pandemic. There were moments when she considered giving up, but her unwavering passion propelled her forward.
"Despite the struggles," she says with pride, "I persevered and improved, earning four high distinctions in 2022."
Following graduation, Trang was unanimously nominated by her lecturers for the Outstanding Student of the Year Award in the Arts, Education and Agritech category.
To her, the award came as a pleasant surprise, but to her teachers, it was a testament to her unyielding commitment to learning.
“Trang has mastered the teaching ability to understand content and deliver it in a meaningful way,” said Early Childhood Education lecturer Gracie Abela.
“Her academic accomplishment was a culmination of her impeccable instincts in understanding how and why children learn, and her quest to know more.”
Now working as an Early Childhood Teacher for 3 and 4-year-old children, Trang is using the skills she learned at Melbourne Polytechnic to do a job that brings her joy every day.
“I just love it,” she beams.