Nestled beside a small road in Dong Ha ward, this unique school holds its daily routine of simple lessons. Some students are deaf, some have intellectual disabilities, and others struggle with mobility or communication. But in the flower-making class, these differences seem to fade away. All that remains are focused eyes, nimble hands, and the pure joy of each petal successfully attached to a stem.
The Quang Tri Provincial Special Education School currently has 143 students, including 34 hearing-impaired children, 109 children with intellectual disabilities, and 3 visually impaired students integrated into the school. Each child has a unique situation and story. Some need more time to understand a simple instruction; others have to repeat an action many times before mastering it. However, what makes those involved with this school proud is that the children never give up trying.
These petals are made from perseverance.
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| A flower-making lesson between teacher and students at the Quang Tri Provincial Special Education School - Photo: TH |
Since 2018, floristry has been included in the school's curriculum. What might seem like a small task has become a meaningful part of the educational journey and skills development for students here. The choice of floristry as a profession is not accidental.
The steps, such as shaping petals from paper and foam, attaching stems and leaves, making buds, and assembling the parts, are relatively simple and suitable for the abilities of many disabled students. They observe the teacher demonstrating, memorize each step, and then patiently follow through. But behind that simplicity lies a whole process.
In the classroom, the teacher stands beside each student, slowly demonstrating. If a student doesn't understand, she repeats the process. If a student makes a mistake, she gently corrects them. For hearing-impaired students, communication requires the teacher to use many visual aids, symbols, and demonstrations so that they can grasp the concepts. For students with intellectual disabilities, each step needs specific guidance and repetition.
On the table, colorful pieces of foam lay alongside small lengths of wire. One child cut petals, another made stems. Some sat for a long time just to adjust a single leaf to make it neat. Then, each part was assembled, and a flower gradually emerged. When the flower was complete, the children's eyes lit up.
For Ho Quynh Huong, a 5th-grade student with intellectual disabilities, simple joy comes from creating a beautiful product with her own hands. “I’m very happy that I made these beautiful flowers myself , ” Huong shared. A short statement, but behind it lies a whole journey. Because for Huong and many of her friends, what is valuable is not just whether the flower is beautiful or not, but that they have accomplished something that previously seemed very difficult.
Ms. Truong Thi Thuy Van, a teacher at the Quang Tri Provincial Special Education School, said that students have two flower-making lessons each week. These are always the lessons the children look forward to. The classroom is usually filled with laughter. The children work, observe, and help each other. Those who work quickly guide those who work slower. Those who are familiar with a step will assist those who are less skilled.
"These lessons also teach the children how to support and help each other," Ms. Thuy Van shared. Therefore, these lessons not only teach the children how to make a flower, but also teach them perseverance, meticulousness, sharing spirit, and the ability to cooperate with those around them.
From a flower to self-belief
What's truly admirable is that the finished flowers don't just remain in the classroom. Over the years, the products of the students from the Special Education School have been introduced and sold to agencies and schools throughout Quang Tri province. Each time a flower is chosen by someone else, the students realize that their hands can create something useful.
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| Wire flower products made by students of the Special Education School of Quang Tri province - Photo: TH |
At the annual "Spring of Love - Tet Reunion" festival organized by the Quang Tri Provincial Youth Activities Center, the stall selling foam and wire flowers from the Special Education School attracted much attention. These colorful products were appreciated not only for their attractive appearance but also for the stories behind them. For the children, this appreciation meant more than just selling a product. It helped them understand that they too can create valuable things; that disability does not mean uselessness; and that everyone has unique abilities if given the opportunity to develop them.
Each child has a story. Some are hearing impaired, some have speech impairments, and some have mobility difficulties. Their educational journey may be longer and more challenging, but their determination never diminishes. And the teachers here have chosen a special way of doing their job—more patience, more love, and more faith in their students.
From a single flower petal, the children learn how to work. From a finished product, they learn the value of labor. And from the satisfied look in the recipient's eyes, they learn something even greater: that they too can create beautiful things for the world. Perhaps that is the deepest meaning of these flower-making lessons.
But the story of the flowers at this special school doesn't belong to just one spring. Because the students' flowering season can come at any time. And that's also when the teachers see the most beautiful fruits of their profession: Students who once suffered many disadvantages are gradually learning to believe in themselves, to work hard, to share, and to dream.
At the Quang Tri Provincial Special Education School, special hands tirelessly create flowers every day. These hands may not be perfect, but they are creating truly beautiful things. Not just flowers made of paper, foam, or wire, but flowers of resilience, love, and faith in life. From these special hands, seasons of flowers are created—quietly, persistently, and beautifully in their own unique way.
Thai Hien
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/giao-duc/202610/tu-doi-tay-dac-biet-den-nhung-mua-hoa-3d26edc/
