They ask me why I teach.
As if the answer fits in a sentence.
As if it's something I chose once and never had to rediscover.
I teach because I believe students are not empty vessels,
But whole, curious minds
Waiting not for answers -
But for the right questions.
I teach not to be the centre of the classroom.
I want to be the one who steps aside,
Who listens,
Who says
'What do you think?'
And means it.
I've seen the spark when a student stops
Waiting to be told,
And starts guiding their own path -
Messy, uncertain but lively and full of hope
I teach because I love that moment:
When confidence grows louder than doubt,
When they stop asking for permission to speak,
And start taking space - with ideas that matter.
Over time, my idea of legacy has changed.
It isn't a title, a milestone, or a name engraved somewhere.
It's in my student who learned to trust their thinking.
Another who dared to do things differently.
A classroom that became a space of possibility.
And in these 25 years of RMIT Vietnam,
If I’ve played even a small part in that shared journey -
Then I am proud.
That's why I teach.
That's the legacy I hope to be part of.
Dr Van Anh’s working corner
As RMIT Vietnam celebrates 25 years, I'm proud to be a small part of this legacy. What about you - why do you teach, lead, or learn?
