As Vice Principal of the High School for the Gifted (HCMC National University), Dung believes a successful teacher is one who engages students in the learning process.

“I remember when I began teaching, I was practically glued to the board, working tirelessly. Back then, Le Ba Khanh Trinh (a famous mathematician and teacher) told me I’d burn out if I kept teaching that way. Later, I realized I needed to make students active participants in learning, with the teacher guiding and directing them. That’s the right approach. The next level isn’t just understanding but also evaluating, applying, and creating,” Dung said.

He said he often applies a “70-30” teaching principle.

"Sometimes in the teaching process, we tend to be 'greedy' for new things, but if we haven't truly mastered the basics, this can actually be unhelpful and ineffective. Personally, 70 percent of teaching volume is old material,” he said. 

“There are even lessons I teach so smoothly that I could do them with my eyes closed. And when students make mistakes, I can immediately identify the root cause of the error. So, while 70 percent of the content may be familiar to the teacher, it’s still new to the students. The remaining 30 percent is where we can introduce creativity, excitement, and surprise, even including lessons or knowledge that I myself haven't fully figured out yet," he added.

However, he noted that this ratio can be adjusted depending on students’ abilities (normal students or students specializing in math).

Dung believes that the education in the AI era offers new tools but also brings concerns.

“We must accept AI. Instead of banning or resisting it, we should embrace it with adjustments to teaching methods,” he said.

AI can interact, but can never match a real, nuanced teacher

“Assigning homework the old way doesn’t work anymore. Basic problems with just numerical answers, like those in high school graduation exams, can be solved almost entirely by AI. We shouldn’t evaluate students solely on correct answers. Instead, we have to ask them to explain their process or reasoning to get the answer. If they get the answer right but can’t explain, it shows mechanical learning without understanding. Teachers now need to pose problems and questions differently,” Dung said.

Following this approach, Dung allows students to freely use the Internet, ChatGPT, Google, and similar tools.

He gave an example. "In a lesson on azimuth angles, I allowed students to use ChatGPT, Google, and other tools to prepare their lesson content. I asked them to research what azimuth angles are, how they are applied, how they appear in real life, and what fields of knowledge they are related to. The students used those tools to create a presentation and then presented their findings. If I felt they had understood the topic, I would assess them in reverse by giving them a test to see if they could apply what they’d learned. And they performed very well.”

“This shows that teachers need to change their teaching and assessment methods, and they must also know how to use these tools effectively," he concluded.

According to Dung, while AI tries to interact and even express emotions, it cannot compare to a real, nuanced teacher.

“When I hear students utter ‘ah’ or ‘oh’ during a lesson, I know I’ve succeeded. Or when I put down the chalk and the class applauds because they’re amazed by the solution to a tough problem. Those moments are unique to a real teacher, not AI,” Dung said.

However, in new conditions, Dung believes the teacher’s role must shift from “teacher” (lecturer) to “mentor” (guide). Teachers should focus on organizing learning experiences, sparking inspiration, and respecting students’ learning journeys.

Nguyen Phu Hoang Lan, a lecturer at the University of Education (Hanoi National University), said an outstanding math teacher in the AI era isn’t just skilled at solving math problems.

“It’s not only about being good at solving math, but also emphasizing what math is about and how to learn it,” Lan said.

He stressed the importance of motivating students to ask questions and learn. In the AI era, teachers must be tech-savvy but not reliant on technology. 

“Teachers should act as facilitators, guiding students on how to use technology. Previously, we focused heavily on memorization and comprehension, with higher-order thinking often assigned as tough homework. Now, we need to flip that. With technology and AI, students can easily handle memorization and comprehension,” he said.

Thanh Hung