Malaysians Share Stories Of Teachers That Taught Them Life Lessons You Can’t Find In A Textbook
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Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Growing up, our parents and teachers are the first ones to impact our lives significantly. In fact, in their younger years, students have complete faith in their teachers and they listen to their teachers more than they do their parents!
Therefore, it’s no surprise that teachers also have the capacity to touch our lives in ways that are truly life-changing. Here we’ve collected 3 stories about those special teachers:
1. “The extra effort and love from my teacher stayed with me for the rest of my life” – Tim, 23
My primary school English teacher was Miss Tan in 2006. There was a spelling bee for our district, and students were issued booklets of words to study in preparation for the classroom spelldowns. This would lead to a schoolwide contest and eventual qualification for the state bee, where school winners competed for the honour of being the spelling champion of Melaka.
The day before the classroom spelling bee, my youngest brother was playing with matches and accidentally started a fire in our house. My mother made sleeping arrangements for all of us and called the school in the morning to inform Miss Tan of the accident, knowing that the class spelling bee was on that day.
When I arrived at school, she pulled me aside. She asked if I wanted her to postpone the spelling bee to another day because of my being upset about the fire. I told her no. That day, I won the bee for my classroom.
The next week was the school spelling bee, with classroom champions competing. I won again! The interstate spelling bee was one month away.
Every Sunday afternoon, Miss Tan would pick me up, and we would go to her house, where she would help me practise by calling out spelling words. After a couple of hours, she would take me to a Baskin-Robbins, where we would have anything I wanted – a privilege I never had before. We practised every weekend until the day of the state bee with all the school champions from the state.
I did not win the citywide bee, but I still felt proud to have participated. I also felt grateful that I had found such a caring teacher at such a young age.
2. “I’m an orphan and was convinced that nobody loved me until I met my teacher” – Adam, 29
I was 7 when I arrived at a rumah anak yatim in Klang. I failed most of my classes, and have been told many times that I should just stop going to school.
I was convinced I wasn’t “smart” like the other kids, and I hoped I could make it through UPSR. Mr. Azmin took an instant liking to me. Of all the subjects in school, English was my favourite. He would tell me, “Adam, you keep reading. If you can understand what you’re reading, you’ll be smarter than most kids.” After I read all the books in our program, I started reading the classroom’s set of Encyclopaedia Britannica. I couldn’t find enough to read, and I started to really like school.
That December, the children’s home threw a Christmas party for family and community members. My brother and I had no family to invite. I still remember looking up and seeing Mr. Azmin walk through the front doors of the children’s home and realising he was there to see me.
That was the best Christmas of my life.
After I graduated from primary school 2008, my brother and I moved, and I lost all touch with my teacher. In 2019, I was on a business trip and had to drive through Klang. I took a chance and dropped by my old school. I was walking towards the school’s office when he came out and said, “Adam!” It was as if I had never left.
I immediately teared up.
We’ve stayed in touch ever since, and I call Mr. Azmin (now retired) at least once a year. Because of the confidence he instilled in me, I went on to have a successful career in engineering.
I don’t know if Mr. Azmin realises how much he’s helped me, but I’ll never forget his kindness and faith in me.
3. “I wouldn’t have completed my studies if it wasn’t for my teacher” Jaya, 46
My Kemahiran Hidup teacher, Cik Hanis, was the most influential teacher in my life.
I had gotten into trouble in her class: another student had pushed me into a wood lathe, and I became enraged and began to hit him. Cik Hanis stopped the fight, but instead of sending me to the office, she sat me down and asked a simple question: “Jaya, why are you wasting your life? Why aren’t you going to college?”
I didn’t know anything about colleges or scholarships. No one had ever considered that a fatherless boy from the poorest neighbourhood had a future. That day, instead of rushing off for lunch, she stayed and explained possible education options to me. At the end of our talk, she sent me to see a secretary who had a child at a local college.
Well, almost 20 years have passed, and what have I done with the knowledge she gave me? I gained an MBA at the age of 35. I taught English at a local primary school and then moved up the chain of command from teacher to principal.
I’ve won a number of prestigious educational awards. But where would I be if a truly caring teacher had not taken the time out of her break to speak with me? It was, without question, only her confidence in me that propelled me forward.
I have repaid her kindness hundreds of times by encouraging misguided youngsters to aim higher. If I have saved any children, it is because of her. If I have been a successful educator, it is because I had a great role model in Cik Hanis.
Sometimes, a little care goes a very long way
A good teacher is not that hard to find, but you must know what to look for: they prepare in advance for goals they want the kids to achieve; they prepare their plan of action every day to ensure maximum productivity; and they make their students feel like they always have someone to talk to if they can’t talk to their family or friends.
For more stories like this, read: Malaysians Share Stories About Their Favourite And Least Favourite School Teachers and These Four Malaysian Teachers Went the Extra Mile for Their Students: Here Are Their Stories
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