Top 7+ Times Malaysian Teachers Went Viral For The Right Reasons
- 1. Two teachers in Sarawak bought Starlink to keep classrooms connected
- 2. School teachers in Selangor donated half of their monthly salaries
- 3. Pahang teacher uses prize money to set up first OKU Multimedia Studio
- 4. Kindergarten teacher fights off attacker from hurting children
- 5. A teacher who helped Orang Asli improve their English language skills
- 6. A teacher who transformed whole classrooms to help Orang Asli students learn better
- 7. A teacher who painted and redecorated the classroom himself
The teaching profession is not for everyone. Teachers are there not only to teach but to ensure their young pupils gain the necessary skills to do well in life.
However, this important task can be tough to undertake due to factors like lack of school funding and equipment.
This Teacher’s Day, we highlight and celebrate Malaysian teachers who have gone above and beyond to help their students.
1. Two teachers in Sarawak bought Starlink to keep classrooms connected
Setting up the Starlink device. Image: Aekholic (@y.ao_75)
Two teachers teaching in rural Sarawak bought a Starlink device each so that their students could access the internet in their respective classrooms.
TikTok users and teachers AmOi Morni (@amoimorni) and Aekholic (@y.ao_75) bought the Starlink device with their own money and set it up for the kids.
2. School teachers in Selangor donated half of their monthly salaries
17 teachers of SJK(C) Tche Min in Sungai Pelek, Selangor donated at least half of their monthly salaries to support the construction of a new multipurpose school hall last year.
Their collective effort helped raise over RM200,000, inclusive of external donations. The generosity of the teachers touched the hearts of many in the community.
3. Pahang teacher uses prize money to set up first OKU Multimedia Studio
Image: Taylor’s College
Cikgu Hazeem (full name Mohammad Hazeem bin Azemi) from SMK Kuala Krau won the RISE Educator of the Year award which comes with a cash prize of RM5,000.
The judges were moved by his story of helping specially-abled and Orang Asli students in his school. Hazeem helped to conceptualise the school’s first OKU Multimedia Studio, an OKU-friendly IT lab that’s the first-of-its-kind in Malaysia.
Together with a RM10,000 sponsor from Taylor’s College, he plans to enhance the multimedia studio and equip it better to help bridge the digital divide among his students.
4. Kindergarten teacher fights off attacker from hurting children
Image: Adun Bekenu/FB & Len Talif Salleh/FB
A teacher at Tabika Kemas Kampung Rajang in Sarawak fought off a drug-induced teen attacker to protect her young students in 2023.
Despite sustaining some injuries, her bravery helped protect nine children under her care.
5. A teacher who helped Orang Asli improve their English language skills
Image: @TeacherPrize/Twitter
Cikgu Sam (full name Samuel Isaiah) went viral for going above and beyond to help his Orang Asli students excel in their studies. Sam is an English language teacher who faced a particular challenge since the school he was sent to is known as one of the worst-performing in the district.
Despite all the naysayers, Sam met his students where they were at; travelling all the way to their settlements and conducting English classes under the tree twice a week.
He would also make classes fun and entertaining by playing the ukelele. He also embarked on a crowdfunding mission to equip his students with tablets and computers, transforming their classroom into a modern one.
His efforts paid off; the students went from a meagre 30% passing rate to an average of 80%. Sam became one of the top 10 finalist in the Global Teacher Prize for his consistent efforts.
6. A teacher who transformed whole classrooms to help Orang Asli students learn better
Image: Taylor’s College & @shawnstanly/IG
Cikgu Shawn (full name Shawn Stanly Anthony Dass) teaches in an Orang Asli school in Perak. He noticed that Orang Asli students face many prejudices about their academic levels.
To help equip them with literacy and numeracy skills, he transformed whole classrooms and created engaging projects like a flight simulator and a beach-themed marine class. He also enriched their learning experiences with school trips to Penang and even Mumbai, India.
7. A teacher who painted and redecorated the classroom himself
Teacher and TikTok user @mattakim89 decided to repaint the whole classroom, including the doors, himself after feeling sick of the terrible looking room.
Once the paint job was done, he continued redecorating the classroom by adding small items like new information boards, mini whiteboards, and posters. He even went as far as to get new handles for the doors.
His effort to freshen up the dull classroom got him and his students excited to attend school.
Of course, there are many more outstanding teachers doing their best daily to get their students the best educational experience and opportunities out there.
This includes teachers to refugee students who play a vital role in shaping the futures of displaced children but are not paid equally to teachers in public schools.
