Teaching children is never an easy job, but one Malaysian teacher recently shared how a student’s behaviour left her feeling completely overwhelmed.
In a post shared on Threads, the teacher claimed that a primary school student repeatedly challenged her authority in class, from mocking her while she was teaching to allegedly showing her the middle finger during the azan.
At one point, she admitted that she felt like crying but held herself back.
‘I really don’t know what to do anymore’
The teacher began her post by saying she felt emotionally exhausted dealing with some Gen Alpha students.
I really don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like surrendering and crying, but I held it in. It’s sad,” she wrote.
She claimed that whenever she reprimanded one particular student, the child would imitate or mock her.
While she was teaching, the student would allegedly interrupt her by saying things such as, “I already know.”
When the teacher told the student to leave the classroom if they did not want to study, the child reportedly went outside and stood in front of their friends.
She then instructed the student to return to class, with the latter allegedly coming back while crawling on the floor.
Allegedly flipped the bird
The teacher also claimed that during the azan, the student showed her the middle finger while repeatedly telling her to “keep quiet”.
She said the student would often nod confidently when asked whether they understood a lesson, only to struggle when given exercises afterwards.
In a follow up comment, the teacher said she had already tried asking the student to explain what they understood.
However, she claimed the student would remain silent when asked to explain but shake their head when asked whether they understood.
Teacher says she has contacted the parents before
Several netizens suggested that she document the student’s behaviour and inform the parents.
The teacher replied that she already had plenty of evidence on her phone and had previously contacted the parents of students who caused problems.
However, she claimed there was little change once they returned to class.
When another user asked whether the students involved were in secondary school, the teacher clarified that they were still in primary school.
She also acknowledged that parents may have their own struggles, noting that some return home exhausted from work or have limited time with their children.
“Sometimes I don’t even know who to blame,” she wrote.
She added that primary school children can be easily influenced by the things around them, making the situation even more difficult to handle.
Other teachers share similar frustrations
The post prompted other educators to share their own experiences.
One teacher described dealing with Gen Alpha students as being on “another level”, saying the transition from teaching Gen Z students had been challenging.
Others felt teachers needed to be firmer when students crossed boundaries, while some suggested having classroom CCTV so parents could better understand what happens during lessons.
