A Malaysian woman has shared how a few remarks from her primary school teacher left a lasting impact on her self-esteem, showing how even a single sentence can affect a child emotionally and shape their confidence for years.
Recalling the incident on Threads, she said it happened when she was in Year Four, when her teacher asked the class if anyone had ever travelled by plane.
About five students raised their hands, including her.
The teacher then went around asking each student where they had flown to.
One answered London, the others all mentioned overseas destinations. When it was my turn, I excitedly said Langkawi,” she said.
“It’s just Langkawi”
What was meant to be a proud moment quickly turned into embarrassment.
According to her, the teacher responded with a dismissive remark.
The teacher said, ‘It’s just Langkawi.’ I was only 10 years old. I felt so small, so embarrassed, and I lost my confidence,” she shared.
Another incident reinforced the feeling
She added that a similar experience happened during a Science test result announcement involving the same teacher.
The teacher had asked if any prefects scored an A, and she raised her hand as she had achieved 82 percent.
But the teacher said, ‘That’s barely an A,’” she recalled, despite being the only prefect who scored an A.
The repeated remarks made her feel that her efforts were never good enough.
Words that lingered for years
According to her, those moments stayed with her as she grew up, often replaying in her mind and affecting her confidence.
However, she eventually realised she could not let those words define her forever.
She chose to move on from the experience and now makes an effort to encourage herself with positive affirmations.
Netizens share similar experiences
Her story resonated with many online, with netizens sharing similar experiences of being hurt by teachers’ words during their school years.
“When I was in primary school, a teacher clearly played favourites and often picked on me because I came from a poor background. She even made me sit outside the class and stand on a chair. Despite that, I scored 5As and became the district’s best student. I greeted all my teachers except her.”
“There was also a maths teacher at my school who said, “If your results are like this, you’ll end up like your mother.” My mum runs a small food stall. Oh, his name is Teacher Azizul… since then, I’ve hated him. Still holding a grudge.”
