LSA100: Navigator Shi Qi paves the way for a more empathic generation of youths

Class is in session! The subject? Your feelings. Teacher and content creator Shi Qi — as you may have seen on TikTok and Instagram Reels over the past year or so — is on a quest to educate the youth on the practicalities of living, which include how to navigate their own emotions and mental health.

Being a young educator may not seem like an easy job — after all, you’re responsible for moulding young, highly impressionable minds while you juggle your own life, and you’ve got to keep up with their bounding energy — but teacher-influencer Ting Shi Qi sure makes it look easy. If you, like me, have scrolled through Shi Qi’s many videos on her TikTok and Instagram — oh, and she goes by the moniker @qiwiie — where she endearingly (and exasperatedly, at times) enlightens her students, you’ll understand. There is an unaffected charm with which Shi Qi gives her lessons. Her ever-present grin is contagious, and there’s no doubt that beyond the camera, her students are smiling just as widely.

To compress what Shi Qi teaches within a single ‘subject’ is a little difficult. It’s not exactly as definable as Science or Mathematics or English, but arguably as important — if not more so. Shi Qi teaches along the curriculum of the Contentment Foundation, as first launched by Yale University, which covers everything from mindfulness, mental health, feelings and emotions, and ultimately, how to be ‘content’.

Based in a private school in Kuala Lumpur, Shi Qi teaches at the primary level — Primary 1 and Primary 6 — and you can quickly pick up on her bond with the students through her videos. Her students trust her completely, and they are attentive when she talks. (When they aren’t as attentive, Shi Qi also has neat techniques to get them to listen.)

“What do you love about yourself?” Shi Qi asks in one particularly memorable video of hers, and predictably, the students’ answers range from philosophical to perplexing. In another, she peruses, “Are you guys excited to grow up?” These thought-provoking discussions, especially in a classroom setting alongside others, encourage the kids to properly reflect on their own feelings as well as others.

“It’s, like, the best feeling when I can see that I am slowly changing their perception and mind about things,” Shi Qi tells me, her face creasing readily into cheerfulness. “It’s very rewarding.”

Shi Qi has been a teacher for four years, and it’s easy to see — both on and off-camera — that she has enjoyed every single moment of it. As someone who didn’t quite have many hands-on teachers in school, it’s always thrilling to see a young educator enjoy what she’s doing, knowing that the future youth is in good hands.

Did you always set out to be an ‘edu-influencer’, filming your lessons in the classroom? What was the start of it all for you?

I was a teacher first. I studied education, and then went on to become a teacher. It was like that since day one. And then after COVID-19, I made a random TikTok video (not relating to my students), and I realised that I liked making TikTok videos. So I thought, ‘Let me try to film one of my students.’ I did one in school just for fun, then it blew up. And it was like, ‘Okay, maybe people are interested in my life, like, the life of a teacher.’ Because everyone’s been to school before, so I think everyone feels a sort of connection to that. I started to make content with my students, and slowly started to film myself teaching. That unknowingly became my niche — or what I’m known for online.

How has that journey been for you, navigating both social media fame and teaching?

It’s been interesting. My students definitely love that they know someone they see on TikTok. [Laughs] And they see that person in class, too. My kids love that. They’re like, “Oh my God! I saw your video yesterday!” And they love when they get to be part of the video. If it’s a class they are in, and they see it online — they get super excited about that. I mean, it’s fun, because I feel like I get to connect with my students differently. I’m privileged to have that kind of  ‘special way’ to get through to them. Like, I’m not ‘just a teacher’, but I’m also able to influence them through social media.

How would you describe your style of teaching? You’ve mentioned that you teach Life Skills, right?

Last year, it was mostly Life Skills. This year, I’m doing more on mental health. We use this syllabus called Contentment Foundation. It’s part of Yale’s syllabus, teaching kids how to be content, and how to understand their emotions and themselves better.

It’s not a very common subject in our schools here. How did you decide to pursue it?

Yeah, it’s not a ‘normal’ subject. When I first joined my school, I taught Science. I didn’t really like that. [Laughs] I was teaching PT3 Science, so, very different. Then I realised that we had a time slot in our school for Life Skills, but we didn’t really have a syllabus for it. I asked my principal if I could write the syllabus or create something for it. So, I ended up writing the syllabus for Life Skills. During the time, we also just happened to enquire about the syllabus for the Contentment Foundation, and so I headed that as well. I’m grateful that my school gave me the avenue to learn these things, and they had a space for me to teach them as well. So, that’s how it started. And I’m passionate about these things, so I feel happier when I teach it versus, like, Science. [Laughs] I think I enjoy teaching things that are more practical. Like how to navigate their emotions, or the emotional and mental side of things. I’m more passionate about that part in educating kids.

You must interact with the parents a lot. How have they responded to your teaching style?

They’re very supportive. Whenever we have parent-teacher conferences, they would say things like, “Hey! I saw you on TikTok!” [Laughs] And they want to take pictures with me. They want me to take pictures with their kids. I take that as a plus. I’m very grateful to my school, the teachers at my school and the principal, the management, and all the parents. They’re all very supportive and embracing of what I do.

As a young teacher, do you find that there’s a kind of disparity between the ‘younger’ teachers and the older crowd at the school? Either from a lack of understanding, or maybe not quite understanding the subjects that you teach for example. Is that something you face personally?

No, honestly. And I feel very grateful. Because in my school, a lot of the teachers are older than me — I am one of the younger ones. They’re all very supportive. Like, they follow me on TikTok, and they’re very kind about it. And I feel very blessed. Because I know that’s not the case everywhere.

What has been your greatest challenge in student teaching, and how have you resolved it?

I think for my kind of subject that I teach the kids, it’s to do with a lot of interaction with other people. And a lot of it, I can share stories and I can give examples. I think it’s hard to ‘mould’ a character, because I’m trying to do that. So, I think that’s the biggest challenge. I just hope that my kids can take away whatever they learn in class, because I don’t get a lot of time with them. You know, it’s once a week I’m talking about bullying, or confidence. So, I guess my struggle is that I don’t know if they fully absorb what I teach. I hope they do. Sometimes I question myself, like, “Does it work? When I say all these things, does it get into their heads?” Because you don’t really see the immediate effects. It’s not tangible. Like with Maths and Science, you can test them on paper. These types of things, you can’t test. I think that’s the toughest part.

Because for these types of things, they have to practise outside of school. You can’t really ‘monitor’ them per se.

Yeah. And let’s say I teach them about anger. I don’t really see them when they’re actually angry, and how they cope with that. So, it’s like, do they actually learn and remember the coping mechanisms I taught them? I always try to quiz them and test them in my own way. You know how kids, they don’t remember everything that you teach them, so I always hope that they can remember some at least. [Laughs] The ones that apply to them.

 

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A post shared by Ms Qiwiie (@msqiwiie)

Since you were the one who wrote the first syllabus for your subject, how would you say your first batch of kids took to the subject?

So, there are a couple of impactful lessons I’ve learned from this. Right now I’m doing mental health, but previously I did teach things like sex education and financial literacy. I love the ‘aha!’ moment when I’m talking about, let’s say, financial literacy. We would talk about how when you’re at the mamak, you buy maggi goreng, right? So, things like why the cost of maggi goreng more expensive than when you buy it in the store as opposed to the uncooked ones. Then we talk about the cost of rental, and the cost of workers. And when I teach them things like business and finance, they’re just like, “What?!” They’re shocked, right? So for me, it’s like, ‘Okay, they’ve caught it. They understand something.’ Or when I teach them about sex education and they’re amazed, because they don’t know these things. Like, they don’t know how you can get STDs. Everybody just thinks there’s only one way, right? But there are so many other ways. Or when I teach about consent and I can see that I am slowly changing their perception and mind about things. And I feel that it’s very rewarding.

These are exactly the kinds of ‘life skills’ that should be taught at schools everywhere, and it’s not the case — especially in public schools, right?

Yeah, I definitely agree. And it’s crazy. When I taught it, only then did I realise their lack of understanding. That’s kind of concerning to me, because it’s like, you don’t even know what consent means? And they’re in Form 5. In university, you would be exposed to things like dating, and freedom, and you know, sex and all these things — but you don’t understand consent? I’ve got to teach them these things before they go out into the real world. Because they might have all these wrong mindsets. And the worst thing is that they could act wrongly based on their lack of understanding in situations like that. I don’t want my students to be the ones who make that wrong choice.

I agree. And what’s crazier still is the fact that it’s all taboo — like, it’s likely not going to be taught in public schools anytime soon.

Yeah! We need it, oh my. In Malaysia, I feel that these are all very basic things — if we don’t teach them when they’re kids, they’re very vulnerable. They’re online all the time, and so they’re being exposed to these things, not through the best ways. They are talking to random people online and they don’t even know who they are. Half of my students, their ‘boyfriends’ and ‘girlfriends’ are online. They’ve never met them. Like, how do you know that’s a 12-year-old boy and not some 40-year-old guy, right? So, I keep ‘brainwashing’ my kids all the time. I show them all these videos or ‘horror stories’ about those things because they need to know how to be safe. It’s important. The kids need to know these things.

How do you, as a teacher, foster an environment where students feel safe to talk about these things? What goes into creating that safe space for them to feel comfortable enough to communicate?

Not all kids will be comfortable in situations like this. Some people, all their lives, they just don’t talk about these things. And then suddenly, I’m here, like, “Hey! Let’s talk about it!” [Laughs] But it’s just about being more vulnerable myself, like, being able to talk about it comfortably and then opening up that avenue for them, too. Not make it weird, and then they can sense that, right? Then they can slowly open up and share. So, I feel that because I’m very open with my life, I share a lot of things about my personal life, or if they’re curious about something about me, then I’m willing to open up. So, in turn, they do that with me as well. So, if I want them to be vulnerable, I need to be vulnerable first.

@msqiwiieIt’s important that they know this!!!!♬ original sound – qiwiie

In that sense, how do you then draw a line between being ‘vulnerable enough’ to being ‘too vulnerable’? Because I’ve heard of some cases about kids becoming ‘too attached’ to the teacher, to the point of oversharing things.

I’ve never really thought about not wanting my kids to be ‘too attached’ to me. But it’s more about sharing what’s appropriate, I feel. For younger kids — because I used to teach secondary level, and they can be a lot more open when talking about sex for example — it’s just about changing the way we talk about it. We talk about ‘safe touch’, we talk about consent as well, like, no one can simply ‘touch’ you. I think in those ways, it helps. For the personal stuff, I think it’s very hard to draw a black-and-white line. But just knowing what is appropriate for different levels.

What keeps your passion for teaching strong? What keeps you motivated in what you do?

It’s really just — I love kids. I think if you want to be a teacher, you must love kids, or else it’s very hard. Because they can be… annoying, sometimes. [Laughs] Sorry. Like, they can be a lot. But… I don’t know, I just enjoy being with kids. I enjoy sharing my life with them, and listening to them share their lives with me. I guess I just love it. I go to school every day very excited to go to school. I never dread working there. I guess I’m very blessed that I love my job, which I think not everyone gets to say. Not everyone has the opportunity to do what they love. So I don’t take that for granted. I go to school and I see them laugh. You know, they go and do crazy things and sometimes you just feel like it’s funny, and your mood is lifted.

You mentioned that you taught in the United States for a year before coming back to teach here. Was it very different to adjust to the local school syllabus?

Oh, yeah. So different. In the States, the emphasis and the method of teaching are very different. A lot of very hands-on things. Like, when you teach Maths — I taught every subject, because it’s different from here, where you have one teacher per subject — everyone has a box of ‘manipulatives’. So, everybody comes with beads and stuff like that. More hands-on, more practical versus just theory. Not so rigid. And the kids there are more expressive, they have a lot of ideas. I would say that in Malaysia, the standard is a bit higher. Like, we require more in the academic standard. It’s very different lah.

Would you say it was hard for you to get the kids here to participate at first?

I think in primary level no, because they’re younger. They’ve been through the school system where it’s more open. Like in my school, because it’s a private school, we encourage a lot of communication, where kids give their answers and we listen. Not just the ‘rigid’ kind of learning. But at secondary school level, because a lot of the students come from other [public] schools, it’s a bit tougher. Because they are used to the ‘just sitting down and listening to the teacher’ kind of environment… so for them it’s a bit harder. But primary students, no, actually they’re a bit more talkative. [Laughs] I think it really depends on the type of school. Private schools, international schools — they encourage more ideas, more critical thinking so it’s good for the students.

What are your expectations from people seeing the videos that you record during your classes? What do you hope to come from it?

Honestly, when I started, it was just for fun. I didn’t really think very deeply into that. But now that I actually have a platform, I’m trying to be more intentional with sharing tips and tricks on, let’s say, how I keep my students quiet and well-behaved per se. Because a lot of teachers watch my content as well, and the things that I teach in school — like one of the most recent videos I posted was about breathing techniques that I teach my kids. And I think that could be useful for people who watch my videos as well, and it’s easily absorbed and ‘transferred’, like, if they watch maybe 30 seconds they would get the hang of it already. So, I try to create more things like that so I can also offer value beyond just entertainment and watching how fun it is in class. I think the nostalgic value I give is one, but I also want to give something more meaningful as well.

What’s next for you? Are there any plans for your content you’d like to tell us about?

I just want to keep making content with kids, because I feel like they’re online all the time. And I believe they need to be represented online as well. They are gonna consume content anyway, and what could we give them to consume? So if I can give them things that make them feel like they can really ‘see’ themselves online — yes, something funny and maybe wholesome but they can also learn something from it as well. I think that’s my goal for the kind of content I want to make. I realise that I have a platform now, so it’s like, how am I gonna use it? If I just use it for fun, sure, that’s great, but if I can offer more value, then I think it’s more meaningful.

LSA100: 100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones

Lifestyle Asia KL presents LSA100, an annual list that recognises Malaysia’s most influential names and celebrates their talents, contributions, successes and milestones. As the bellwethers of style, travel, design, entertainment, business, sports, and more, these 100 Malaysians represent the next generation of go-getters who are paving the way for sharing their know-hows with the world through the power of digital media. LSA100 comprises five categories namely The Rising Aces, The Trailblazers, The Disruptors, The Navigators and The Tastemakers. Find out more about LSA100 Class of 2023 HERE.

editor-in-chief & creative direction MARTIN TEO | interview PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA | assisted by RONN TAN & MALLIE MARAN | photography EDMUND LEE / ONE3FOUR STUDIO | videography SIMON TAN & JACKIE MAH | makeup KF BONG using YSL BEAUTY | hair MEI CHOI | stylist AZZA ARIF | wardrobe LONGCHAMP & STELLA MCCARTNEY (CLUB 21)