Plea For NSTP+ Tutors

December 6, 2010

A plea from me, just a normal person like any of you, to be kind to children. Of course, ideally we should be kind to all forms of humanity, but for this note, allow me to focus more on the children. From the ones you see in the streets, to your neighbors or relatives, to your NSTP+ kids.

A plea to be real and truly caring and concerned for our NSTP+ children.

NSTP+ started about six months ago for me. I taught and had fun with my kids. I was a fairly good teacher, I presume. Sticking with the modules as best as I could. I tried to be understanding and fair and I did try to teach the lessons well. Although, I must admit even though I like my children in NSTP+, I didn’t really have that kind of amazing connection with them. I often felt lazy to go to Malanday, Markina, my area for NSTP+. I had my grunts upon having to walk that dreaded walk from the University Dorm to the Cornfield where the jeeps going to the different areas park. I cut just twice if my memory serves me right. Getting what was duly mine was how I looked at it. I even cut the last day knowing I had a cut to give. I don’t really remember the exact reason, I’m not really sure if I was busy or I just wanted to cut that day. I feel bad now though, having not said goodbye to my kids on the last day they would be seeing me for that semester. Added to that, my partner accidentally cut that day as well having been left by the jeep as he was late. I don’t really know how they handled or took that last day. What I know is that I feel remorse. Yes, not regret. REMORSE. We(our NSTP class) had arranged for a party for them yet I wasn’t there. I don’t know and nor do I want to know how my kids took it having been “neglected” on the last day of NSTP that semester. I don’t think I could take the guilt. I just hope they don’t hate me. (Maybe I should find out one day though.)

Moving on, this second semester during my first insertion I had an amazing realization though. We were asked to go around and choose one of the kid’s houses and interview their parents. I interviewed the Tita of Gerald, Ate Mayet. Gerald was one of the more “makulit” ones. Most of the time arriving late but always arriving well-dressed with his hair combed to the side. He always smiles upon his arrival. He’s quite a slow reader although he’s attentive. But being true to the kid that he is. He also has his limitations regarding his attention span. Heck, even I have problems with that. I actually have more notable kids like Jenny Faye or John Lloyd. Yes, John Lloyd. J They stuck to me more by the end of the first semester of NSTP+ as they were the smarter and more attentive ones.

Here’s the story that led me to feel remorse for cutting just because I knew I could. Here’s the story that made me want to never cut ever again. Here’s the story that made me want to be nicer and more sincere to my NSTP+ kids and to all kids in general.

So there I was, inside the house of Gerald. Interviewing her Tita, Ate Mayet, with all my five kids present that day all lined up in one long bench/chair beside me. That’s Jerome, James, Jenny Faye, Andrea and Marvin for you. Gerald, who was also present that day although late and having missed our first story, was either near the door or on the floor, he moved a lot during the interview. I didn’t really ask why I wasn’t speaking with his mother as to avoid any awkwardness from the conversation because she might have died, ran away or what-have-you. Well, I forgot which question exactly led to my finding out the answer (I do think it was the one about his study habits and if anyone was reviewing or studying with him at home.) but I did find out why I was talking with Ate Mayet and not with his mother, and by this time I was also talking with her Lola too. His Lolo was actually in a distant table the whole time and Ate Pame(the area coordinator that came with me) was also just observing, smiling or commenting while we were there. Actually, I even got to see his mother for awhile, she was going down the stairs and I greeted her, after which she climbed back up.

As it happens to be so, Gerald’s mother is mentally ill.

From what I know, when she was still young, she already had some tendencies. Gerald has a sister one year younger and shortly after she was born, or maybe even before she was born (I’m not a 100% sure of this), Gerald’s father, unfortunately, died. This was when his mother’s condition worsened. Ate Mayet even recounts of moments when Gerald’s mother wouldn’t take her meds and only Gerald and his sister, Frances, could make her take it. Although Ate Mayet tells this story jokingly and with laughs and smiles I know the gravity of the situation they are in. She even mentions Gerald saying that when he has the capacity to do so, he’ll have his mother treated.

This is one of the problems that one of my NSTP+ kids is facing at such a young age. This is his reality. A reality that will make all the realities of my whole eighteen years of life here on earth pale in comparison. This is what my NSTP+ kid, Gerald, has to face everyday of his life yet there I was, cutting the last day of NSTP+ where and when we were supposed to be having fun together. There I was making use of my cuts just because I know I’d still pass NSTP+ even if I did so.

 I know it’s hard to wake up for NSTP. It’s hard to be there and actually like being there. I know some people might say that they have problems greater than Gerald’s problem. But whether you have greater problems than Gerald or if you have none when and if compared to his problems(like me) will it hurt for you to be kinder and truly more caring to your NSTP+ kids and to all children in general? Will it hurt to be one less stranger in this world for them? Will it hurt to take tutoring them seriously? In the case of Gerald, I didn’t really get why he was a bit slow in reading, was he inattentive or lazy? Little did I know that no one could actually follow him up on his studies like how my mother used to. Or like how our paid tutor used to. I’m not sure if Ate Mayet, his Lola or Lolo got to tutor, review and study with him at home. What I do know of is that Ate Mayet is quite busy working in the market and I’m pretty sure his mother can’t be the one possibly tutoring him. He’s in Grade 1 in a school with 12 sections. Is he really learning how to read well there? I HAVE THE CHANCE TO ACTUALLY TEACH THIS KID HOW TO READ. And what have I done so far? Mediocrity.

This note I am making, the words you are reading, are all so because you know how to read and write. Wouldn’t you want to be the reason why a child, a child not related to you in any way other than from NSTP+, will know how to read and write? And more importantly, wouldn’t you love to be the Ate or the Kuya that gets to make that child still believe in the goodness of people, of the world, of God?

Look back on your childhood? I don’t know about you but I had fairly good memories of it. Fun and without responsibility. I like looking back on them. For quite some time, I thought this was the case for many. But is this really the case for all?  Of course, I am no one to say I had a better childhood than the childhood other less fortunate kids have had or are having. What I do know is that my childhood was void of any serious hardships. I had such nice memories and looking back at them always makes me laugh and smile.

However, in a world that has been harsh and one that has thrown multiple hardships to these less fortunate kids in their early years of life, your act of genuine kindness might be one of the few things they’ll want to recall again and again about their childhood later on in their lives.

Will being truly nice to them be so hard?

After that I went to visit James’ house. I met his mother, father and Lola. It was quite a happy place although I didn’t get to stay that long. I asked my kids whose house they wanted us, that is myself, Ate Pame and all my other NSTP+ kids, to visit next. No one else offered to have their houses visited. I’m not sure why.

What I know for sure is that you can never ever generalize people. You can never be sure of who a person is or why they are the way they are unless you actually take the time and effort to get to know them better.

I never expected a story like that from Gerald, one of my “makulit” but shy kids. Who knows what stories and experiences my other children from NSTP+ have experienced or are continuing to experience. Who knows what they’ve been through? Who knows all the real and full stories behind the faces you see every Saturday? Stretching this even further, who knows of the reality that street children face everyday? Who knows of a random child’s stories of abuse? Who knows a heart broken child when he/she sees one?

No one can know of all this for sure. But really, will being sincerely nice to them hurt you? Will a genuine smile take so much time away from you? Will taking NSTP+ seriously hurt you so much?

Let’s give all these kids more reasons to smile at life. And when tutoring and going to the area gets tough; just remember that you’ll never know for sure why these kids are the way they are. Just be patient.

You have the chance to make a kid smile and pass on that smile to someone else. You have the chance to touch their lives. You have the chance to teach someone the basics of reading. You have the chance to teach them moral values. You have the chance to make them believe in the power of love and God even more. You have the chance to be an Ate or Kuya to them even just for a few moments in their lives. You have the chance to show them what humanity can achieve. You have the chance to actually make a positive impact on a stranger’s life.

Take it.

Sincerely Yours whoever you may be,

Alyssa Rodriguez

II AB Development Studies