Simple Help Means A Lot
by: Donna Lopez
Being a wife and a mother of two, I still feel the homesickness especially when I am alone. Glad to be together with many Filipino people working in this institution who made me feel, in a way, that I am still in the Philippines. This is my first time to work outside the country and I admit there was a nervous feeling at first. I will be working with different people of different cultures and upbringing. Especially in this country that is far different from my faith and belief.
But when I realized that I am here to help this country in any way I can, not to mention that it is the one helping me most, I decided to be freed from the nervous feelings I have inside. What I should do is to give whatever best I could to contribute to the success of this institution in preparation for their country's success as well.
Giving your best to help this country can be done in different ways. Helping them does not mean you must be the best and most intelligent person, but also means giving them what you know that they do not even if you are just an average one. It does not just mean you should be at the top position but also mean sharing with them what you can that they can not even if you are just a simple employee. It also does not mean applying magic to give them the biggest help but the sincerity to provide one as simple as you can.
From end of January to third week of February, I was given the task of assisting the students in the ICDL exam. I do it together with one fellow technician on a half-day shifting schedule for four days a week. When I was there, I have experienced helping the students in simple ways that I can. Some of this help includes finding their computer terminals, logging in using their user accounts, enabling the exam module, pointing what buttons to click, and letting them understand what the question or instruction is all about. Most of the times I help them translate some English words that they do not understand such as 'Capitalize' and 'Embolden'.
There were times that students could hardly understand what I am talking about. Their facial expressions tell me that I should explain further or that, in a way that they could understand better. This is followed by saying "Teacher, tell me the answer" which is not allowed. What I do instead is letting them squeeze something out of their minds and telling them that they should answer the question on their own followed by saying "You can do it" coupled with a smile.
Those helps honestly mean a lot to me, I am fulfilled. I know in this little way, I have helped these students to adopt new things. But what is most fulfilling is when I hear them say "Thank You Teacher" for that simple thing that I do. It is always good to hear that the simple help that you just did is truly appreciated.