HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAYS

Well, teachers always learn from other teachers. Miriam Guerrero, our new workmate has told me about a fantiastic Spanish course on Youtubr called "Tío Spanish". You learn English but many people learn Spanish as a second language and this is a fantastic tool to learn about our culture in a different way. This is his class about Easter in Spain:

Miriam, we'll miss you. You have been a great mate and a great teacher. Good luck!
And ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

MY UNFORGETTABLE EX-STUDENTS

Frank McCourt wrote: "The main thing I am interested in is my experience as a teacher". In his book Teacher Man he points out that he has tought to hundreds of students and he he has learnt very much.  This is one of the most striking things of teaching. In fact it's an exchange of learning experiences between students & teachers. I have learnt a lot from my students, too. Some of then will be always in my memories for different reasons. Along my life I have met by accident people who have called me: "profe". They had been my students before and wanted to talk to me reather than hiding!. They have made me happy for an instant. I have helped students to learn English but also to survive. Artzai is a survivor whom I sometimes meet in the underground. I feel very proud of him. Anabel & Lorena look after my children and are an example of young people fighting for a place in our society. Carlos shared music with me and told me about his worries... There are so many names I'll never forget.

Last year it was a special year at work. I went back to Joaquín Sorolla Adult School, where I always felt at home. I worked again with beloved friends like Dori, Delicia & Carmen and I met new teachers who are now part of my life like Marian, Lucía, Lola & Rocío.

But I also met wonderful students who were supportive and enthusiastic. Some of them achieved their goal at our school (The Aceso boys: Kike, Jaime, Víctor) and many of them were forced to leave our school due to our rulers unfair policy of cutting. I miss them so much. Some of them come to visit me and smile at me and that is a reward. I had coffee this morning with Belén and Pilar from my ex-conversation group and it was such a pleasure. They are faithful followers of this blog. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!

TEACHERS

These are hard times for our profession. I've been a teacher in our public Educative System since 1996. I have worked in almost 20 high schools in the region. I have lived experiences of all kinds & I have learnt a lot of my students & my workmates. I'm very proud of many teachers I've worked with. They have helped me to LOVE this job & believe me, teachers are not only people that "work 20 hours a week" & "have 2 months holidays". Many teachers are psychologists, confessors, clowns, police-officers, judges, parents, detectives, nurses, actors & guides apart from giving lessons about their especiality (which have studied for 5 years & have passed a hard competitive exam among thousands of candidates).

I can't mention here all the people who have tought me to teach & live teaching but here are some of them: The 1st time I worked in El Sorolla in 2000 I met excellent professionals: Dori, Delicia, Carmen. This year I had the honour to work with Marian, Lucía, Lola, Rocío, Mar & Patxi. In El Jovellanos Olivia & Gema de Jaén made me forget my worst students ever. I worked in El Palomeras for 4 years where I shared good & bad moments with Amalia, David, Pierre, Esther, Susana M. & José Alberto, my twin soul in teaching (& travelling!). Last year I suffered Chinchón with Mª José putting together her sense of humour & my experience to survive. I had very interesting talks about education & life with Fabián (who risked to travel in my car!!), Enrique & Raúl (who risked to take me in theirs!). I also have neighbour teachers, Gema & Óscar, with whom I have spent several evenings solving the problems of our educative system in our pool.

We are TEACHERS. We wear a green T-shirt sometimes because we believe in our work & we WORK FOR OUR STUDENTS & we want to get the best of them. That's our only fault.

Whenever I feel down about the sense of my work, I think about this poem by Celaya, which is more than a therapy for me: Educar... This is for all of you & others. "May the Force be with you".

EDUCAR
Educar es lo mismo
que poner motor a una barca…
hay que medir, pesar, equilibrar…
… y poner todo en marcha.
Para eso,
uno tiene que llevar en el alma
un poco de marino…
un poco de pirata…
un poco de poeta…
y un kilo y medio de paciencia
concentrada.
Pero es consolador soñar
mientras uno trabaja,
que ese barco, ese niño
irá muy lejos por el agua.
Soñar que ese navío
llevará nuestra carga de palabras
hacia puertos distantes,
hacia islas lejanas.
Soñar que cuando un día
esté durmiendo nuestra propia barca,
en barcos nuevos seguirá
nuestra bandera
enarbolada.
Gabriel Celaya