Saturday, October 10, 2009

I GIVE MY HEART TO MY STUDENTS

by Yainerys Avila


It was very complicated, but not impossible, to arrive at La Gloria, a community in the mountains of the province of Sancti Spíritus, where Germán Alexis Rodriguez Guerra lives. Last year, he received "Los Zapaticos de Rosa” Award (this prize is given in Cuba to persons or institutions with an outstanding work related to children and youth).


After my arrival, conversation arose spontaneously, while eleven students made their duties. The skilful hand draw up letters on the blackboard. Here, an exercise for the little ones of the third degree; there, another one for those of fifth; there, an equation for those of sixth degree.

Besides the subject he teaches, Germán never neglects the spelling and constantly uses education means that he himself has designed for his students, along with the television and the VCR.

I graduated in 1987 and I was assigned to a multi-level school in the municipality of Jatibonico. After nine years I was transferred to this primary school, named José María Padrón. I always dreamed about being a teacher. Since I wa a child I learned from my educators the love to this profession. Thanks to them my vocation to teaching increased.

SJ: What importance do you attribute to teachers at primary schools?
This is the most difficult stage for the students. It is necessary to be very careful, because what they learn now decide their future. To the teacher in a multi-level school the experience is still more complex, because you have to work with several matters and to obtain a good performance many extra hours of study are required.

SJ: How do you manage to give classes to students from three different degrees?

At the beginning it is very hard, but with a lot of patience and preparation you acquire more skills and learn to know each boy. In addition, in this type of school if you realize that some student has some difficulty, you can correct it in a personalized way, because the groups usually are smaller than in other cases.

SJ: What means do you use in the classroom?

José Martí´s work, first of all, and from our pedagogues, like Raúl Ferrer. I take advantage of tongue twisters, songs and proverbs, that allow me to tie a matter with another one so that they feel motivated. Sometimes midnight sees me copying some pages from a book they don´t have in the small library I´ve created little by little, so that they can read it.

SJ: We know that you hoard several awards as an exemplary teacher. Are you satisfied?

The greater prize than I´ve received in my life is the children´s affection. To them I give my heart. But my pride is to have attended to the IV Congress of the Pioneers Organization, where I represented the countryside´s children and expressed their concerns.

SJ: And “Los Zapaticos de Rosa” Award, granted by the Pioneers Organization?

That is the greatest recognition a teacher can ever receive. I will remember it all my life. From the thousands of teacher Cuba has, 13 of us got such a high distinction, and from that very small number, only two of us belonged to schools in the mountains. You can imagine how I feel.
SJ: What will you feel when you can no longer be in the classroom?

I hope that day doesn´t come soon at all. I will miss a lot this board, the chalks, the bustle of the children. But mainly, their questions and their comments. Each student makes you to feel alive, necessary. When the day finishes I´m always unsatisfied because I think I could teach them more, that every day passing is one left less with them.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Wow. This is fantastic. I really like the story about addiction. I’m going to share this with Mikella.