From a young age, I learned to love my preschool teacher; hence, my favorite toys were always a chalkboard, chalk, and an eraser, so I could teach everyone who visited the house. I remember how, on my first days of school, my teacher, named Anita,
would greet me warmly and then teach me letters, numbers, geometric shapes, colors, songs, and poems. Gratitude was always present at every level of education, because to speak of a teacher in Cuba is to speak of an army of incalculable value, which contributes to shaping the next generation through the knowledge it builds to radiate light.
Today, as eastern Cuba goes through a difficult time after Hurricane Melissa, Cuba does not forget its educators because it knows full well that we are made by our teachers. Under Martí’s words that “a hidden people can be considered free,” the teachers and professors of Contramaestre express their gratitude to the nation for the vital role of a profession that today tests us in the face of Mother Nature’s challenging adversity.
We know that the powerful Hurricane Melissa severely damaged schools, where education thrives, values are broadened, civic norms are strengthened, and the nation grows stronger. However, this misfortune does not diminish this great pedagogical force, driven by heart and principles, as it joins in the recovery effort to bring joy back to the classrooms, to make self-improvement the greatest passion for work, continuity, history, and the country.
Today, the loss of roofs on some schools, the wind-damaged woodwork, the rain-damaged study materials, or the tree that eliminated the shade currently preventing group gatherings are irrelevant. The curriculum remains clear, precise, and manifest in continuing to cultivate values and feelings that seek the good that may reside in the soul, continuing to build the present and the future.
Hence, the vocation to educate distinguishes the Army from Cuban pedagogy, already beginning the day for the Educator’s Day to motivate other children to love their teachers, and to be inspired by a work that opens paths to hope, wisdom and freedom.
