While a woman affirms that yes, her daughter had “an Amalia” in seventh grade, her seatmate in P1 seems incredulous: “well, if you say so, the truth is that they got lucky, because what I have happened with mine, better not even tell you».
What no one can doubt is that the teleseries Calendar, which airs Sunday nights on Cubavisión has captured the attention of a diverse audience. And when I say diverse, I mean generations, social groups, occupations, and regions of the country.
“Against all odds,” says Orlando, “because at that time one is for police, when they began to announce that series I was the first to say, this is not going to be liked even if it is good, who comes up with broadcasting a program teenagers on a Sunday at that time. Personally I was interested because I am a teacher, but I swore I was going to fail. However, it has come so directly to the reality that we live in Cuban schools today and with such great sensitivity and seriousness, that it has made us all fall in love.
Are there teachers like Amalia?
If they exist, Ely wants them to tell her where for her to change schools. She is in the eighth grade and would like a teacher like Amalia. He doesn’t care if it’s Spanish, Literature or Chemistry, rather he would prefer that the entire faculty of his high school was like teacher Amalia.
I only launched the provocation among a group of teenagers gathered in the Park of H and 21 and the debate was formed: «That doesn’t exist mija, that is, in your dreams you are going to have a teacher like that: pretty, handsome and everything else for Of course,” Roly assured him without a hint of optimism.
Amanda sees things with more colors: “I think there won’t be as many, but there are, at least I’ve had teachers who aren’t exactly like Amalia, but they have many traits of hers, for example, my teacher Ileana is not as Young like Amalia, but she gives the classes with great enthusiasm, she tells us the story with emotion, she is understanding and at the same time demanding. And teacher Berta is always looking for ways to do experiments in Science, she is very creative…»
However, it is not only the example of the teacher that has caught the attention of Amanda, who is about to start seventh grade and has other reasons for recommending the audiovisual: «I really like it, really. Since it deals with issues that are very real among today’s teenagers. For example, the case of the sudden boy, who did not want to show his talent for fear of being mocked. And yes, it is true that it happens, that is why I would like this series to help adolescents a little bit, even if it is to become aware of things we do that are not right and that we cannot stop being ourselves for fear of being mocked, what society thinks.
Where Roly sees the impossible, Isabella finds truths: «The series amazed me. It seems to me that it is very close to what happens in our day to day, the characters remind me a lot of the contemporary boys with me. It also has very good performances, and I really liked the role of the teacher, Amalia».
Melissa also finds truth in Calendar: «The series is very good. It is very realistic and instructive, as well as very entertaining. And I think the further it goes and the more we get to know the characters, the more lessons it will leave.”
The possible and necessary Amalia
Grandma Mayi does not rule out that there is an exception to the rule, but she believes that they are not the majority: “I wish Amalia and Manuel, the one from the other novel, would work together in my grandchildren’s schools,” she tells me half in revelry and completely seriously. : «many professors like them would be needed».
«I believe that the most important thing that we must retain from this series is not whether or not there are teachers like Amalia, but rather that they are possible and necessary, because what no one doubts is that there are students with the problems of Beyonce, Orestes, «the nagüe » or Melissa. I hope that we are reviewing ourselves as I have done in each chapter, reviewing ourselves as teachers, as parents, as a family…”, Orlando expressed, endorsed by the experience of many years in front of a high school classroom.
