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Twenty-three Teachers, Truly-
A Quantum Leap In Education-
Author: Carlos González Pérez
Chapter IIFirst Meeting
Feeling his heart beating, the teacher walked towards the classroom of first-year secondary, where he was about to meet people from sixteen to seventeen. Hewas supposed to teach them maths and physics. José Luis expected more fromhimself.He knew that this year was to be different. His dreams were to be embodied ineveryday reality. During years,he had searched deep inside of himfor the master thatwould be able to arouse the wisdom in his students, making them feel unique, puttingthem in touch with the dreams that they were afraid of, creating enough self-confidence in themselves, so that they would not be any longer slaves of their ownsocial masks. In this inner journey he had been conquering the qualities that he wantedto uncover in hispupils.Each step he took towards the classroom reminded him of thelong road walked—he imagined himself as a conductor who knew that true harmonywould be achieved only when capable of feeling each musician as unique, whencapable of appreciating the qualities of each and everyone of them, and when capableof integrating those qualities into a single score. The goal would be achieved when theorchestra would continue without his conductor…His mind brought back the images of the wonderful film
 As It Is In Heaven,
in which a genuine teacher had to start teachingmaking his students recognize, first of all, their own voice.The loud gibberish from the classroom traveled down the hall to meet his ears.Then he questioned himself whether he would be able to teach them withoutdestroying a bit of theirhappiness. He wantedthe classroom to be a place of enjoyment, literally,where everybody could enjoy the fruits that knowledge and,aboveall, recognition bring.From the bag of magical memories he brought out one of his favorites:GérardDepardieu’s girlfriend said in an interview that when Gérard enters the room inwhich sheis, she feels that Life itself enters.What a way to express the one person’s joyof life! José Luis fed his body with this memory, giving it the energy he wantedfor hisstudents. His steps became lighter, his feet made walking a dance…His hand touched the handle, he felt the door he was about to open gave wayto a greatadventure,and he knew that the essence of this latter word is unable tosecure any results at all. A new stage in his career had begun, the values that had beenbrewing inside him had to be brought out to daylight. Many of these will not beunderstood or accepted, but being loyal to himselfcould not wait any longer. For thefirst time in more than twenty years, he would entera roomwithoutamask.
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‘Good morning to all of you’,said while his face was illuminated by the morninglight that came in through the windows. Just a few heard his greeting, and some of them answered back. He walked through a corridor of desks towards the teacher'stable. The distance seemed to become longer and the temptation to wear the maskonce again appeared. Finally, he placed himself behind the table, looking at the peoplein front of him. They went to their seats, scanning the face and figure of the newteacher, trying to put him in a stereotype. José Luis, facing all the education hereceived, tried to do the opposite. He did not want to see hisstudents as people healready knew, but as a universe to explore with them. Each one of them hid amarvelous and distinct treasure. To teach them was to make them explore their ownterritory, and thus enjoy their own wealth. This plenty without effort, as fruitscomefrom flowers, would make grow the virtues that had always been in the seeds of theirhearts. Beautiful thoughts! But—how to make them real in the everyday routine?‘My name is José Luis and I’m your maths and physics teacher’, said he, beingaware of the fear that both subjects often produce.‘Welcome to the magicalworldofmathematics’.The faces were asking each other what stupid welcome this teacher had justsaid.‘We’re going to talk about an universe different than the physical one, but thatour consciences can visit. We live in different realities. A few minutes ago we wereinhabiting the country ofour dreams. In it we can do incredible things; when we enterits domain, we leave ourlimitations outside. The sound of the alarm clock dresses us upwith our heavy duties suit, and wewant to continue with the nakedness of our dreams.Well—now that I look at you, Ithink some of you are still with his or her mind in thatdream dimension!A soft laughter was heard, while the teacher went to the blackboard and drawwhat it seemed to be a circle.‘What’s your name?’,he asked,addressing a boy close to him.‘Alberto’, answered the boy, shyly.‘The name of a person must be pronounced as if it were a palace in which oneinhabits; since one must be the king of his own life. Dear monarch, could you tell usonce again who you are?’, he requested, trying to get in the difficult situation that hehadput his student into, remembering his own timidity, but at the same time, firmlyconvinced of the need forprovoking his pupil.‘Alberto’, pronouncedhe, totally confused ashis face went as red as a sunset.‘You need practice, but we have a whole year ahead. I was myself a very shystudent and—now look at me’,said he, opening his arms wide as if he was to introducehis own show.
 
The rest of the class wondered whether they would also have to become kings.One thing was clear—they already had a new court jester: their new teacher.‘Tell me, Alberto, what have I just drawn?’‘A circle’.‘Are you sure? How would you define a circle?’The studenthesitated for a moment, but finally, smelling a rat,he answeredhaltingly.‘A plain figure bounded by a single curved line every point of which is equallydistant from the centre’.‘Very academic! That's right. Now look at the blackboard once more and tell meif I havedrawn acircumference’.Alberto was totally confused, ‘where was the trick?’, he wondered, ‘what have Ioverlooked?’,and finally he answered a hesitant yes.‘Imagine that the chalk I hold has become a magnifying glass’,said the teacherwhile tracing the allegedcircumference. ‘Now, the line is wider and thicker and it is easyto see that it’s got several points closer to the centre than others. Actually I have drawnwhat it’s called an outer ring, that is, the area between two concentric circles. If I madea finer stroke it would be enough for me to get a more powerful magnifying glass andagain, it would be thick and the equidistance would disappear. We can’t draw a circle ina threedimensional physical world, because geometric figures don’t belong to thatworld. It is a part of a mental universe—that of mathematics—to which we can haveaccess with our minds. Any traveler who enters an unknown universe needs a goodship and an excellent training to conduct that ship. In our case the ship is our brain, andthe training is our knowledge of the potential of our minds, our emotions, ourintuition, and ultimately of all our consciousness. I invite you to learn to be pilots of your brain and explore the magical world of maths’.A great silence was made and all eyes seemed to watch a yet invisible horizon.In their minds was discovered a new space, free of cultural biases and limitations.‘Do you accept my invitation?’, the voice made the silence vanished with fivewords.Nobody dared to answer, so José Luisaddressed Alberto gently, almostseductively, ‘do you accept it?’.Like all shy people who have a great deal of stored value, the student answeredclearly in a positive way.
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