The hour of goodbyesAnother school year ends. One more year in which we teachers have worked in full classrooms, but also in the streets, demanding quality education.

Research paper, in doubt?20% of secondary schools have just called for the elimination of the mandatory research project, the TDR. The centers adhering to the initiative do not question the importance of fostering research or the development of academic skills, but rather denounce that this work generates more teaching problems than educational effectiveness.

But I wasn't!It is what scared students say when you ask them who has harassed a classmate or who has thrown a paper airplane at a teacher. And, sometimes —which puts them in evidence— they add: “I haven’t seen it”. It wasn’t necessary, because the next question is inevitable: what you “haven’t seen”, what has it been?

NeedlesWithout any intention of starting a debate (well, a little bit yes), clothes pegs, wooden or plastic?

Exasperation at RenfeIt's 2:30 PM on any given day. Mataró station, platform towards Blanes. A crowd – especially students, but also workers and tourists – waiting for almost an hour. The public address system, silent, no incidents announced. The seats in full sun are occupied and people are sitting on the ground. Words come to mind like: contempt, indignity, cynicism, abuse of power, lack of respect, impunity, mockery... One thing is the serious problems of aging infrastructure, lack of maintenance, lack of investment, negligence, non-compliance, etc., and another thing is what can be avoided. It seems that Renfe's slogan in Catalonia is: "Mistreat the user to the limit". This is fulfilled day after day. Consequently, road traffic increases, there is a greater risk of accidents, more global warming, more fuel consumption. All this for what? Is there a logical explanation? And until when?

Gratitude for Pep Guardiola

Letter to my grandmotherSometimes I wonder what you would say if you could hear some of the things being said today. The other day I was walking near the Sagrada Familia, that immense church designed by Antoni Gaudí, a man almost of your time. It's a marvel, Grandma. Every day thousands of people from all over the world enter. They pay thirty-six euros to visit it. You didn't know the euro, but so you understand me: with that money you would have filled the pantry for more than two weeks.