to Silvia Scarcelletta
The book was presented amid great participation and enthusiasm “The school and its surroundings”The second collection of poems by the biologist and poet Anagni Eva Battiloro. The event – which took place on 21 October 2023 in the Council Hall of the Municipality of Biglio and was organized by the Culture Delegate Maria Grazia Borgia – It developed through a charming dialogue between the poet, her colleague, and her professor Luigi MorattiAll of this is amplified through direct discussion with the audience, in a heated debate about school, about the now incomprehensible bureaucracy, and about the behind-the-scenes reality that every teacher lives every day.
What do we really know about school bureaucracy? What about the teachers’ point of view? What about the discomfort of failure? And pain note? About the commitment to a hidden basic education that is the responsibility of teachers, but no one acknowledges it?
These are the main topics Which the poet denounces“But this is only possible with poetry – he admits – because with prose it can be more easily attacked and criticized, So I am happy to hide an infinite amount of bitterness behind the amazing performances of the rhetorical characters“.
In most cases – he continues – the school is viewed only from the perspective of a tired student or a dissatisfied parent, but no one ever thinks about the vision that the teacher actually has inside his second home, the home that does not encourage him, does not encourage him. He does not support or encourage him Thus he ends up making him feel like Icarus who, while trying to fly higher, ends up falling due to his actions..
The debate rages on and moves on in the same vein with many quite relevant literary examples: from Ovid, to Dante, to Parini, and then arriving at one focused and very famous example by Berandelli: bitter laughter. Yes, because it is precisely black humor that Eva wants to talk to us about: Because she talks about it with a smile, making fun of herself and her complaints, but in the end she is unable to imagine how the role of teacher, one of the most pedagogically and emotionally sensitive roles, can be so undervalued precisely by those who should encourage her.
“all of us – Confess emotionally We have the memory of at least one school teacher, someone who passionately loved us, who made us fall in love with literature, poetry, love, justice, who gave us truth. This is the example we need, the light that gives us the strength to carry on even in the darkest places and moments, when we don’t feel valued or appreciated.. “It is the love of knowledge.”
In a world made of lies, it is good to feed on our dreams, and sometimes even deceive ourselves. In moments of frustration, we all have one fundamental right and duty: not to lose control. This control can only be achieved by informing ourselves, studying, reading, and exercising the great gift that trusted poets have left us as a legacy.: making literature. We must shine – As Pasolini said – even when they teach us not to. We must claim, as Seneca asserted, above all that we are masters of ourselves and our dreams; Because, in the end, the mission of the school is precisely this: to learn how to make one’s life a subject of literature.
But what is the benefit of writing poetry then? What changes can a praiseworthy act like this bring about in an individual’s life? There is very likely one great example that will make every teacher who loves his profession warm his heart and soul:
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s nice: We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race and the human race is full of emotion. Medicine, law, economics, and engineering are noble professions that are necessary for our livelihood; But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are the things that keep us alive. (From “Dead Poets Society” 1989)
myth
Once upon a time there was a strange country
Where the gentlemen were wonderful,
Of students kept their minds lit,
They were beacons for the people of the future.
They gained everyone’s respect and appreciation
Who were the heirs of the great past
And everyone entrusted their minds to them
To his son who was able to do so
To grow stronger, gain skills,
Become a citizen with a thousand values.
But a terrible disease conquered the rulers
To those far, strange countries:
Once all travelers agree
They took care of themselves, without any other pretensions,
Without caring about what is right,
They had a disgust for what was best.
The envy (contempt) they felt towards each child,
Everything had a mirror:
Progress, the future, the myth of Atlantis…
Their ideal was none other than Pinocchio!
And so they are now teachers
Uncomfortable stones for these rulers:
The latter swore to take revenge on the first.
To make their work hateful,
They are convinced of a thousand burdens
To deliver a sure blow to them.
To follow through with this evil plan
They were deprived of the compensation they deserve
Thinking that this is an insult to them
It will quickly take away their fitness.
But the greed you have
Of these rulers and their souls
He had no access to faculty
She continued her work.
All teachers with a sacred mission
I followed this tradition:
Shaping the minds of learners
There in the land of great minds.
The intelligent rulers are disturbed and defeated
Then they decided to change environments:
They crammed everyone into classrooms in the chicken coop
Inside buildings that were not schools,
Under the stairs or even in the attic
The classrooms were ugly and old.
Air volume was low
O2 replacement has become a farce,
So from infection and also from inflammation
Neither teachers nor students were immune.
Then everyone adapted
And here the painful ordeal began
Soon kingdoms increased around them
Differences and deep division.
There has not yet been any transfer of weapons
Which the professors and teachers had in their hearts
Their mission, their mission
He drives them forward angrily.
The referees changed, then the hours.
Times were taken away from the professor
It interferes with anger
Many other activities for majors
They did all this under pretext
To give the student training,
good civic education,
And also for preparatory work.
Projects with ridiculous names flourished,
Improbable and foolish shortcuts
Hence this alternation of work
Who deceived them all in the future.
It was carried out using another weapon
Another blow to these teachers:
Bureaucracy, papers, stamps and signatures
Who will spread terror in schools?
They made a promise to those who fell behind
Appeals from lawyers in Hail!
However, the bottom has not been reached
Because the relationship was still safe
Among the master’s disciples is intrigued
This is what he taught with passion.
But they imposed a barrier between them
There is no longer any sympathy or emotions,
They have emptied the lessons of the treasure,
3D reality is dead.
Meeting after meeting was the same.
Freedom to teach is over
In the apparent cult imposed at that time
The brutality of the spirit began.
They have maliciously injured excellence
Love of science and knowledge
Thanks to the terrible epidemic,
He will order anyone’s promotion.
And when schoolchildren are now missing
They felt that direction was missing
Charges were brought against the teachers
Of all these hypocritical rulers:
“The masters did not know how to motivate
Love, care, attention
For students without passion.
All blame was quickly assigned
From evil cuts and mismanagement
For teachers and their preparation!
They were then sent to update it
To courses with bold instructors,
of their less educated teachers,
They were the actors of revenge!
Summer recovery was thought about
To intense heat and constant heat
With the virus under command, it’s now gone
and improvised animators,
From social consoles!
I know it sounds like a nightmare, gentlemen,
But I want to remind you that it is a scam
A miserable tale invented here
Of the school’s heroic steadfastness
For a strange imagined country…
Since in which country is known
They will never follow the teachers
In this case and in this exploitation
To work with a lot of problems?
Eva Battiloro
“Infuriatingly humble social media buff. Twitter advocate. Writer. Internet nerd.”
