A poem for teachers, by Angel Nieto

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! Sharing with you one of my favorite poems, written by my first teacher and inspiration, my papi, Angel Nieto. And it happens to be his birthday. Enjoy his poem in English then in Spanish!

TO BE A TEACHER

To be a teacher means
to be a parent, a friend, a companion,
a confidant, a nurse, a constant counselor.

To be a teacher means
To love, to cherish, to set an example,
to respect.
To push, to have patience (and to lose it),
to forgive.
To advise, to persevere, to be a friend,
to listen.
To explain, to apply, to not give up,
to appreciate.

To have charity and compassion,
strength and determination,
joyfulness and passion,
passion and love
for that madness
which implies creation.

To be a teacher means
To stimulate, to encourage, to be humble,
to reprimand.
To repeat, to correct, to instill pride,
to require.
To fulfill, to impose, to laugh,
to admire.
To imagine, to mold, to care,
to demand.
To persist, to struggle, to  dare,
to understand

To make rules and to break them,
to mistrust the obvious
to reject the comfortable
to escape routine.
To answer and to ask,
always to ask,
not paying attention
to what people might say.

To sleep a little and dream a lot,
to dream asleep,
and dream awake,
always to dream and
reach for the impossible.
To learn, to share, to teach
and to learn again.
To discover, to shape, to achieve
and then start all over again.   [1]

SER MAESTRO

Ser maestro es
ser padre, hermano, amigo, compañero,
confidente, enfermero, constante consejero.
Ser maestro es:
    Amar, apreciar, dar ejemplo,
    respetar.
    Perseverar, tener paciencia (y perderla),
    perdonar.
    Aconsejar, empujar, dar amistad,
    escuchar.
    Explicar, aplicar, no dejarse derrotar
    apreciar.

Tener
caridad y compasión,
firmeza y determinación,
alegría y pasión
mucha pasión y
amor a esa locura
que implica la creación.

Ser maestro es:
    Repetir, corregir, dar orgullo,
    exigir.
    Estimular, animar, ser humilde,
    admirar.
    Comprender, reprender, ser atrevido,
    imponer
    Imaginar, moldear, tener ganas,
    realizar.
    Insistir, sufrir, tener humor
    requerir

Hacer reglas y romperlas,
no confiar en lo obvio
descartar lo cómodo
escapar de la rutina.
Contestar y preguntar,
siempre preguntar.
No hacer caso al que dirán.

Dormir poco y soñar mucho,
soñar dormido, despierto soñar,
siempre soñar y
lo imposible buscar.
Aprender, compartir, enseñar
y aprender una vez más.
Descubrir, formar, lograr
y luego volver a empezar.


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