Rodrigo Malta

           Last year, when my class was starting the last year of the junior high school, I had a teacher, Iomar, that seemed not to be a friendly person. He was known as an evil man, who does not care about his students. My classmates and I were not afraid about him and we did not use to listen his advices, once he said: "Who hasn't started to study for the test will not succeed."

            Two weeks passed since his advice, and he was with the result of the tests on his hands, he was looking very upset and then he started to talk to us as no one has done before. He asked why we did not study and what was the reason for those results. To conclude he said "I am not going to show you these results today. These tests are going to be with me until you show me that you are capable, and deserve a better grade."

            Two months after, we would take another test. On the other hand, we knew our responsibilities, and I believe, until today, that everybody has studied for that test. Some days after the second test, Iomar called me to go to his own office and said: "Rodrigo, I noticed that you are a good student on the first test, although you didn't get an excellent grade. However, somebody told me that you could get better grades, because of this I didn't show you your first test."

            Iomar was an excellent history teacher, he could link facts and tell us what was happening in the world and why. However, he was more than a teacher, he was our second father. As a result, he taught us more than a subject, he convinced us to always do our best.