Does Gender Influence the Teaching?

There are some myths in society regarding the teacher’s gender. Those myths have blocked the access to getting teaching job vacancies for both men and women. Two sample myths are the following. The first is that women are better teachers at kindergarten, and the second is that men are better teachers at senior high school. At the beginning of the twentieth century, competition at work became high. However, that level of competition at work is nothing compared with the one going on nowadays. The advent of the state-of-the-art technology that everybody can enjoy has lead competition to rocket. As a result, employers look for the most qualified people for the needed jobs. Within this search for employees there is a study about which gender is more competent for a specific job. This is applied to education. Schools want to employ the best teachers; and for that objective, they need to know whether one gender is better than the other when it comes to teaching. Women and men can become equally professional teachers, but at the same time each one has unique gifts for making the teaching-learning experience more perfect.

Both, male and female have the same capacity to become excellent teachers. To begin with, women and men teachers have the same intellectual capability. It is a fact that no gender is more intelligent than the other. There are many studies that prove this fact, such as the one conducted by Jim Flynn and Lilia Rossi-Case in 2011. Moreover, male and female teachers have the same capacity to teach professionally; that is, helping the students to learn the subject matter in the most suitable way. Therefore, teachers of both genders can explain in a clear way that is understandable for the students. Also, they know when the students have a difficult time understanding the subject matter, and know how to adjust in these circumstances by explaining from a different perspective and offering new examples. For instance, among the winners of the Pearson Teaching Awards 2014, which is one of the most prestigious teaching awards in the world, we find the team of The King’s School, which is lead by Paula Ferrand and composed of both, women and men. Therefore, the ability to transmit knowledge effectively to the student can be acquired regardless of gender.

Women and men are gifted in its own way to make the teaching-learning experience more effective. First, women are more caring than men by nature, so they can help the students to feel more confident in the class and undertake a risk taking behavior when doing the exercises. Since the time of conception, women feed and comfort their children. This extremely close bound with their children enhances a special capacity for care and love. Therefore, female teachers are capable of exerting this care and love for those students who are undergoing a difficult emotional time. This is important because students are human and need to feel loved and cared for. As an example, in Surabaya there is a boy named Reiner, studying in Saint Louis high school, who had some personal needs, but it was only a female teacher who felt that, and was able to kindly help him find a solution. The male teachers of Reiner could not have imagined what Reiner needed. Secondly, men show more discipline than women, so they are more likely than women to engage the students in the subject matter at hand. It is a fact that men will not feel any remorse of conscience to correct students who misbehave in class. This is the reason why most of the military schools are made up of men. When something wrong is going on in the classroom, male teachers do not hesitate to take tough actions if needed. As a consequence, the students will develop the habit to focus more on the class and avoid disrupting the class, or getting distracted.

Nowadays in the midst of an extremely high competition at the workplace, schools do not need to worry whether the teachers they hire are male or female. Both, women and men can be excellent teachers. Regardless of gender, human beings have the same capacity to attain a high intellectual level. Besides, the skill of transmitting knowledge to students can be attained by both genders. However, there are differences between male and female teachers. Nevertheless, those differences do not make one gender better than the other, but rather unique. Both, men and women have unique gifts that make them special. Therefore, it is needed to have teachers of both genders. As a conclusion, schools should not look at the gender when hiring teachers, but rather at the acquired skills for teaching the given subject matter.

Official Trailer | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Here we publish the official trailer of the latest movie of the short story entitled, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. If you remember, on September 1, 2013 we published a post on this short story.

The Amazing Story of Bosco Gutierrez Cortina

In August 1990, Bosco was caught on the street by a group of criminals. They punched and threw him in the trunk of a car, stripped naked, carried in a blanket “like a little taco”. They put him on black painted goggles so that he couldn’t recognize them. Once these criminals took Bosco to the place where he would spend nine months kidnapped, which is the city of Puebla, one hour and thirty minutes away from Mexico City, they removed the goggles, and Bosco saw his raptors for first time. They were wearing white sheets covering their heads. His captors told him via written instructions, that he must answer truthfully such things as where his wife went to the hairdresser, what school his children attended, what route they took and so on. If he lied, they threatened to kill him and kidnap one of his brothers. This was the way his raptors would communicate with him, so that Bosco would not know how their voices sound like. So, he decided to answer only those questions his captors could verify if they put his family under surveillance, but he still felt as if he had betrayed them. “I felt like a piece of nothing.” He was imprisoned in a cell of three meters long and one meter wide, without windows sothat he would lose the sense of time. The criminals were playing a thirty minutes cassette over and over again during the whole day. For a couple of weeks, he sat in the corner by a makeshift toilet in a fetal position, hoping to die.


His captors realized that if they didn’t do something he was going to die, so they wrote him a message on Mexico’s Independence Day and told him he could have a drink. He asked for a high ball-sized glass of whiskey. When it arrived, he felt it “was the best thing I ever had.” It began what he called a “cult of the whiskey,” where he smelled it, ran the glass along his unshaven dirty face. But then he heard an internal prompt: “Bosco, give up the whiskey. Show me you are strong.” That internal voice persisted, “Give me something that is under your control.” So he threw the whiskey away without taking a sip. He wrote himself a note. “Today I won my first battle. I know at the end I can still be free, that I am not a piece of nothing.”


Bosco realized his family was trying to arrange for his release and praying for him. So, in order to survive to the kidnapping, he designed a regime of regular prayer and exercise and Bible study. He also realized he could not live with anxiety. In addition he was focused on living a daily routine. First: mental health; second: physical health; and third: action! He lived an impressive discipline not allowing the imagination turning him crazy. He designed a plan of physical health—one cassette for crunches and three cassettes for footing and mosquito hunting in order to keep sharp reflexes—, a plan of mental health—avoiding anguish and negative thoughts—and a spiritual plan.


The raptors contacted the family of Bosco and asked for a ransom. Bosco’s family was willing to pay the ransom; they wanted to do anything to save him. Everything was planned to pay the ransom and to free Bosco, but eventually the ransom fell through. Bosco had been for six months kidnapped in the cell, when it happened, so it was another hardship for Bosco who imagined himself free already. He had to face other three months kidnapped there, although he didn’t know exactly how time would he spend there. That situation was very hard, because he didn’t know if he would continue there for another month, one year, or even he would spend the rest of his life there. Psychologically, that is very hard to bear and to give up could seem the only choice, but Bosco didn’t give up,and after three months he decided to try out some makeshift tools—that he had done previously—while he could hear one guard taking a shower and the other sleeping. He ended up walking past them to freedom. His family decided not to pursue an investigation as a tacit agreement with his kidnappers that they leave them alone.





Bosco had to spend nine months alone in a three meter long and one meter wide cell; without sense of time, he could not know if it was night or morning, because in his cell there was not a single window. Besides, he was always listening to the same music, even at night, which makes very difficult to sleep. He had to bear the terror of knowing that he could die at any time, because his raptors had weapons. He was very concern for his family knowing that they were suffering greatly his lost, and also the fear of knowing that they could be attacked too. Even during the first months, he didn’t even have clothes to wear, which made him feel like an animal losing his dignity of man. This is how Bosco spent those nine months that lasted his kidnapping, and yet he survived, and he was able to go back home with his family and to continue having a happy life with his beloved ones, thanks to his perseverance to keep hope and keep himself healthy.

Why is Jokowi so popular?

When I arrived in Indonesia two years and a half ago, I did not know anything about politics in this country. Actually, not even during these years of my stay here I have learnt it, maybe because of the big number of political parties that makes me confused.  However there is a name that has stuck to my mind, that is Joko Widodo. Everybody speaks of him, and he appears often in the media. Recently he was appointed as candidate for the 2014 presidential elections. Therefore, I have wondered how come Joko Widodo is so popular. He was just a furniture retailer in Solo, but since the year 2005 has won all the elections he has presented to, that is as mayor of Solo in 2005, and as governor of Jakarta in 2012. To win the elections is one thing, but to be a good leader is another thing. However, Jokowi has proven the latter also. In fact, he received the 3rd place of the 2012 World Mayor Prize for "transforming a crime-ridden city into a regional center for art and culture and an attractive city to tourists. There are three main reasons why Joko Widodo is so popular, not only in Indonesia, but in the whole world, as the award he received proves.

First and foremost, he truly cares for the people. For him becoming mayor or governor is not a matter of thirst for power, but rather an opportunity to serve his fellowmen. Jokowi has a virtue which is essential for a leader, which is listening to others. This is the x-factor of Jokowi and is shown in his Blusukans or “unscheduled visits.” These consist in coming up in crowded areas where people work daily, such as markets, bus stations, etc. He goes there to have a direct contact with the people. To see what is going on in those places, and analyze how things can be improved. Besides, it is very striking because he does these visits not in an official way, but rather in a casual way, as if he were one more in those places. Even he has been confused for a Becak driver.

            Second, he has proven himself in Surakarta, which was his first testing ground as a leader. He did it very well and as I mentioned above, he got the third position in the 2012 World Mayor Prize. He had many achievements in Surakarta. First, he was able to change the fame of this city from a crime-ridden city into “The Spirit of Java.” Because of this, Surakarta has recovered his cultural value, and therefore has become a main tourist destination in Indonesia, and even in the whole Southeast Asia Region. Second, he was able to build new traditional markets, including an antiques market and a home appliances market. These kind of buildings is very much needed due to the farmer community.

Third, in his two years as governor of Jakarta has got good achievements. To begin with, he was able to successfully move street vendors from beside the road in order to create more road lanes in the area of Tanah Abang. Third, he has fought hard to stop the floods. For example, he began together with the World Bank, a $189 million flood-mitigation dredging-project aimed at reducing sedimentary buildup caused by poor maintenance and solid waste management. Besides, he has promised subsidized apartments for people living along rivers that tend to flood. Although he has not stopped the floods yet, he is working hard to get this problem solved. Besides, this is a big problem that began due to corrupt practices in the past, so it cannot be solved in a period of just two years.

            To sum up, I think Joko Widodo is a role model for politicians in Indonesia. He is a person who put someone else’s needs before his. He is willing to do his best for the future of Indonesia.

Reading English Novels

Nowadays young people spend their spare time playing computer games and watching movies. Lying in front of a screen and being passive is the trend; maybe because it does not require a mental effort. Therefore, this comfort-seeking society regards reading novels as a tiring and boring activity. However, reading English novels has lots of benefits.

First of all, it is a good hobby. Reading a novel is a time worthy spending because it is very entertaining. For instance, when I read Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, I felt as if I were sailing with the Old Man along the coastline of Cuba running after the largest fish ever seen. Reading this novel was so exciting. Moreover, it is relaxing. When I was preparing for my college entrance examination in Spain, I was studying very hard every day to get the scores I needed. It was very tiring, but twenty minutes of reading at night would help me relax and get ready to face the next day. Besides, it is available anywhere and anytime; the only requirement is to bring a book along.

Secondly, reading English novels helps mastering the English language. For one thing, it improves reading skills. For example, I like reading novels, and because of that I can read the textbooks required for my college subjects faster and getting more meaning. In addition, it improves sentence skills. For instance, I have learned the use of quotation marks intuitively by reading English novels. Furthermore, reading novels increases vocabulary. For example, after I read The Jury by John Grisham, I was able to understand the vocabulary of basic legal terms and understand simple legal issues.

Third and most important, reading novels increases knowledge. Novels depict the world as it is. For instance, reading “Around the World in Eighty Days” by Jules Verne, taught me geography by describing countries such as England, Japan, Singapore, and the United States. Moreover, novels describe people of different races, with their own cultures and religions. As an illustration, I have never been in India, but reading “The life of Pi” by Yann Martel has taught me some lessons about Indian society. Finally, some novels are based on science. For example, when I read I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, I learned some advantages that robotic research could bring about.

In conclusion reading English Novels is a good hobby, helps mastering the English language, and increases knowledge. If people who do not like reading and are deceived thinking that it is boring just knew one of these benefits, they would leave videogames behind and embark on the adventure of reading novels.

An Unforgettable Lesson

Last year I was invited to attend the “International Student Summit 2012” at Bogor, Indonesia. This was a three day seminar starting on Sunday, November 11. The participants were three representatives from each of the 25 invited universities. We met there to share our experiences studying in Indonesia; experiences such as; overcoming culture shock when coming to Indonesia, learning Bahasa Indonesia, the importance of an International Office at the university, and some others. The reason for holding this seminar is to address the growing  number of international students in Indonesia every year. The Indonesian Government is willing to support this growth and facilitate the studies of these international students. The seminar opened with a speech delivered by the Director General of Higher Education in Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Ir Djoko Santoso MSc.

In that seminar I met people from all over the world; people from Mexico, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Kenya, Uganda, and some other countries. I had nice talks with most of them, but I will never forget my conversation with a student from Ivory Coast. He looked very elegant because he was wearing a tucked blue striped white shirt, black pants, black rimmed glasses, and was bringing a black suitcase along with him. We started talking about trifling things such as soccer, then I asked him what was he doing in Indonesia, and he told me that he was taking a PhD in law in a University at Sumatra. I asked him about his studies. He told me that he was doing his best; that he was working very hard. I got curious, so I asked him, “What are your plans for the future?”, and he replied, “Well, I’m not very sure, but what I really want to do is to contribute in building up my country again”. Then I realized that Ivory Coast had just ended a Civil War, so I told him, “I understand—well—I’m so sorry for all that has happened in your country”. Then, he started telling me stories about those months of the Civil War. Despite the topic, the conversation didn’t have a sad tone, but rather it was optimistic, in the sense that my friend now is not looking backwards, but rather, he is looking to the future. He told me that there are a big number of Ivorian university students who are very committed to change the situation of their country. They are willing to work very hard in order to build up their country again. They are ashamed of those people who led Ivory Coast to war and destruction.

For those who are not very familiar with that Civil War, I will summarize it here: The Second Ivorian Civil War, that caused the death of 3,000 people, broke out in March 2011. The reason was that in the 2010 Ivorian presidential elections, the candidate Alassane Ouattara was declared the victor, but the President of the Constitutional Council proclaimed that the results were invalid and that Gbagbo, the former president, was the winner—I must mention here that the President of the Constitutional Council was an ally of Gbagbo. As a consequence, both Gbagbo and Ouattara claimed victory and took the presidential oath of office. But, it was Quattara who was internationally recognized as president of Ivory Coast by the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Union, the United States, and former colonial power France. They called for Gbagbo to step down, however, negotiations to resolve the dispute failed and hundreds of people were killed in conflicts between pro-Gbagbo and pro-Ouattara forces. Eventually on April 11, 2011, after much fight Gbagbo was arrested at his residence. During these four months and one week of conflict, a big number of human rights violations took place by both sides, like the Duekoue massacre where 1,000 civilians were killed.

What I have just described is the experience my friend lived every single day for four months and one week. He lived in a country where people were killed every day, including civilians. He used to wake up every day with the fear of thinking that it would be his last; or even worse, thinking that he would lose someone whom he loves very much. As I see it, living in those circumstances requires a great deal of fortitude in order to keep doing everything necessary to survive and protect one’s family. To experience in first hand a Civil War is a traumatic experience; it is a wound difficult to heal. My friend suffered very much, however he has forgiven those who have hurt him and his family. Like Nelson Mandela, his only desire is to build up his country again, especially by bringing justice. To do that, he knows that he must work very hard, but he is willing to do it, and in fact he is already doing it by studying very hard. I haven’t met Nelson Mandela, but it was the closest I have ever got.

I was very impressed with this Ivorian man after my first talk with him, because he taught me the lesson of working not for one’s own benefit, but rather for the others’ happiness. As we finished I thought that unfortunately, most of the university students I have met so far have no high ideals in life; they just study, meet their friends, play sports, and maybe at most they work in a student organization, but that’s it. The people are always thinking of what they themselves need at present, and they don’t think of what the others need. They do not care about what is happening around them. Unable to see the many people suffering around them. At first I thought about the insensitivity of my friends, but eventually I included myself in this group. After meeting this friend I have also decided to have high ideals of doing good to other people, especially to those who need it the most. In  conclusion, I think that to have these ideals and to strive to achieve them is the only way to have a meaningful life, a life worthy to be lived.

The Obliging Indian

I have experienced many events in my life. Most of those events are ordinary ones. However, I have experienced some unforgettable ones.

A few days ago, I  traveled from Manila to Surabaya. As there was no direct flight, I had to make a stop-over in Singapore. Once there, I wanted to visit the Novena Church together with my friend Eddie. We went there directly from the airport taking the state-of-the-art MRT. The MRT is excellent and makes travelling within the city very comfortable. However our trip to Novena was rather tiring because we brought our heavy luggage along with us. I brought a trolley bag, but Eddie brought two ones. That physical effort was especially difficult for me because I had a cold since a couple of days ago. Hence, both of us were very tired during our stay at Novena. That’s why we decided to take a snack at the canteen before leaving. Once we were done I needed to blow my nose because of my cold, but I did not have tissue paper, so Eddie asked me: “Do you need some tissue paper?” and I replied: “I will just take some from the toilet”. Then a few seconds afterwards, an Indian approached Eddie. Until that time I barely noticed his presence at that canteen. It was like he just appeared suddenly from somewhere. Frankly speaking, he looked to be a bit poor because he was very thin. In fact all his bones were clearly noticeable. Also because the clothes he wore was very simple, it was not fashionable at all. Besides, the Indian looked a bit old, because most of his teeth were missing and the skin of his face was sagging. He was bringing along with him a little black plastic bag. When he was in front of Eddie he put his right hand in the plastic bag and then slowly drew out a green "Kleenex" pocket-sized tissue pack. Using body language he moved his hand holding the green "Kleenex" toward Eddie as if offering it to him. Obviously, I thought that he wanted to sell it to Eddie, but then Eddie asked: “Is it for free?”, and the Indian  nodded his head indicating a “yes” and gave it to Eddie. He never spoke, he just used body language. That man was special; I will never forget his keen ear ready to serve others and his silent generosity. No one asked for his help, he just overheard that I needed tissue paper, and he gave it to me without asking anything back, in spite of his poverty. This detail will seem a drop in the bucket to many people, but if everybody acted like this man did, then we would fill up that bucket, and many problems will be solved. Probably my friend you are reading this story of me now, so I give you thanks again. Thank you very much.