Teacher of the Year, Nicaragua, 2009,by Darla Shaw

Taking part in the Teacher of the Year Program in Masatepe was definately one of the highlights of my stay in Nicaragua. Instead of going to an expensive chicken banquet at a banquet hall as we do in the U.S., here there was a lot of pomp and circumstance for the teacher of the year.

Here the ceremony was in a beautiful cathedral with the whole town and all the students invited to attend. At the given time the Teacher of the Year, Marcia Martínez Solórzano, walked down the aisle to the official national Nicaraguan hymn for teachers played by a classical orchestra made up of young musicians. The blue and white Nicaraguan flag led with procession, followed by the teacher and the top ranking students in the town. Everyone rose to stand and applaud and congratulate the teacher.

The elementary school teacher from Chinandega then sat at a long table with all the political dignitaries, including the president of the Fundacion Luisa Mercado, Dr. Sergio Ramirez Mercado. He is a former Vice-President of Nicaragua, and he is currently one of the most important novelists in Latin America. He established this annual award for the best teacher in the nation. After several speeches talking about her merits and why she had won over 30 other nominees, she was given a check for $10,000, a medal to wear around her neck, a proclamation, and a beautiful statue designed by the famous Nicaraguan poet and priest, Ernesto Cardenal, who also attended to congratulate the winner. Local students also came to the stage with their cards and words of celebration.

The teacher of the year then gave her own speech and everyone stood and applauded. At the end of her speech she recited a poem dedicated to teachers. The Luisa Mercado Foundation band played instruments donated by the French Embassy, and the French ambassador was recognized for that gift. The US ambassador to Nicaragua, Mr. Robert Callahan, was also recognized in the audience for his support.

The Luisa Mercado Foundation offers free classical music lessons and a library for local young people to develop a knowledge of culture. The band played several lovely pieces along with a group of children singers and a very talented soloist. The songs were mostly written by the Ramirez family in Masatepe.

The foundation president invited a student representative from the Global Academy from Western Connecticut State University to present their donation of a viola, and the group was recognized with a diploma.

When the ceremony was over the teacher came down to embrace all of her friends, family and students. She was very moved by the occasion and wanted everyone to sign her special book. We all did and were so pleased to meet her.

After the ceremony we went back to the foundation building, Dr. Ramirez's family home that is now a public cultural center. Here we saw the unveiling of the teacher's photo on the wall. This was a very emotional moment as she had now become a part of history. Students were able to learn about the foundation, and they took photos with Dr. Ramirez and Mr. Callahan, who both thanked them for representing the US and their university as volunteers in Nicaraguan schools and in their donation to the foundation.

What I liked so much about this ceremony as opposed to what we do in the U.S. is the involvement of all of the students and their families. These people get to play a major role in the ceremony and these are the people who helped to make her the person that she is.

Students in the program were also able to participate in traditional Nicaraguan culture in a small town, so different from Granada's tourism and Managua's paradoxes. They were able to see young people perform classical music, be recognized for their academic achievements, and enjoy a cultural event to celebrate education with their families. It was a beautiful evening to participate in the dignity and generosity of the Nicaraguan people and culture.


PS. Some details were added by Alba. :)