It would be naive to think that currently the conditions of the world look well; I am aware that, more and more, the world crisis is present in all areas of our lives; the world is going through a social, labor, economic, and educational crisis. But, precisely because of that, and for some time now, I have considered it necessary to look for options, forms, ways of being that facilitate facing life from a different position. I was not willing to join the list of people who seek to survive the world and I longed for something more; to be able to live in a better world and, on the way, help others to experience it too. Hence, I decided to "tie myself" (contrary to what the song expresses) to work in the classroom. Partly because it is the closest possibility I found to change my world, but mainly because, for me, the classroom is still a space where the only condition to improve, grow, and progress is people’s ability to have dreams.

It is in that space where diverse pretensions, dreams and aspirations converge, and, where there are aspirations, there is always fertile ground. I could speak from my experience as an education professional, but I speak from my testimony about what the school has done for me through my time at the classroom.

Today, at the age of 21, I look back to understand what happened, what exactly led me and motivated me to dedicate my time and effort to teaching children and young people. Reflecting on this, I find that I am the result of what many teachers did for me: I am the incarnated hope that someone else had in me, when all I could see in myself was roughnes. And it is amazing to see how now I am the one who hopes to be able to inspire others or at least one child. This desire to continue trying, to open roads where there are none, to transform the world through the hope in the effects of education in the life of someone.

There I find my place, my opportunity, my contribution, to make things different: teaching. I have always been enthusiastic to believe that all committed teachers resemble the sowers –and not to any sower, but to sowers of hope– because they are able to work with perseverance, to till the land, to wait patiently for the little outbreak of a harvest, of trying, caring and watering the land because one has confidence in the potential of it. I want to do the same when I get discouraged by not seeing progress, interest in children, not having favorable conditions to work, not knowing if my work is influencing something. Everytime I face adversity I remember that I can not lack hope; that I must keep sowing because surrendering is not an option.

I see myself and I am impressed by all the seeds that my teachers planted in me, without knowing if I would respond, if I would do something with their teachings and lessons or not. It was hope, because without seeing anything they set out to continue investing iin me with enthusiasm, while making clear that in the classroom it did not matter who we were, where we came from, only one thing was a priority: who we wanted to be.

Possibly the impact of so many seeds of hope placed on me was what led me to bear fruit today; to commit and love work in the classroom because now I am sure that I want to become a planter too. Valuing the present conditions to carry out my work: on the one hand, the classroom as one of the few spaces of struggle that remain a place for the encounter with oneself and with others, but, above all, a container of dreams that need to be discovered; On the other hand, the potential in each student, trusting that –whether they know it or not– each one possesses skills, abilities and aptitudes that need to be prosecuted.

Sensibly, I allow myself to equate my students with wandering stars; because, although they are small, they do not have enough certainty about their trajectory and their meeting with me is ephemeral. I am convinced that everyone has the potential to shine (even if they are not aware of it) and to give a little light in the context in which they find themselves. But that only happens when the classroom gathers a sower of hope (teacher) and a wandering star (student). That simple and daily fact is my hope to change the world, because it happens that the star stops being a wanderer and takes its place, positions itself in front of the world to shine, and gives a little light to those who are near. This is the way we can be more and more attached to the world and not let it pull down and fall. And only then we will be able to always look at what a great planter taught me: the power of possibility over lack.

Zyanya Contreras is a pedagogue from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She is a teacher serving underprivileged communities.

Translation by Atenea Rosado.