Talking with Professor Leandro confirmed all the positive impressions I already had of his teaching and his remarkable cordiality.

He was surrounded by people when we met, cell phone in hand, his gaze fixed on his students the whole time, and also attentive, in case his help was needed to lift the girl who had fallen in the park and seemed to have hurt her knee; all at the same time.

I had already been told that he was very active, talkative, and down-to-earth, and from the moment we greeted each other, he also demonstrated the enormous respect he feels for his profession, in every sense of the word.

Because Leandro Mastrapa Igarza is none other than a History teacher at a junior high school in this city.

And he's not just any teacher; you can tell when his students leave the classroom delighted or when they get home talking about the customs of families in ancient Egypt and tell you, “The teacher brought some slides today. The class was spectacular.”

To achieve that today, with students whose education is intertwined with adolescence, in a subject as debated as History, requires more than talent and discipline. That's undeniable.

When I asked him about it, he smiled, and, with his eloquent way of speaking, as eloquent as his passion for his knowledge, he told me: “Only in junior high school is World History taught in its entirety; students cover it all between seventh and eighth grade. First, Ancient and Medieval History; then, Modern and Contemporary History. The teacher faces the challenge of delivering these lessons well; you have to inspire, give quality classes, and prepare thoroughly.”

“I confess that I feel a special kind of adrenaline when I'm with the students; I try to motivate them through different perspectives, not just in politics, diplomacy, or the military. I also like to introduce them to the contributions of civilizations to world culture, delving into cultural matters, such as the lives of women, their religion, and customs.”

“To make it engaging, to bring in interesting facts, to make use of technology, teaching resources, educational software, and even social media. We are in the Third Improvement phase, which, from the perspective of history education, is meant to be transformative, so that students can appreciate why what is brought to the classroom is important. They must learn from the past, transform the present, and shape the future.”

I listen to him with rapt attention, especially when he says that he loves teaching at the secondary level, and that's because I know he has a very special connection with the Wenceslao Rivero Pérez secondary school.

“The main building is the one across the street from my house. My grandmother was a student there, as were my parents, my siblings, and my neighbors. Those who taught me —a faculty of dedicated, beloved, and well-known professors in the city— became my colleagues when I started teaching, which I did in those classrooms. That contributed to my education and also to my decision to stay."

“My bachelor's degree came later. Perhaps that allowed me to study History, the specialization I wanted. It was 2010 when I dared to take the course. I enjoyed it very much and began."

“Shortly after, I considered the possibility of joining the wonderful, invaluable, and prestigious faculty of the Bachelor's Degree program in Marxism, Leninism, and History at the University of Las Tunas. However, I didn't leave junior high school. I owe everything I am to it.
“There I learned to love history, to teach my first classes. What I know, and the generations of students who have been my pupils, came from those classrooms.”

“Every day I’m challenged, and I have to study.” Now Leandro is progressing in his master’s degree, and, as determined as he is, his efforts in this area are sure to be another success.

Although the days when he was a fun-loving child playing teacher, a pioneer who enjoyed being a classroom monitor, a student always attentive to scientific societies, or holding positions on the Council of the Federation of Middle School Students (FEEM in Spanish) are long gone, his love for teaching is renewed, and his desire to do good defines him.