Mendive. Revista de Educación, abril-junio 2019; 17(2): 310-311

Translated from the original in Spanish

The Bermúdez-Castro, a family with a pedagogical tradition

Los Bermúdez-Castro, una familia de tradición pedagógica

Osvaldo Echeverría Ceballos

Guillermo, Lidia and Martica constituted a very unique family of educators: three generations of consecrated teachers who left their mark on teaching in Pinar del Río.

Guillermo Bermúdez Díaz was born in the province of Pinar del Río, on February 10, 1921 and died on June 16, 1996. His studies were carried out in the Primary and Higher School for boys in the capital city. He graduated as a teacher at the Normal School of Pinar del Río, also graduated in English. He began his educational work in 1940 to which he dedicated 49 years of his life as an elementary teacher and school principal. It stands out for its research work on multigrade classrooms in rural primary schools and in the dissemination of Martian thinking among its students. He also stood out for his moral and material support to the students. He was an example of a husband, father and trainer of future generations. He managed to establish a family that is today a bastion of example and consecration to the noblest of professions: the teaching profession.

Like him, his sister Lidia Bermúdez Díaz contributed another grain of sand to the teaching work. Also a teacher and later an elementary consultant, she helped him a lot in those ideals that are needed to sow the light of truth and justice.

His daughter Martha María Bermúdez Castro took a lot from his father, said that he could form at his side until he became what he was, an extension of his work, everything he learned, everything that was mobilized in it; it was due to his personality characteristics, his great strength, his great impetus to drag his students, and so was she. Let's remember it in the unions of the Central of Workers of Cuba (CTC), looking for retirees to form classrooms of the University of the Elderly. Dedicated and hardworking, she had no schedule, she was tireless despite her health and her years.

Hence, that the characteristics that Guillermo was forged in Martica are outlined or tend more to the imaginary, to the apparently unreal, but that open a door to the possible, to the learned. The teacher does not seek to accept what he is, but to find reason to transcend his teaching activity, to concretize his utopias.

Martha María Bermúdez Castro was born in the province of Pinar del Río, on January 9, 1946. She graduated as a primary teacher at the Normal School of Pinar del Río. In addition, she obtained the university degree of Bachelor of Education in the specialty of Marxism and History, in the Higher Pedagogical Institute of the province. He also graduated in French.

Part of her working life was dedicated to education. Due to her excellent results, she was selected for the development of management activities, serving as School Inspector of the town of San Diego, Regional Assistant Director of Education in Consolation, Provincial Primary Inspector, Provincial Responsible for Primary Education, Deputy Director and Provincial Director of Education General, Polytechnic and Labor in Pinar del Río; responsibilities that he performed in a very prominent way. He taught at several universities in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.

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Copyright (c) Osvaldo Echeverría Ceballos