The School Godmother

Breaking rules in the entrepreneurial field: how could a school prof.
be part of an innovative project in times of crisis? 

ONE of the things I never liked about school is that I have always been considered an excellent student, while in school and even at the university I got terribly bored. One of the activities that made me get over boredom was teaching my school mates. Later on, friends my age asked me to teach their children and so, in my original anti-career, I have been helping several students with much success. 

My latest teaching experience, going back to a few years ago. is teaching Italian to foreign tourists, expats and friends of Cama as a test on the territory. In particular, I have taught these latter students over Skype. Therefore I have already experienced the so-called DAD teaching system, "Didattica A Distanza" (tr. Distance Learning), which is in use right now under this acronym in Italy. I am currently using the distance teaching system myself, for students who are now about my age. 

I know for sure I made the wrong school choice when I accepted to attend the high school I did but, what is undeniable, is that teaching is something I can do more than easily. I could never be a student. I was born a teacher! What is teaching after all, if anything but solving problems, finding a way out together-and for someone else, indicating an efficient learning path to someone who is in trouble? Yes, my favorite part is teaching students in trouble, people who fail their language exams or who think having no talent for foreign languages. 

It all started when I was in elementary school, giving out tips to a school mate who had speaking problems. Then in the years to follow, by helping a friend in middle school with her final exam and finally, during my useless high school time, teaching students my age and friends' children in my town, Deruta: one student a year maybe, however steadily keeping my passion alive. You know what? Whoever knows me, shortly after asks me if I could teach them English. That's so funny to me. I must look like a real teacher, a school "professoressa". However, I decline requests most of the time, as teaching English "sic et simpliciter" is not my mission: my true call is helping students in trouble. Therefore I invite these potential students to go to an English school in the area. 

My question now is: how could I ever fit my teaching talent within an entrepreneurial revival project? How could I fully express my passion for teaching in the arts & crafts industry, where I grew up while applying my teaching methods to the art of selling ceramics? How could I become part of an executive team? 

One thing is established. In my language, Italian, "School Godmother" translates "La Madrina Scolastica". The first thing happening to us when we are born is that we are given a first name. Therefore a name is a good start for sure. Let's see where my passion could lead me now into the obscure field of entrepreneurship! 

The post author's talents by Gallup are as follows (in order of priority): Activator, Adaptability, Communication, Context, Futuristic

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Odyssey: the most famous journey of classical times. An update

Odysseus' journey 

From the beginning of my journey towards Cama's revival and with the aim of finding content and inspiration for new ways of doing business in the arts & crafts industry, I have felt like a modern Odysseus on a long adventure. 

I suppose I am navigating upstream as there is a current "cancel culture" against classical authors in the United States including Homer, better known as "#Disrupttexts". It originated last year as a movement on Twitter. 

Such a "politically correct" extreme trend has brought to banning the Odyssey book from the Lawrence High School in Massachusetts as an example. 

The #Disrupttexts movement has reached people in Italy, too. Indeed I have recently read an article by an Italian psychologist who had a similar attitude towards Odysseus: he didn't approve of the way the hero treated the women in the book. My question is: what if those women were personifications of events and it is all a matter of interpreting rhetorical figures? 

As a matter of fact, my experience is that most arguments and misinterpretations among people are caused by taking things literarily. Therefore the term "literarily" is not by any means a proper adverb to use to evaluate literature either. Aren't cultural tools at our disposal to bring peace?  

Nevertheless, despite the refusal of classical books such as the Odyssey, I feel like my getting inspired by Latin and Greek literature was the way to go to get in touch with our origins in times of rebirth. After all, the Odyssey was the civic education book of Greek children and this piece of history cannot be erased. 

However, the Odyssey is not the only famous book about a life journey model. Next to it, there is the less acclaimed Aeneid by Virgil, which brought its hero's descent to the foundation of Rome. 

Last year writer and scholar Andrea Marcolongo rediscovered and analyzed the Aeneid by Virgil inspired by the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. She has realized that the Aeneid fits perfectly with the pandemic time we are experiencing; Aeneas is at the center as "a modern example of those who are defeated, who have lost everything except the ability to resist and to hope", writes the author. 

The book was published last September with the title "La Lezione di Enea" (Aeneas's lesson), which I am reading right now. Thankful to the article by @CostanzaRdO in the number 477 "la Lettura" attachment to Italian national newspaper Corriere Della Sera for the updates about the #Disrupttexts. 

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Cama® is a cultural brand inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Like and share our page to join our online events & receive blog posts. 

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Inspiration Comes When...

One of the landscapes I will be traveling through upon my event on Saturday, November 14th called CAKE IS FOR CAMA

I can feel that moment when I get inspired to write my blog posts. Writing posts is not easy at all. It has to do with something true that is being expressed at the right moment. For me being true comes from establishing enthusiastic connections with friends sharing the same interests and love for something I am experiencing. When that enthusiasm gets to the point of creating something together, that's the best of all. It turns my experience into something beautiful to share with others. That's where the best inspiration comes from.

Additionally while thinking of my posts I have to be careful not to be flattering or try to make other people happy. It does not work. Everything to me in order to work has to be authentic. That's one of the reasons it has taken me so long to get where I have arrived upon my journey with Cama. It all depends on the connections I am establishing upon my revival journey.

I am now busy dedicating time to a follow up to my first traveling event that I have created inspired by the C of Cama. This is something my armchair friends in the world who are in love with Italy will enjoy. If they wish they can participate in the event by interacting with me through questions and feedback about the places I am visiting. Indeed this upcoming Saturday I will be traveling to five different places near where I live whose towns' names start with C like CAMA. Despite this appointment has still being to come, I am already envisioning a follow up to my first traveling event.  The thought of it is boosting my energy.

What's more, is that the action of traveling is very meaningful to me. Basically, I am transferring into reality something I have done in these past years through an ideal journey with Italian Renaissance Art. In this blog, I mostly describe Italian Renaissance Art curiosities and things I like.

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"C" for " CUPCAKE"

Cupcakes

My niece is learning English in elementary school and noticed the other day that there is no fitting translation in Italian for the word 'cupcake'. She is right. Isn't she a good student. She remarked that her teacher used the world 'cupcake' without translating it when speaking Italian. Nevertheless dictionaries provide a correspondance to this word and translate 'cupcake' with 'tortina'. In one dictionary 'tortina' comes with the additional description: 'cotta in una mini forma'.   Therefore the full description would be 'tortina cotta in una mini forma' (mini pie baked in a small paper cup). On the internet 'cupcake' is described as a mini pie shaped as a cup and also as a mini pie fitting in a cup. 
As a matter of fact by translating cupcake we lose the flavor of this word, as to an Italian the word sounds very cute. It's just cute.  Is that maybe where the expression 'cutie pie' comes from? 
Therefore we could simply add 'cupcake' to the rest of loan words we have included in our vocabulary, a cultural exchange with the English language that has started back at the time of Adrian's wall. Languages are so beautiful and mouth-watering, I wish to know more and more. 

This is my seventh post of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with "C".  
I hope you enjoyed it!







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posted by Roberta Niccacci

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