WATCH THE SUNRISE, DREAM YOUR LIFE, DANCE SHAMELESSLY: SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS FROM AN ITALIAN TEACHER TO HIS STUDENTS GO VIRAL

In the last couple of days, these summer tasks went viral. They were posted by an Italian teacher, Cesare Catà, on his facebook page  and from there they made it to the national press and were spread all over the Net. What's special in them? See it for yourself.  I've translated them for you. Useless to add, I'd sign them myself.

In the mornings, sometimes, go and walk along the seashore in complete solitude: look how the sunlight reflects on it and, thinking about what you most love in life, feel happy.

Try to use all the new words we learnt this year: more things you can say, more things you can think;  and more things you can think, more free you are.

Read as much as you can. But not because you must. Read because the summer inspires adventures and dreams and  reading you feel like flying sparrows. Read because it is the best form of rebellion you have (for good reading advice, ask me)

Avoid all things, situations and people that make you negative or empty: look for stimulating situatuations and the company of friends who can enrich you, understand you and appreciate you for what you are.

If you feel sad or frightened, don’t worry: summer, like all wonderful things, causes turmoil in your soul. Try to write a journal to tell about your moods (in September, if you want, we can read from it together)

Dance, shamelessly, on the dance floor  or in your bedroom. Summer is a dance and it is foolish not to take part in it.

At least once, go and watch the sunrise. Stay quiet and breathe. Close your eyes, grateful.

Do much sport

If you find a person who bewitches you, tell him/her in all the honesty and grace you are capable of. It doesn’t matter whether he/she will understand or won’t. If he/she won’t, it wasn’t meant to be; if he/she will, the summer 2015 will be the golden dome under which you’ll walk together (if it goes wrong,  go back to 8)

Revise the notes from our lessons: for each author and each theme, ask yourself questions and connect to what happens to you

Be cheerful like the sun, indomitable like the sea

Don’t swear, be always very polite and kind

Watch movies with moving dialogues (possibly in English*) to improve your language skills and your dreaming skill. Don’t let the movie ends with its credits. Re-live it while living your summer.

In the sparkling light or in the warm nights, dream what your life may or should be like: in the summer look for strength and never surrender, do whatever you can to persue that dream.

Be good and behave

*Cesare Catà teaches Italian but he suggests movies in English, since his students study English as a foreign language

Cesare Catà is a very active,  creative teacher who lives in Porto San Giorgio and teaches at Polo Scolastico Paritario Don Bosco.