Her Name is Lola: A Tribute to the Tireless Teachers of Jaén, therefore, all the teachers in the world

Her Name is Lola:
A Tribute to the Tireless Teachers of Jaén

Reflections on friendship, dedication, and the unsung heroes driving European educational transformation from the olive groves of Andalusia.

By Manuel Molina

• Erasmus+ Project Coordinator • Special Edition / Retrospective Essay

A dear friend and colleague, whom I have fortunately known since our paths first crossed at a very tender age back in 1987—when starting 'our degree' at what was then University College, an affiliate of the University of Granada—called to wish me a happy saint's day this past January 1st. Punctual and forward-looking, she never misses it—a steadfast friend. A true friend.

We caught up on life, health, her children, our aging and ailing in-laws, our students, and the imminent New Year's Eve dinner. Not to mention the suckling pig for my saint's day feast, which was already trembling in fear. And the flu, of course. After a long chat, Lola mentioned—how sweet you've always been!—that she genuinely enjoys reading these modest commentaries of mine regarding our comings and goings with Erasmus+, as though we were a couple of wannabe Tintins. Lola is one of those colleagues to whom I inexorably and relentlessly send these brief reflections, being one of those tireless educators who also selflessly devotes her precious time to these ventures—as if she didn't already have enough on her plate!

Knowing this, and relying on her infinite patience, I pester her from time to time—partly to spread the word about the work we do, and partly to let my imagination run wild and blow off some steam. Not to mention satisfying the project's 'dissemination goals', lest we fall short in the evaluation!

Regional Impact Context

Erasmus+ Commitment in Andalusian Educational Institutions

Comparative engagement & initiative rates driven by committed local educators

Data visualization reflecting Jaén's relative standing as a leading province in active Erasmus+ school projects.

Education is Everything

Honestly, her comment warmed my heart, just like those of many other "Lolas" across our beloved land of Jaén—and goodness knows Jaén deserves so much more!—colleagues like Amparo and Pepi, other Lolas who, with a deeply appreciated smile, patiently encourage us to stay in the breach.

Lola—for such is her name—remarked between pauses and sighs that she takes genuine pride in seeing us pull these projects off alongside the mountain of useless paperwork—truly of zero value—in our daily routine at school. With nearly a quarter-century of teaching experience in the understated trenches of Primary Education, coupled with her invaluable teaching work at the Jaén penitentiary, she knows full well that Education is everything: the threshold of a promising future, a sound path, and a better destination. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Erasmus+ Memories in Jaén — (Note: Displaying fallback photo. Click "Open in Google Drive" above to view original archived photo).

Paving the Way in Jaén

It struck me right then—or what little is left of my mind—that we must honor the indefatigable, steadfast, and devoted work of Lola and all the Lolas out there (and one thing is certain, by the way: in this Erasmus+ cosmos, you women win by a landslide, hats off to you). Day in and day out, amidst exams and lesson plans, juggling come on sweetie, settle down a bit with brilliant work, keep it up, congratulations!, balancing home, husband, children, and family, they generate ideas that evolve into projects involving scores of colleagues who are all too often worn out by endless educational reforms and counter-reforms.

"Sic transit gloria mundi."

Her name is Lola. She happily shares her life with my dear friend Antonio, a pioneer in Jaén for what are now Erasmus+ projects—back when they were called Comenius, and originally Socrates—alongside the ambitious Bilingualism initiatives. They took a leap of faith and, with quiet determination and unflagging devotion, have been fertilizing the soil so that others might reap the harvest today. Many have jumped on the bandwagon since, but it was they who opened the doors and paved the way.

Photo by Manuel Molina — (Note: Displaying fallback photo. Click "Open in Google Drive" above to view original archived photo).

May these humble words serve as a tribute to Lola, to Antonio, to the indefatigable Gerardo—how many roles are you juggling this year, my friend?—to Amparo, Cristina, and Carmen, to a pair of Domingos, to Ernesto and Rafa, to both Paquis, to Mónica, to several Manolos and just as many Pacos, a few Carlos and quite a few Josés, and to all the Lolas and Antonios whose stellar dedication has made Jaén a benchmark in an area rarely showcased in macro-statistical reports: one of the top provinces leading and executing Erasmus+ projects in all of Spain. Powered by pure AOVE grit.

As I noted a few posts back, Jaén genuinely excels in so many vital areas, chief among them the drive to improve, advance, and innovate on the part of thousands of teachers eager to transform the realities of their schools, creating fresh avenues for personal and professional growth for both colleagues and students. They lead by example, pulling the cart with a passion that commands immense respect—hats off to them (and I do wear one, given that my hair migrated to greener pastures long ago!).

This one is for you, dear colleagues. And rest assured, I shall keep pestering you, with all my affection.

Musical Homage

Café Quijano — "Se llama Lola"

And as a nod to a song so many of us cherish, in tribute to everyone from a certain generation... Heartfelt thanks to Café Quijano for gifting us such wonderful poetry.

Listen "Se llama Lola"

Postscript: And as is becoming something of a tradition in our beloved Spain, they are once again "un-raising" our salaries. Disregard whatever you may have read elsewhere. They have actually coined the verb! Let us hope we won't have to conjugate it much longer.

Manuel Molina

Erasmus+ Project Coordinator

Jaén, Andalusia, Spain

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES ON EDUCATION THROUGH ERASMUS PLUS

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