Vera Burlak: ABC of exclamations (Lyrics)

Emotional worlds
Kastuś, who came up with the idea for the ABC of exclamations, is in a special situation. He has autism and therefore needs special extra lessons to familiarise him with the world of emotions. On the one hand, he is probably more familiar with the theory in this area than most others, but on the other hand, he has fewer opportunities to put his knowledge into practice. For him, the ABC of Exclamations project is an experience of openness, of approaching people, taking the first step and waiting for an answer, for acquaintance, friendship. However, the question of how to live in harmony with one’s feelings, how to recognise and express them, seems to be important for many people.

 

In the post-Soviet countries, where both Kastuś and I come from, there are still living educational traditions that do not leave much room for the expression and understanding of one’s own feelings. Either because of ‘collectivism’ or because of patriarchal traditions. I remember when I was a student, we used to write in our pedagogy notes: ‘The aim of the course is to equip the teacher with effective teaching methods’. My draft was shorter: ‘The aim of the course is to equip the teacher’. Full stop. You can stop at the word ‘equip’ [identical to ‘equip’ in Belarusian]. It’s as if the teacher is not going to the students, but to the enemy. And the teacher himself should ‘arm’ the pupil with knowledge that is useful for life. As if life were the enemy. You can’t share feelings with the enemy, communication with him is an exchange of shots from ‘weapons’.

 

Many teachers actually study hard and then try very hard to do their job well. This is true!!! A teacher comes to school with lesson plans, methods and techniques. And all of this has to be implemented successfully, regardless of the student substrate the teacher encounters. And this substrate is terribly heterogeneous, each child has its own character, its own wishes, its own feelings. The children have to put all that aside in order to become a good substrate for the implementation of the educational plans in the classroom. And then in the family–for family plans. And for themselves? Maybe I’m exaggerating, but this problem does exist.

Discipline, fast, impressive results of collective action–and the priority of individuality, of self-development: how can we find a balance between these poles? And how can the individual survive in the midst of all this and maintain an awareness of their own value? I think this is very important.

 

We live in a time in which human life is valued less and less. Thousands of people are thrown into the meat grinder of war and destroyed like wooden figures in a shooting gallery. In totalitarian societies, people are seen as cogs with the lowest degree of inner freedom. And even where there is more freedom, manipulative technologies (and manipulation is primarily based on emotions and feelings) are as widespread as microplastics. I believe that it is useful to be reminded again and again of the value of the individual, their feelings and each fragile and marvellous individual universe. Without respect and attention for the personality, its feelings, humanity is really in danger–of simply disappearing.
(Vera Burlak)