My fellow teachers — do yourself a favor and watch this.
The full text of his poem below:
What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don’t work out, you can always go to law schoolBy Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.comHe says the problem with teachers is, “What’s a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminds the other dinner guests that you know it’s true what they say about
teachers:Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it’s also true what they say about lawyers.Because we’re eating, after all, and this is suppose to be polite conversation.
“I mean, you're a teacher, Taylor,” he says.
“Comón, be honest. What do you make?”And I wish he hadn’t done that
asked me to be honest
because, you see, I have this little policy
about honesty and ass-kicking: which is,
if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and I can make A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.You wanna know what I make?
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you cannot ask me a question so put your hand down.
Why won’t I let you go to the bathroom?
Because you’re bored and you don't have really have to go, do you?I make parents tremble in fear when I call home at around dinner time.
"Hi, this is Mr. Mali. I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something your son said today."
He said, “Leave the kid alone. ""I still cry sometimes, don’t you?”
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.I make parents see their children for who they are
and who they can be.You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in Math class.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them realize that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you base on
what you make, you give them this (pist).Here let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
Teacher's make a goddamn difference! Now, what about you?
