Poem "What Teachers Make" by Taylor Mali

I could only bow and applaud after I read that...

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

A poem by: Taylor Mali

The dinner guests were sitting around the table

discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain

the problem with education. He argued:

"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided

his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests that it's true

what they say about teachers: "Those who can...do.

Those who can't ... teach."

To corroborate, he said to another guest: "You're a

teacher, Susan," he said. "Be honest. What do you

make?"

Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness,

replied, "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 an A- feel like a slap in the face if the

student did not do his or her very best."

"I can make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall

in absolute silence."

"I can make parents tremble in fear when I call home"

"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."

"I make them read, read, read."

"I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely

beautiful, and 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 and hide it

all on their final drafts in English."

"I make them understand that if you have the brains,

then follow your heart...and if someone ever tries to

judge you by what you make, you pay them no

attention!"

"You want to know what I make?"

"I make a difference."

"And you? What do you make?"