5. What Teachers Make

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. 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 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 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 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 and 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?"

This is worth sending to every NLB teacher you know.