What do YOU make?

[Steve]

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 the 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 else 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' and '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 elevate them to
experience music and art and joy in the performance, so their lives are rich,
full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their
accomplishments. 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 what do you make?"

[kansashat]

Some professions are a calling.

It was very inspiring BTW.

Er.......funny too.

[TypeO-]

Very nice. Fictional or not, this is a tribute to the many exceptional educators out there. My daughter is currently is second grade. If for one second I thought the she wasn't being challenged on a daily basis, I'd climb all over the her principal's ass. I did exactly that to her first grade principal when I saw the school's score as compared to the state and county.

Unfortunately, not all children are the same and often, teachers must instruct to the lowest common denominator at the expense of the rest of the class. Luckily, my daughter has had great teachers during her first three years of school.