http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU

Teachers Make (Taylor Mali)

He says, ‘the problem with teachers is, a kid gonna learn from someone decided his best option in life is to become a teacher’ (laughter)

He reminds the dinner guests that, “It's true they say about teachers, ‘those can do and those can't, teach’”. (laughter)

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his, and resist the urge to remind the other dinner guests it’s also true they say about lawyers (laughter).

Because, we’re eating after all, and this is polite conversation (laughter).

‘I mean, you’re a teacher Taylor…be honest… do you make?’

And I wish he hadn't done that. (laughter). Asks me to be honest! Because you see, I have a policy, about honesty and ass-kicking, is: if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.

(cheering and applause)

‘You want to know I make?’

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honour and I can make an A- feel like a slap in the face. ‘How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.’

You want to know I make?

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of Study Hall in absolute silence. ‘You cannot work in groups. No you can’t ask a question. So put your hand down. won’t I let you go to the bathroom? Because you’re bored and you don’t really have to go, do you?’

You want to know I make?

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 bad time. I just wanted to talk to you about something your son did 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 they are and they can be.

You want to know I make?

I make kids 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 again until they will never misspell either one of those words again.

I make them show all their work in Math and then hide it on their final drafts in English.

I make them realize that if you’ve got this, then you follow this. And if somebody tries to judge you, based on you make, you give them this!

Let me break it down for you. Let me break it down for you, so you know I say is true.

I make a go**amn difference.

Now about you?