What do teachers make?

[starshadow_rivaulx]

Dedicated to my mother, a former high school teacher; and to my best friend, an elementary school teacher. Taken from Fr. James B. Reuter's column At 3 A.M. in the March 14, 2009, Philippine Star.

What teachers make

This beautiful story came to me from the son of my staff through the internet.

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with the 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 what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” To stress his point he said to another guest, “You’re a teacher, Bonnie, be honest. What do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, “You want to know what I make?”

“Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an iPod, Game Cube or movie rental. . . . .

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn’t everything. I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. . . . You want to know what I make?

I make a difference. What do you make Mr. CEO?”

+*+*+*+

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” This goes against everything I ever learned about the teaching profession when I was little. The times, they have a-changed, all right - I remember uncles and aunts who proudly claimed they had graduated a teacher from among their children, in the same tones used to speak of graduating lawyers and doctors. My mother's cousin went from public school teacher to principal in their home town, and wherever she goes, people greet her with respect (seeing as how she graduated at least half the population of the town, not surprising, really *grin*).

My mother graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and went on to be a high school teacher in her home town (barely older than her students, who invited her to swimming parties and vied to carry her things to class), and also taught at Philippine Women's University for a short while.

Then she gave up a teaching career when I was born, to be my first (and full-time) teacher. It is to her credit that I started school knowing how to write and read, making me the bookworm I am today.

Comments

[darthanne.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this; it reminds me why I've gone into the profession I have.

[cindyg.livejournal.com]

*\o/* Go teachers, go!

:)

[prelude-in-d.livejournal.com]

My education teacher last semester showed us a video on youtube very similar to that story.
I really like it, so I'll share it with you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJlzYrXd1pw
Enjoy!

[cindyg.livejournal.com]

Woot! Thank you for sharing! Have added the video to my favorites - and I think I'm going to take a look at some of this guy's other work.

It's interesting - my most favorite professor of all time absolutely *terrified* my all-girls high school class. But we gave him a respect accorded no other member of the faculty, and I credit him with teaching me the best I ever took away from that school.

:)

[weisshund.livejournal.com]

Teachers are overpaid. Where else can you get three months off for a vacation plus time off for Christmas and winter breaks.

[hakkai-sensei.livejournal.com]

Ahaha. That's actually just enough time to be compensated for all the time you bring your work home and all the unpaid overtime. Plus I'd like to know what country they let teachers have a cumulative three months off. I know a lot of teachers who would love to work there.

Teachers mostly get the best of their compensation from students' hugs and thank-you notes, plus seeing their students succeed.

[weisshund.livejournal.com]

And what about all of the pension and health care benefits they receive through their union contracts negotiated with the schools? At least, the teachers can't strike.

[cindyg.livejournal.com]

weisshund is speaking as a resident of the United States, FYI. So now you know why all the teachers want to migrate there, y/y?

Based on yours and Desi's experience, we both know that in the Philippines, at least, teachers barely have any vacation to speak of, what with all the take-home work that gets flung at them.

:)

[dragonsigh.livejournal.com]

<<< I make a difference. What do you make Mr. CEO? >>>

Agree, agree. :) Thank you for sharing this, Cindy-neechan.