School is out for the summer. Let us take time to pay “A Tribute to Teachers.” Cody Klintworth is a relative who teaches. I am sure that he would appreciate this blog.
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. Tom, 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+ student feel like he won the Congressional Medal of Honor, and an A- student feel like a slap in the face if the student did not do their 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.
“I make a difference, Tom. And what do you make?”