Hi folks,
It's that time of year when cross-country truck driving looks pretty
good to me and a lot of people in education. This was sent to me
unattributed and thought it was worth passing along. Have a wonderful
summer everyone - whenever it starts. (As we say here in Minnesota, hope
it falls on a weekend this year.)
All the best,
Doug
************
Doug Johnson
Director of Media and Technology
I.S.D. 77, Mankato Public Schools
Box 8713, Mankato MN 56002-8713
Voice: 507-387-7698, Fax: 507-387-2496
E-mail: dougj@doug-johnson.com
Web: <outbind://7/www.doug-johnson.com> www.doug-johnson.com
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick
boxing. - Emo Philips
Subject: A Great Answer
I thought this was the best answer I've heard to this question!
We were all sitting around the dinner table discussing life and the man
across from me decided to show his brilliance. He says the problem with
teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his
best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminds the other
dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers: Those who
can, do; those who can't, teach. I decide to bite my tongue and resist
the temptation to remind the dinner guests that it's also true what they
say about lawyers. Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite
company.
"I mean, you're a teacher, Taylor," he says. "Be honest. What do you
make?" And I wish he hadn't done that (asked me to be honest) because,
you see, I have a policy about honesty and ***-kicking: if you ask for
it, I have to let you have it.
"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 a Congressional Medal of
Honor, and an A- feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my
time with anything less than your very best? I make parents tremble in
fear when I call home: I hope I haven't called at a bad time, I just
wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today. Billy 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 who they are and what they can be.
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', 'definitely beautiful' over and 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 on their
final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you have brains then you follow your
heart and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay
them no attention.
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true: I make a
difference in the lives of hundreds of children.
Now what about you? What do you make?"
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