Keep Your Chin Up!

During a really hard period of my teenage years, one of my best friends told me to, "keep my chin up." Such a simple phrase that has helped me through ups and downs. I was blog-stalking and found this AWESOME little anecdote about teachers that gave me goose bumps and reminded me WHY I chose TEACHING over Petroleum Engineering. Have you ever been told that people become teachers because they are not capable of doing anything else? Or that the people who are intellectually incapable of doing different fields of work, such as engineering or business, teach? Does it make anybody else angry too??  Looking around at all the cuts and hardships the education system is going through, I noticed how high some friends' salaries were for them. And I became slightly jealous. The majority of the working world leaves their jobs at 5 o'clock and that's it. They leave. When teaching, we take home papers to grade, go to EXTRA meetings and trainings outside of our work day, prepare for lessons, call parents and lend an empathetic, listening ear. And we get paid....well I get paid enough to live :) This anecdote helped warm my heart!

What do Teachers Make?

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 what they say about teachers: 'Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.'

To emphasize his point he said to another guest; 'You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest, what do you make?'

(She paused for a second, then began...)

"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?" (She paused again and looked at each person at the table.)

"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 in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

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

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.

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

(Bonnie paused one last time, then continued.)

"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?"

His jaw dropped, and he went silent.