Saturday, January 07, 2012

What Do You Make, Teacher?

This was adapted and taken from 
http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/


I would like to dedicate this to my favourite teachers from my days at St. Michaels' Institution: the late Brother Ultan Paul, Timothy Chee and Mrs. Foong Thai Hong.



~~~~~~~~~~~



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?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; 
"You're a teacher, Boon. Be honest. What do you make?"

Teacher Boon, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,
"You want to know what I 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 he was a Medal of Honor winner.Then I give a reassuring pat on the shoulder of another because he showed improvement. He had only two red marks over the last monthly test in which he had three red marks!

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 min. without an I Pod or a Game Cube.

You want to know what I make? 
(She paused again and looked at each and every 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 how 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 Malay, Chinese and Indian students learn everything they need to know about 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

( Boon paused one last time and 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 IN ALL YOUR LIVES, EDUCATING KIDS AND PREPARING THEM TO BECOME CEO's, AND DOCTORS AND ENGINEERS.......... 
What do you make Mr. CEO?

His jaw dropped; he went silent.

9 comments:

zorro said...

I knew the late Bro Ultan Paul and Bro Vincent when I was one of them in the 60....great teachers they were.

easystar said...

Maybe about 10% of the teachers fit into the profile described in the blog. The rest of the 90%... I don't know lah.

I have heard from reliable sources on teacher copying course work at teacher training college and then pay other to do their course work as well.

sam said...

geng ah! now you make a CEO looks like someone who just failed in a paper he took, that paper is called "LiFE"

wizardteo said...

All that just parts only one cannot say every1 is the same just almost but in the past when 1 is responsible to make a education system, they'll do they best even with limited info because they put their true heart in in. The system use untill today but it is the present people fail to make creative adjustment according to the present life. However there is a little problem when certain responsible people cheating or bending the theory of transformation to suite to his own accord, till the future bad things happens. A certificate do not mean 1 will be a good ceo or citizen, it just proof 1 got the knowledge, creative cannot be teach or read from the book but from his heart, life experince etc, just my view.

solomon said...

No matter how we compare the past and present in the education system, the passion of teachers in teaching and the attitude of students differentiate it now.

I can only foresee many parents who are also teachers now, can produce a better child and also students in coming days.

trusbx said...

A joke to share,
Three organs competing and contemplating about who should be the CEO of human body...
Mr Brain, Mr Heart and Mr Ass hole.
Brain naturally declared... "I should be the CEO as im situated in the TOP of human body for a reason, and with my simple signal I mobilize all of you.."
Mr Heart objected immediately...." i am at the center of this organization called human body, all of you ( refering to other organs ) can function only at my mercy, thus it is me who should be the CEO.."
Then after a moment of silence passed, Mr Ass hole took his chance and said...." i wanna be the CEO! "
The rest of the organs laughed at him... for coming up with the statement of the year....
"fine i'll see how you guys run this organization without me... I going on a strike for 2 weeks..." said the asshole .

In 2 weeks time the whole organization was failing, all other organs including Mr Brain and Mr heart were not in thiere top form and were on thier knees....
Mr Asshole came back to work and revived the organization and won the CEO post uncontested....

trusbx said...

Oh ya! Moral of the story......any Asshole can become a CEO

spec.check said...

The La Sallian brothers paved the way for quality education in the then Malaya.

Most of them are no longer with us today. However, the left behind a priceless legacy of Passion, Integrity and Honesty.

May all the great souls of the La Sallian brothers rest in peace.

spec.check said...

The La Sallian brothers paved the way for quality education in the then Malaya.

Most of them are no longer with us today. However, the left behind a priceless legacy of Passion, Integrity and Honesty.

May all the great souls of the La Sallian brothers rest in peace.