What Do Teachers Make?

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What Do Teachers Make?

Taylor Mali is one of the most well-known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement in America and one of the few people in the world to have no job other than that of poet.Having himself spent nine years in the classroom teaching English, history, math and SAT test preparation. He has performed and lectured for teachers all over the world, and his New Teacher Project has a goal of creating 1,000 new teachers through 'poetry, persuasion and perseverance.'

Taylor Mali (http://taylormali.com)provides the ultimate comeback for anyone with the audacity to ask what a teacher makes in this video!

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Thinking about what to teach and how to do that , takes us away of any new changes so thank you for enlighting us.

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Here are more poems from this outstanding teacher and poet in case you

like his work.

Because My Students Asked Me

By Taylor Mali

what I would want them to do

at my funeral, i told them:

Write & perform a collective poem

In which each of you says a line

about what I was like as a teacher,

about how I made you reach for stars

until you became them,

about how much you loved

to pretend

you hated me.

You mean even after you die

You’re going to make us do work?

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Silver-Lined Heart

By Taylor Mali

Silver-Lined Heart
By Taylor Mali

I’m for reckless abandon
and spontaneous celebrations of nothing at all,

Here’s to the soul-expanding power

of the simply beautiful.

See, things you hate, things you despise,
multinational corporations and lies that politicians tell,
injustices that make you mad as hell,
that’s all well and good.
And as far as writing poems goes,
I guess you should.
It just might be a poem that gets Mumia released,
brings an end to terrorism or peace in the middle east.

But as far as what soothes me, what inspires and moves me,
honesty behooves me to tell you your rage doesn’t move me.
See, like the darkest of clouds my heart has a silver lining,
which does not harken to the loudest whining,
but beats and stirs and grows ever more
when I learn of the things you’re actually for.

That’s why I’m for best friends, long drives, and smiles,
nothing but the sound of thinking for miles.
For the unconditional love of dogs:
may we learn the lessons of their love by heart.
For therapy when you need it,
and poetry when you need it.
And the wisdom to know the difference.

I’m for crushes not acted upon, for admiration from afar,
for the delicate and the resiliant and the fragile human heart,
may it always heal stronger than it was before.
For walks in the woods, and for the woods themselves,
by which I mean the trees. Definitely for the trees.
Window seats,
and love letters written by hand with fountain pens:
I’m for all of these.

I’m for evolution more than revolution
unless you’re offering some kind of solution.

I’m for the courage it takes to volunteer, to say “yes,” “I believe,” and “I
will.”
For the bright side, the glass half full, the silver lining,
and the optimists who consider darkness just a different kind of shining.

So don’t waste my time and your curses on verses
about what you are against, despise, and abhor.
Tell me what inspires you, what fulfills and fires you,
put your precious pen to paper and tell me what you’re for!

Active Member

Great!Thank you very much. cheers