Svar på tal

Det finns tillfällen när man önskar att man kunde gett riktigt bra svar på tal, men tyvärr kommer allt bra man skulle velat säga oftast långt i efterhand, när man fått gå och marinera situationen ett tag. Och då är det liksom för sent.

Vid ett tillfälle på jobbet (gymnasieskola) var det en oerhört trovärdig lärare som framförde den och jag tycker den är så in i baljan bra att jag bara måste dela med mig av den, Taylor Mali's dikt, här framförd av honom själv på Def Poetry. (Och javisst, eftersom jag själv är en av dem som, tyvärr, valde "law school" istället för en lärarutbildning kan jag ju kosta på mig att jäklas lite;))

Texten hittar du dessutom nedanför videon och jag vill noga påpeka att upphovsmannen är Taylor Mali och ingen annan.



What Teachers Make, or

Objection Overruled, or

If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

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 instead of his
and resist the urge to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite conversation.
"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 ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, well then 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 kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you go to the bathroom?
Because you're bored and you don't really have to go, do you?

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, write, write.
And then I make them 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 got this (brains - pekar på huvudet)
then you follow this (heart - pekar på bröstet)
and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make,
you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
Teachers make a goddamn difference! Now, what about you?"

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