September 27, 2007 3:58 pm
Reader Bernarda noted this site in comments, and it’s good enough to promote more formally: Teachers as the alter egos of superheroes.
Teachers ARE superheroes, a lot of them. More than in other professions, certainly.
Which reminds me of this video. Teachers, you need to watch this sometime here in the first month of school. What do you say when someone rudely asks, “What do you make?” Wholly apart from the Ann Landers-style answer, “Whatever would possess anyone to ask such a personal question?” there is an answer to give, as explained by slam poet Taylor Mali; surely you’ve seen this before, but watch it again — to remember what teachers should be doing, as well as how to talk about it. See below.
You can support Mr. Mali. Just purchase a pen that includes that little poem.
You can support Mr. Mali and his campaign for good teachers in another way, too. Make sure that whenever you talk about this poem of his, you credit it to him. I think we as teachers owe that to artists, and other teachers, as part of our continuing struggles against plagiarism.
But we also owe it to ourselves to get credit to Mr. Mali. Odds are he has some other good things to say. When you properly attribute his work, you increase the chances that someone else will find the rest of his work. You increase the chances that some superintendent will hire Mr. Mali to speak to the teachers in his district. You increase the chances that someone will understand that Mr. Mali is a real human being who loves teaching — he is, in short, one of those superheroes we call “teachers,” even without a cape.
Uncaped crusaders need compliments, too.
Posted by Ed Darrell
Categories: Accuracy, Education, Education quality, Education success, Teacher Pay, Teaching
Tags: Education, Plagiarism, superheroes, Taylor Mali, Teachers, what do you make?
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[…] Taylor Mali is one of my usual suspects for inspiring teachers. He does a great job, with just a tinge of profanity (appropriately placed, many teachers argue – if they ask for it, you have to give it to them). […]
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By 2nd day of school in Dallas: Student asks, “Do you believe in me?” « Millard Fillmore's Bathtub on August 23, 2011 at 11:44 am
[…] is an encore post from 2007. (Mild […]
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By Inspiration for the first day of school, part 2 – Taylor Mali, and “What do you make?” « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub on August 23, 2010 at 3:49 am
[…] Taylor Mali is one of my usual suspects for inspiring teachers. He does a great job, with just a tinge of profanity (appropriately placed, many teachers argue – if they ask for it, you have to give it to them). […]
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By Inspiration for the first day of school, part 1 – Dalton Sherman « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub on August 23, 2010 at 3:16 am
I love the Taylor Mali poems I have read. You can really feel the emotion. I recieved them as gifts when I completed a long term sub position and will forever treasure them. They bring tears to my eyes from the emotion that I get when I read them. Thank you to people like Taylor Mali, I hope I can be an advocate like you someday!!!!:)
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By Jennifer Frantz on November 27, 2009 at 3:52 pm
[…] 5th grader Dalton Sherman inspires Dallas teachers “Do you believe in me?” Taylor Mali is one of my usual suspects for inspiring teachers. He does a great job, with just a tinge of profanity (appropriately placed, many teachers argue – if […]
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By “Do you believe in me?” 5th grader Dalton Sherman inspires Dallas teachers “Do you believe in me?” « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub on August 26, 2008 at 4:07 am
[…] Taylor Mali . . . The last line of Taylor Mali’s slam poem about what a teacher makes – remember […]
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By Cue Taylor Mali . . . « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub on December 13, 2007 at 9:38 pm
[…] Now, excuse me, but I have to go listen to Taylor Mali again. […]
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By There once was a Union Maid « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub on October 8, 2007 at 10:06 am