WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

I have been sitting here reading my emails and listening to the kids waiting for the school bus. It gets quite noisy, but today they are having fun. Here is an Email I just received that is so fitting to what I am listening to.
I want to say Thank-you to all the teachers in my girls life, whether church, school, sports, dance, and those I can't remember.

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

Mary, 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 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 minutes without an IPOD, Game Cube or movie rental. 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 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.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hears, they can succeed in life.

(Mary 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.

What do you make Mr. CEO?

His jaw dropped, he went silent.