Last night in my Lit for Children class, we did a unit on poetry. To wrap up the evening, Dr. Phillips had us watch a segment from HBO's Def Comedy Jam that featured a KSU grad. The poem is as follows:
There is a dinner party and and a guest (a lawyer) says to our poet "Be Honest, Taylor. What do you make?" (We all know that money is the most important thing in the world and those who don't have enough of it are considered second class citizens). Taylor's response was one that gave me a little bit of hope for humanity. He said "What do I make?" and then went on a tirade about how he pushes his students harder than he ever has before and how he makes parents see the potential in their children. Going over a list of what he "makes" is the bulk of the poem, but it was the end that really got to me. "Teachers make a goddamned difference. What about you?" I think you get the general idea.
The world is so wrapped up in a person's salary that they often miss the point of their job. Teachers don't become teachers because they want to take a huge paycheck to the bank. They do it to make a difference in the lives of many and maybe, in the world. I am angry that I live in a society where it is acceptable for a presidential candidate to spend millions of dollars on a campaign, but where teachers (who spend countless hours and an unimaginable amount of money getting their degree) are one of the lowest paid professions. You only make decent money if you go into the country or the ghetto (read: where no one else wants to go).
This is for all the people that get past the lure of a six figure paycheck and decide on a profession that changes humanity. This is for my friend, Nicole, who has the courage and the decency to become a teacher knowing that she will owe more money in loans that she will make in a year. Here's to you for making a goddamned difference in the world.
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3 comments:
Thank you for standing up for our profession! It is true that we put up with more crap than most, work more hours inside and outside of school (our days don't when the bell rings...they end when the job is done), and we take a huge cut in pay because we don't get paid our worth. If we did, teachers everywhere would be living the good life. For those of you who don't think we earn our keep, remember who taught your child to read, write, and essentially survive in this harsh world.
I always think it's unfair that the teachers shaping our childrens' minds are paid so little while professional athletes (hell, even the college coaches) are paid so much. Sure, the coaches bring in a lot of income for the colleges, but c'mon.
(by the way, new blog. I never gave it to you!)
thebaylessfam.blogspot.com
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