Engineers want their children to become engineers while doctors want their children to follow in their footsteps and study medicine. The businessman dreams of his child becoming a CEO but teachers don’t nececcesarily want their children to teach. “The sad truth is that teaching is not a favored profession,” saidd the youngest woman present. Then shecontinued. “I say this as I am a teacher and know what a difference a good teacher can make in the life of a child.”
The CEO asked; “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who feels that his/her best option in life to to become a teacher?” To stress his point, he asked the teacher what kind of a salary she brings home every month. She paused for a second then continued without giving him a direct reply.
“I make students work harder than they thought they could. I make a weak student feel like a Medal of Honor winner. I get my students to sit through forty minutes of class time while their parents can’t make them sit still for five minutes without their eyes being glued to an iPod, an iPad, an iPhone or television. And you want to know how much I make?” She paused again, turned to look at the other people sitting aroun the table, then continued. “I make my students wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I teach them to have respect and to take responsibility for their actions. I teach them how to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn’t everything. I make them read and read and read. I work with them until they all understand math. I teach them to use their brains instead of calculators. When I teach English as a second language, I teach the children what they need to know about it while preserving their unique cultural identities. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. And finally, I make then understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they will succeed in life.” This young teacher paused one last time then added; “When people judge me by how much money I make each month, I hold my head high and pay no attention because I feel that those who ask that question are ignorant. I make a difference in your children’s lives by educating them and preparing them to become CEO’S, doctors and engineers. How much do you make every month Mr. CEO? His jaw dropped and he was silent.