Slam+Poetry

"What Teachers Make"

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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 temptation 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 company. "I mean, you¹re 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, 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 get a drink of water? Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why. 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) then you follow this (heart) 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: I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

He uses Hyperboles throughout the poem to emphasize the accomplishments the kids make and how they feel for example he says "I can make a C+ feel like a congressional medal of honour." He uses repetition when he talks about making his children spell defiantly beautiful over and over to make a statement to the audience that he will never let his students forget those words. He uses words that ryhme for his last statement in his poem to make the statement stand out and speak louder to his listeners. He says " Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true I make a goddamn difference! What about you?" A few times in his poem he uses metaphors in his poem when talking about his kids parents. He says "I make parents tremble in fear when I call home," and "I make parents see their children for who they really are." He uses similes early in the poem when talking about his children, " I can make a C+ feel like a congressional medal of honour and make A- feel like a slap in the face." I think the theme of his poem is that teachers are highly under rated and that they are not appreciated for the job they do. They educate those ho will someday be the future, a job that is crucial to the society we live in today. He starts off his poem "acting" as if he is a stereotypical person who doesn't appreciate teachers and thinks they are a joke using the quote "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." He first describes his emotion and reaction to when he hears this kind of thing, but he quickly turns to explaining just what teachers do, and instead of answering the literal question what teachers make in a salary, he answers by explaining the difference teachers make in the world. Hearing it from a teacher himself and him being so passionate about the subject defiantly gives it a powerful feel. I choose this poem because personally I have never understood why the profession of being a teacher is so under rated, even though it is a crucial part of our society and our future. Hearing him speak so passionately about it in an actual teachers words is unique. His poem covers a broad selection of situations and feelings that are involved with being a teacher, like pushing his students to making them do their best, and making them do things that seem ridiculous at the time but will defiantly help in the long run.