What Teachers Make: In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World [Hardcover]

Taylor Mali (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 29, 2012

The right book at the right time: an impassioned defense of teachers and why our society needs them now more than ever.

Former middle-school teacher and teachers' advocate Taylor Mali struck a chord with his passionate response to a man at a dinner party who asked him what kind of salary teachers make-a poetic rant that has been seen and forwarded millions of times on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Based on the poem that inspired a movement, What Teachers Make is Mali's sharp, funny, reflective, critical call to arms about the joys of teaching and why teachers are so vital to America today. It's a book that will be treasured and shared by every teacher in America-and everyone who's ever loved or learned from one.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Anyone who goes into the low-paying profession of teaching is too dumb to teach. That insult, delivered by a lawyer at a dinner party, set Mali to writing a poem in answer to the question—What do you make?—that sparked the insult. His poem, which went viral, addressed the question not from the perspective of monetary earnings but from the perspective of what teachers actually make or contribute to the lives of students. Teachers make students wonder, think, create—all the great things we hope for children. Mali left teaching to explore his love of poetry but kept at the theme of what teachers make, eventually taking on a commitment to inspire 1,000 people to become teachers. This book is in part an inspiring anthem for teaching and in part a practical guide to effective teaching techniques. Mali ends with a plea for better teacher training, incentives for teachers to teach in underperforming schools, and a heartfelt plea never to give up on struggling students, whatever their backgrounds. An inspirational tribute to teaching and learning. --Vanessa Bush

Review

 “Big, bright life lessons in a pocket-sized package…Delivers a powerfully positive message…A valentine to teachers everywhere. Mali proves himself a dedicated, caring teacher within what he considers a hobbled American education system.”

—Kirkus Reviews

 “Straightforward, fast-paced, and trenchant. … [An] evocative, small book bulging with a big idea—“to remind teachers that they are dearly loved.” ”

—Publishers Weekly

 “A heartfelt plea never to give up… An inspirational tribute to teaching and learning.”

—Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (March 29, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399158545
• ISBN-13: 978-0399158544
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Education & Reference > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Philosophy & Social Aspects

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Celebration of Teachers by Poetry's Most Popular Advocate for Teaching March 29, 2012

By C. O. Aptowicz

Format:Hardcover

If the title of this book sounds familiar to you, it might be because you have witnessed author Taylor Mali perform the poem of the same title -- a stirring and freshly modern defense of teaching -- at your school or local performance space. Or maybe it was forwarded to you as a text via email, with Taylor Mali's name attached (or not). Or maybe you are one of the people responsible for the SIX MILLION+ hits the poem has received on YouTube (feel free to look it up yourself if you haven't seen it yet). And based on this, and Taylor's decade-plus long career as a touring poet & teaching artist, you might assume that this book is a collection of poetry.

But while "What Teachers Make" (the book!) does contain (some) poetry, it is so much more than that.

In this extraordinarily charming book of essays, Mali shares his thoughtful & smart insights on the ups and downs, challenges and breakthroughs, struggles and triumphs that comes the mantle of teaching. Mali inspires and motivates, and through an extensive collection of poignant & funny anecdotes showcases how teaching is truly a science and an art... and perhaps more than that, it is a calling which should be deeply respected and honored.

I highly recommend this book to any teachers or teachers-to-be. But also, I would recommend it to the parents or skeptical family members of people who are choosing the teaching profession. It makes an incredible & compelling case for teaching, and I wouldn't be surprised if people began gifting "What Teachers Makes" to the disbelieving people in their lives, and simply said, "Read this. It will explain everything."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight from the heart. I could feel it March 30, 2012

By R. Pokkyarath VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Reading this book I felt I was having a coffee get-together with a great teacher and a wonderful person. The book starts of with the poem that went viral and it's followed by close to thirty small essays where the teacher zips in and out of various topics. We hear a justified outrage towards society for "being judged by the size of our paycheck instead of by the difference we make"; personal anecdotes from the author's teaching experience from different parts of the world; tips, learning experiences and pointers that helps in the "art of explanation"; emotions and tears while making calls to the student's parents; introductions to the author's mentors and more. Towards the end, the teacher also counters the criticism levelled at teachers saying that ineffective teachers shouldn't be seen as representative of teachers everywhere and that the accusations of greed just doesn't hold up if you look at the numbers. The book touches upon some of the educational policy issues but the focus in on the author's personal experience. So it's not a detailed look or analysis of the points one see in the recent discussions regarding education policy: classroom size, publicizing the performance data etc.

Yes, good teachers certainly need to be reminded that "they're dearly loved" and I'm only glad to support Teacher Mali and his 'thousand teacher' cause. Plus one star for reminding me that it's been a while since I paid visit to some of my teachers back from the school days.

Now, a question to me and others:
Teachers make a difference.
Now what about you?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A poetic, personal, and deeply meaningful essay on teaching May 7, 2012

By Joanna Daneman #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Right out of the gate, Taylor Mali illustrates the basic disrespect our society has for teachers, those people we ENTRUST to teach (encourage, nurture and even raise) our children. "Those who can't teach" goes that mean old saw. "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" (sneers a guest at a dinner party). This kind of attitude is what drives our best and brightest away from what should be an honored profession, and degrades people who have taken on a vocation that most of us would find daunting. And it's not world-wide; for example, in Japan, the word "sensei" or teacher is one of the highest honorifics you can be awarded, and teachers are given a high place in society. But teaching our young is a terribly vital role, and this is just one disconnect in our society that is taking a terrible toll on our future. The author states categorically "There can NEVER be a lost generation."

In poetic and experiential terms, the author describes the illuminating moments in his life as a teacher, when he hit the heights of joy by inspiring his students, when it seemed impossible to make any changes at all in their lives. He tells us the story of the student who dies of cancer, but whose classmates shave their heads in solidarity with his him and his chemotherapy-ravaged scalp. He talks about kids who wear the same clothes every day and come to school hungry, the kids people give up on, and decides that he should never, EVER give up on anyone.

This is the attitude of a saint or missionary, and Mali seems to be making the case that being a truly great teacher requires faith, persistence and belief that there is something inside each of us that can be nurtured and brought to bloom.

Shouldn't we honor that?... And if many of our teachers are hoeing on the same stony furrow of poor soil, disrespect, crushing bureaucracy, crazy rules, constricting testing, kids with no parental support, and the utter lack of respect from our culture, shouldn't we also honor them? I think the author makes a most poignant case to say "YES." Read more ›

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I Really Wanted to Like This! July 30, 2012

By shelfishness

Format:Hardcover

As a high school English teacher, I am always a fan of books that promote teaching and encourage us to take a fresh look at one of the most influential and important positions in America. I was thrilled after glancing at Taylor Mali's book, and while I was excited to read it at the beginning, by the end, I was fairly disappointed.
Mali has a strong introduction, explaining how the poem which shares the same title as the book, came about, and how his career evolved as a result of this poem (he no longer is a classroom teacher, but instead, travels the world teaching poetry to students and teachers alike). Quickly, however, Mali begins focusing on short anecdotes intended to highlight the demands, intrinsic rewards and sheer joy of teaching, as seen through his own experience. I enjoyed this at first, but it soon began to feel very self-promoting and repetitive (Mali includes much of his own poetry and shares stories which are intended to highlight his academic genius).
Mali has great voice, but unfortunately, his time outside of the classroom shows. So much has changed since he was a teacher in the '90s that the book seems out of date and out of touch (Mali devotes a chapter to the genius behind creating a computer-based grade book - something that is fairly standard in most districts across the nation).... Furthermore, with shifts toward common core, standardized testing, differentiated instruction, and sound grading practices, Mali's work seems a bit too idealistic to be a truly enjoyable read (for example, Mali goes into great detail about his favorite assignment - having students create a Roman-style shield that was impenetrable against a sword - and freely admits that the grade was based on artistic style and strength and had little to no curricular benefit - something which would not tie in nicely to a curriculum that is intended to blend fun and learning).
While I really wanted to like this book (and was thinking it would be a great gift to give to students who dream of being teachers), this book is out of touch with the reality of teaching today. Mali who hasn't been in a classroom since cell-phones invaded has a few really good suggestions and heartfelt stories, but this is not all that it could have been. Read more ›