What teachers make ...

By Taylor Mali

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, you're a teacher, Taylor," he says. "Be honest. What do you make?"

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 damn difference! What about you?

[Dankie,  mnr. Johann van den Berg]

Opknap en restoureer ...

Noodsaaklike instandhouding word tans aan die geboue van die skool gedoen. Vriendelike werkers trotseer die winterkoue om 'n voorkomsverskil aan die skool te maak.

Die tragiese evolusie van die onderwys ...

SAGE: Vrystaatkompetisie

Wenner van die Vrystaatkompetisie is 'n graad 10-leerder, Juan Bam.

Youth Day

Happy Father's Day ...

Aquabionic: Kontak die span vir fondsinsameling ...

Skolesnoepies, sportbyeenkomste en laerskoolentrepreneurs - kontak ons vir 'n billike, dog kwaliteitproduk.

Ysies, energie-ysies, jelly-ysies en suiwer water word op bestelling gemaak en afgelewer, teen die beste pryse - kontak Juan 065 113 8647.

EMS-leerders, enige blink wateridees vir entrepreneursdag en ons sit jou idee om in Rand en sent! Waarom wag?

Agostinho Nhancale - Dux-leerder van 2017 presteer steeds!

Agostinho Nhancale, HTS se Dux-leerder van 2017, is steeds besig om op sy stil manier te presteer. Hy het tydens die jaarlikse prysuitdeling by Tukkies 'n meriete toekenning (brons) vir sy akademiese prestasie in elektriese ingenieurswese ontvang. Hy is die derde beste eerstejaar in die departement van elektriese, elektroniese en rekenaaringenieurswese. Dit is finansieel baie voordelig om tyd aan 'n mens se studies te spandeer, want hierdie sertifikaat word saam met 'n klein koevertjie oorhandig. 

Baie baie geluk, Agostinho! Ons hou jou vordering met valkoë dop! Jy is 'n ster! 

Sasol se jaarlikse tegniese konferensie

4 van HTS se onderwysers het die Tegniese Onderwysers Konferensie in Kemptonpark bygewoon. Hulle is mnre. Henk van Vuuren, Johann van den Berg, Erick Litjamela en Fanie Pretorius. Ons hoop die ervaring die onderwysers tegnies verryk het.

Foto's: Erick Litjamela

Radio-onderhoud ...

Alex Manise het 'n baie suksesvolle radio-onderhoud agter die blad. Hy het die luisteraars ingelig oor sy insluiting by die SA-debatspan. As ervare debatspreker, is praat een van sy baie vaardighede. Alle sukses vorentoe!

Who I am makes a difference ...

A True Story by Author Unknown

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made. She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time.

First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters, which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him.

His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he asked, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says "Who I Am Makes a Difference," on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom explaining why I had killed myself and asking you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think I need it after all."

His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain. The envelope was addressed, "Mom and Dad."

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch, but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life... one being the boss's son.

And the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson.

WHO YOU ARE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

[Dankie, mnr. Johann van den Berg, vir hierdie besondere bydrae!]

Help make a dream come true ...