La Vida

What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don’t work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com
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:
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 difference! What about you?

This past weekend, 5 adventurers set off in search of Camargo, México. Though we didn’t exactly follow the map, we somehow arrived right on time to our destination and crossed the border without speaking to anyone. We were supposed to go with a pastor from Arlington who speaks Spanish and was going to be our translator. He was not able to make the trip with us, and so I was quickly designated the translator for our group.

The most impacting moment of the weekend was in the last few hours. Cansino told us about José William, a young man who was recently in a car wreck that left him in a coma. We met and prayed for his family on Friday night. On Saturday, Cansino asked us to go to Reynosa with the family to pray over him. Friday night, the Lord placed upon our hearts that this was the reason we had come to Camargo. God wanted us to bless this family though prayer, and I strongly believe that He wanted to work a miracle in this family’s life. As we arrived at the government controlled hospital, we learned visitor access was very limited. Only Seth, Nathan, and I were allowed to see the young man. Jose breathed through a respirator, and his body lay there lifeless. We began to pray, and as we did, I could feel his motionless leg. As we continued I could feel a light twitch; I began to think that this young man might just get up and walk. In all my years as a believer, I have never seen a miracle, and it in that moment, I hoped for one with every fiber of my being. Though we didn’t see anything miraculous, we continue to pray for his recovery!
As we exited the hospital, we gathered with the family outside to pray one last time. This weekend fulfilled a dream of my heart. For the first time, I was able to use my ability to speak Spanish to bring blessings to someone in need. In that moment outside the hospital, it moved me that the words the Lord brought from my mouth were being understood by these people. There were so many thoughts and emotions in that moment, and I didn’t understand what was happening. As we drove home, I realized why this was so emotional for me. I have spent many years unknowingly preparing for this weekend. The powerful things the Lord did in this one weekend were worth all my linguistic preparation. However, I feel that the future holds many more moments like these. It excites me to see what the future holds for Nathan and me as our ministry begins to take shape.

Lord, thank you for this weekend and for giving us the desire to go. I pray that you will bless the people of Camargo, and that you will bring fruit as a result of the believers’ obedience to serve their community. I pray for Jose William, and I ask for a miracle in his life. Bring his family peace. Provide for them, and show them your love and mercy during this difficult time. I ask for a doctor that can treat him and understand his condition. Send provision for the medical expenses. Grant them your grace in this time, dear Lord, and work in their lives as only you can do. Thank you for all that you did this weekend, and I pray for further opportunities to show your love to Camargo. Amen.

Today, inspired by my husband and faith community, I took the challenge, and the test, and have discovered my strengths. Being willing to take a “test” comes naturally for me, since my strenghts tend to be the ultimate strengths for a super-nerd. Here they are: Read the rest of this entry »

My parents are on a bicycling trip in Colorado this week, and they feel old because they are riding 40+ miles a day, and OLD people are passing them. But I tell them “Don’t feel old, you were taking time to enjoy the scenery, and that’s something that those old people missed out on. They would have really passed me, and you would have too. I would be the last person to finish in a bike race in the CO mountains.â€? For sure.

We just went to our Monday night Read the rest of this entry »

This week, it was strange to not have a job to go back to. I know I’m not unemployed, but having several months off is really strange. As a teacher, we work until we are going to drop, and then have these huge summers with nothing to do. It just might drive me crazy. Thankfully, I have a lot of packing to do. This might keep me busy until we move in a few weeks, but then what?? My aunt, a 3rd grade teacher, put it this way. . .”It will be so nice for you, as you are sitting by the pool, to get up and dry off and go and pick up a paycheck from the mailbox.” Yes it will be nice, but I may go crazy in the process. I’m pretty sure that by the time school starts, I will be well rested and ready to hit the pavement running.

Also, these next few weeks in Lubbock are going to be bittersweet. We are sad to be leaving all our family and close friends, but we are very excited about what is ahead of us in Arlington. I only have one more week to live near my mom, my life-long greatest girl-friend. We have only two weeks to get to know some new people who have come to join us in The Journey, and to spend time with our dear friends Jason and Caryn Bishop. We also have only a little longer than a week to pack up all our stuff and get it ready to ship out. So much to cram into two weeks!

My little brother graduates high school tomorrow!!! Scary thought, but he is so ready to grow up. He’s been an “only child” for 6 years now, and my mother is about to drive him crazy. Alex is a really sappy kid, and he loves presents that carry lots of meaning. He doesn’t like holidays that require spending lots of money. Mother’s Day, for example is a holiday that he has declared a “Hallmark” holiday, where vendors created it just to make a few bucks. Therefore, for Mother’s Day, he always makes a card and a present, never spending more than about a nickel. This year, he left her a note on a torn piece of notebook paper and Read the rest of this entry »

“Autograph” writes (in a nutshell) What’s your favorite Old Testament Story and how would you adapt it to our culture? I say:My favorite story (just because it is so crazy) would be the story of Jepthah, who kept his vow to the Lord, even though it meant slaying his daughter: Read the rest of this entry »

A Catholic co-worker sent me this prayer today. It blessed me, and it seems to be born of true faith.  

St. Theresa’s Prayer:

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you….

May you be content knowing you are a child of God….

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the
freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Every week, in my school, our principal gives us a pamphlet on how to increase our effectiveness as teaching professionals. Today, as I was reading this, I realized that it gave some great advice that extends to every area of our lives, no matter what our profession. It says:

Live in the moment. Resist focusing on the number of days until the weekend, the next break, or summer vacation. When you live in the future, you may not appreciate the variety of the school day and you risk missing the richness each day offers. Living in the moment helps you be more engaged, more patient, more understanding, and more effective. Living in the moment contributes to the quality of our teaching and the thrill it can produce for us and for students.

How true are these words? I challenge you to live in the moment and take advantage of every opportunity presented to you today!

I want to know your opinion.

Does the Lord offer salvation to us because he loves us, and it brings him glory? Or does he offer it to us because we have any inherent value? Is it all about us, or is it all about Him? What kind of gospel do you embrace? What is your take?