Letter: What your children learn from teachers

Saturday, March 25, 2006 | 7:17 a.m.

There are many folks who like to say this about teachers: What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher? Others express their thoughts with this old standby: Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.

I have even heard others ask: What do you make? I have the perfect response to that question:

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ student feel like the winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids have a sense of pride in everything they do. I make kids enjoy learning. I make their dreams attainable. I make their futures possible. 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. I make them work. I make them into leaders. I make them discover. I make them responsible. I make them achieve. I make them capable. I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math and perfect their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you have the brains, and follow your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by how much money you make, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn.

You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make? Thank your kids' teachers for all that they do. They are worth every penny and - lots more.

Ken Zelasko, Las Vegas