Taylor Mali's poem 'What Teachers Make' hits me right in the feels every time. It's not just a defense of the teaching profession—it's a fiery, unapologetic celebration of the quiet miracles educators pull off daily. The way Mali dismantles the idea that teaching is 'easy' or lesser than corporate jobs with his biting sarcasm ('I make kids work harder than they ever thought possible...') is so validating. It reminds me of my 10th-grade English teacher, who stayed after school to help me rewrite an essay six times. That persistence didn’t just boost my grade; it rewired my brain to care about craft. The poem’s raw pride in shaping minds—not just test scores—gives teachers permission to own their impact without apology.
What sticks with me most is Mali’s imagery of 'lighting fireworks' in students’ brains. It’s that moment when a kid gasps because they finally get metaphor, or when a shy student debates passionately. The poem rejects society’s obsession with tangible outcomes (salaries, data points) and instead argues that teachers manufacture something far more valuable: curiosity that outlasts report cards. Whenever I share this poem with educator friends, they always mention how it fuels them during budget-cut seasons or parent complaints. It’s armor against burnout, packaged in slam-poetry rhythm.
There’s this electric moment in 'What Teachers Make' where Mali snaps, 'I make parents tremble in fear when I call home.' As a former teacher, that line was my rallying cry on days when admin treated us like glorified babysitters. The poem doesn’t romanticize education—it weaponizes the truth about what we actually do. Mali frames teaching as psychological jiu-jitsu: turning apathy into engagement, blank stares into 'aha!' explosions. I’d play his performance at new teacher orientations because it captures what manuals never do—the gritty, glorious mess of changing neural pathways.
What’s radical is how Mali equates teaching with creative labor. Comparing lesson planning to composing music or drafting blueprints elevates pedagogy to an art form. When standardized curricula suck the soul out of classrooms, his words remind educators to fight for the 'unquantifiable' wins—like the kid who starts doodling Shakespeare quotes or debates historical bias at lunch. That’s why teachers print and tape this poem to planning binders; it’s antidote to the toxic 'just a teacher' narrative.
Mali’s poem turns teacher shame into teacher flame. My aunt quit teaching after five years because strangers kept asking, 'But don’t you want a real job?' She cried when I showed her 'What Teachers Make'—especially the part where Mali hisses, 'Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true.' That forensic breakdown of skills (psychologist, comedian, loan shark...) validates educators’ sprawling, often invisible labor. It’s not inspiration porn; it’s a middle finger to anyone who thinks summers 'off' compensate for being vomited on, sued, and expected to fix society’s failures. Now my aunt tutors with renewed defiance. Mali didn’t just write a poem—he engineered a morale grenade.
2025-11-19 20:54:59
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He hates her.
She hates him.
For a year already, Mr. Adkins has been cruel to Norali. Her teacher keeps failing her, keeps making comments to her and keeps her late in class. She can't seem to understand why he has such an aversion to her, but she has been equally as mean back.
He is mean, strict and has every woman swooning for him. Except for Norali. The loathing in his eyes, the way his hands turn into fists and his jaw clenches every time he sets eyes on her is enough for her to see right through his good looks. Most of the time.
But he is the only one teaching the subject. There's no escaping him.
And that's exactly how Jace likes it. Norali is his. His to hate, his to desire... His to own. He is in every way a control freak but only wants to have complete control of one person... His student who doesn't listen.
He hates her.
A sexy teacherXstudent book which will have you on the edge of your seat! Fun, forbidden, light-hearted and full of sexual tension.
PAIN AND PLEASURE: The BDSM SERIES
Book 1: Classroom Punishment
Will
No one knows that the professor who commands the entire class is the same woman I control completely. The same classroom where she teaches, becomes the place where I punish her after everyone’s gone.
Iva
I’ve always known about my dark desires, to be controlled, to be punished, but I never imagined one of my own students would be the one to fulfill them. As he tests my limits and takes control, we both find ourselves falling deeper… every single day.
***
“Professor, you know I don’t repeat myself. Open your legs now, or I’ll put you over my lap and spank you. Is that what you want, your students discovering that their strict professor is a submissive?”
Fuck! Why do his warnings always turn me on instead of pissing me off?
This time, I splay my legs, trying not to provoke him further. I quickly glance around. Thankfully, everyone is too busy working on their test to notice anything. My breath catches as his hand slips between my thighs, under the desk.
***
She was never supposed to want him.
He was never supposed to touch her.
Behind closed doors, the woman who controls the classroom becomes the one who surrenders.
The student who obeys the rules becomes the one who makes them.
But love is far more dangerous than desire.
If they are discovered, she will lose her career.
If they walk away, they will lose each other.
"Do you like it when I touch you like this?"Professor Derrick's thumb circles her most sensitive spot as his other hand silences her moans. Eliana has never felt pleasure this intense, this forbidden.After a messy breakup, 20-year-old Eliana promised herself no more men just focus on her literature studies. But her gorgeous, older professor has other plans.What starts as extra tutoring sessions quickly becomes stolen moments in his office. Secret touches. Heated glances. Until one night, all her walls come crashing down.Now she's addicted to his touch, even though dating him could destroy everything her scholarship, her future, her heart. But when her jealous ex returns and a vengeful classmate threatens to expose their affair, Eliana must decide:Is the best sex of her life worth risking it all for the one man she's not supposed to have?
Lydia Martins, the smart kid at school, is the constant target of bullies like Emily, the wealthy businessman's daughter, who torments Lydia for getting perfect grades.
After Lydia aces another test, Emily and her friends confront Lydia in the bathroom, calling her "Teacher's Pet" and accusing her of only succeeding because of the handsome, young Mr. Derek—the new English teacher. The girls tease and bully Lydia, claiming she's sleeping with Mr. Derek for good grades, before dumping a bucket of water over her head.
Humiliated, Lydia soon finds photos from the incident circulating online with vile captions calling her a ‘Slut’ and the ‘Teacher’s Pet’.
Enraged, she hatches a plan not to get back at her bullying classmates but to target Mr. Derek instead.
She decides that if she can get him fired, the torment over her grades might finally stop.
"I'm in love with the new teacher." I announced, and the whole room fell silent.
I could barely look at mum. She was in anguish. I had brought those pains to her already fragile heart. I had broken her heart to a point where the pieces couldn't be mended together anymore.
The judge cleared his throat, and peered closely at me. "Are you sure of what you just said, Devan Baker?" He quizzed.
I glanced at Mum once more, and gave my reply. "Yes I am." I announced, and the whole room fell into uproar.
I gazed at their faces. The irony of life. What was good for me, couldn't be good for you. I wasn't a minor any more, and so I could choose who I wanted to be in love with, or maybe I wasn't supposed to?
However, I had chosen to fall in love with Ms. Ellen Dudley the new teacher, and the world thought I was wrong? What did the world know? Things had begun to get messy, and I was in deep shit...
At the ceremony where my mother, Helena Marlow, received the Best Homeroom Teacher award, the parents wept with gratitude. They praised her for nurturing the students successfully without ever resorting to harsh discipline, and for helping them all to excellent results.
But no one knew that the path to their children’s success had been paved by Mom, using me as a warning to others.
When someone in the class stole money, cheated on an exam, or got into a romantic relationship, I was the one punished.
During the ceremony, the principal, Ms. Wanda Ambrose, stepped onto the stage to present her award.
She asked, “Ms. Marlow, you have so many outstanding students in your class. Which student are you most proud of?”
Mom smiled with quiet pride.
“They are all like my own children. I love every one of them.”
Then she let out a small sigh.
“Except for my daughter. She alone fails to live up to expectations and disappoints me every time.”
Laughter and applause rose from the audience below the stage. They nodded in understanding and praised her for being so modest.
I drifted to her side and looked at the satisfied curve of her lips before speaking softly.
“Don’t worry, Mom. From now on, I won’t disappoint you anymore.”
Taylor Mali's 'What Teachers Make' always gives me chills—it's such a powerful spoken-word piece! While I totally get wanting to find it online, I should mention that Mali himself has advocated for supporting artists directly. His official website and YouTube channel often feature performances, and you might catch clips there legally.
That said, I remember hunting down poems in my student days too. Sometimes libraries partner with digital archives like JSTOR or OverDrive, where you can access works with a free library card. Mali's collections like 'What Learning Leaves' might include it—worth checking! Honestly, hearing him perform it live (even via old uploads) hits way harder than text anyway.
Taylor Mali's 'What Teachers Make' hits hard because it doesn’t just defend teaching—it celebrates the messy, transformative magic of it. The book started as a viral spoken-word poem, and the expanded version keeps that raw energy. Mali’s anecdotes—like shutting down a smug dinner guest who dismisses teachers’ salaries—are fist-pump worthy. But what stuck with me were the quieter moments: how he describes kids scribbling poetry in margins or the way a single lesson can ripple through decades. It’s part memoir, part rallying cry, with zero corporate-ed jargon.
That said, if you want cold stats on education reform, look elsewhere. Mali’s strength is his fiery, lyrical voice (I’d give it 4.5/5 for sheer passion). Some chapters feel repetitive if you’ve heard the original poem, but the new material—like his ‘1000 Teachers’ project—adds depth. Perfect for burnt-out educators needing a pick-me-up or anyone who’s ever had a life-changing teacher.
Reading 'On Being a Teacher' felt like sitting down for coffee with a mentor who’s seen it all. The book doesn’t just list techniques; it digs into the heart of why teaching matters. There’s a chapter where the author reflects on those tiny moments—when a student’s eyes light up with understanding—and it reminded me of my own classroom. It’s not about perfection; it’s about showing up authentically. The way it blends theory with raw, personal stories makes you feel less alone in the struggles. I finished it with this quiet determination to be more present, not just as an educator but as a human being in the room.
What stuck with me most was the idea of 'teaching as an act of hope.' It reframed how I handle setbacks. Instead of seeing a failed lesson as a disaster, I now think of it as planting seeds. The book’s honesty about burnout also hit hard, but in a good way—like it gave me permission to admit when I’m tired without guilt. It’s rare to find a book that balances practicality with this kind of emotional depth.