I have a habit of trying to watch a short “inspirational” video or listen to an “inspirational” podcast before I start my teaching day. This morning I watched a video that has been around for quite a while, Taylor Mali’s “What Teachers Make” performance. If you’re looking for a little pick-me-up to start your day, I encourage you to watch the video below. To learn a little more about Taylor Mali visit his website or read the excerpt from his story about the poem that I posted below the video.

I did a little digging around on Taylor Mali’s website and read the history of the poem. Mali originally posted it on his website without attributing it to himself. Taylor Mali has this to say about the poem being passed around, altered, used without attribution to him,
“Am I disappointed not to have received credit for writing this poem that has inspired so many? Used to be. But the truth will always come out in the end. And if I had to choose between inspiring teachers anonymously or not inspiring them at all, I would choose anonymous inspiration every time.”