Taylor Mali and the seventh-grade Viking

[memegarden]

More from Taylor Mali, the man in the "What Do Teachers Make?" video. He seems to be both a terrific middle school teacher and the world's best slam poet. And he rocks. As you look at his web page, be sure to notice what happens to the menu selections as you mouse over them.

Tony Steinberg, Seventh-grade Viking

Comments

[qijm]

If this guy were my kid's teacher, I'd work hard to get a transfer. He seriously creeps me out. The lawyer in the "What do teachers make" story is a certainly a douchebag, but I don't think Taylor comes off much better. He takes way too much pride in exercising authority and control over children.

[memegarden]

That's interesting. I totally disagree. He appears to me to take great pride in getting kids to do their best, and improve what their best is. This does take wielding some authority, but nobody gets the best out of kids by just being a control freak--you have to inspire them. It appears clear to me that Mali knows that.

[qijm]

It's probably some mix of personality conflict, philosophical differences, and formative experiences

[qijm]

(I'm way on the Gatto end of the Gatto-Mali spectrum)

[qijm]

Also, I know from personal experience that I feel kind of crummy when I post something I'm really excited about and get a response that's disrespectful or aggressively critical of it. We don't really know each other, so I don't know whether that was out of place by your standards.

[memegarden]

Not out of place, no. While you've expressed disagreement and a very different emotional reaction, you're being perfectly civil by my standards.