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Sally Murphy, Australian author

Poetry Friday: Teachers

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It’s Poetry Friday and this week I have been thinking about teachers, partly because I am always asked about which parts of my own life appear in my books, and also partly because I saw this amazing tribute to a teacher online, which made me weep.


Amazing, huh?

Anyway, as a result of this introspection, I’ve started blogging about the teacher characters in my various books – yesterday I posted about Stanley and Elizabeth in 1915, and over the next few weeks I am going to post about several of my other teacher characters. So, today I went looking for poems about teachers.

In Pearl Verses the World, Pearl has a bit of an up and down relationship with her teacher, Miss Bruff. She even writes a poem about her:

A teacher known as BruffPearl Verses the World

Was very, very gruff.

She preached and she taught

Much more than she ought

Till the class had had more than enough.

Poor Miss Bruff! The good news is, by the end of the book, Pearl has a new understanding of Miss Bruff (who, incidentally, I’ll be blogging more about on Sunday).

One of my favourite poems about teachers is Taylor Mali’s poem, which you may have come across before. It begins:

What Teachers Make
by Taylor Mali

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?

You can read the whole poem on Mali’s website here or, you can see his performance here:

Teachers do make a difference. Thanks Taylor Mali – and thanks Mr Tamatea who was such an amazing teacher that 1700 students turned out to honour him. And thanks to the teachers who populate so many of my stories and do their best to guide my young characters, to cheer them on and to just teach them.

Have a great Poetry Friday. The roundup this week is at Keri Recommends.

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Comments

  1. The haka video left me wanting to learn more. It sounded to me like a warrior chant, which a google search confirmed. I was glad I went to the video on YouTube itself where the words to the chant were posted. It is a school song of sorts, but so far removed from my unofficial high school song which went, “B, beer, for old Bay Shore High. You bring the whiskey, I’ll bring the rye…” Thanks for sharing it, Sally.

  2. Hi Sally. Thanks for sharing Mali’s poem. I heard it once before and loved it, so was glad to revisit it. And that tribute! So moving and a window into another culture’s way to honor their revered teacher, Mr Tamatea. Thanks for insights into your characters, as well. Your books are new to me!

    • Thanks Joyce. The tribute makes me wish I had known Mr Tamatea. He must have been a wonderful teacher.

  3. Wow, that funeral display was so outside my cultural reference, I wonder and marvel. The only thing similar I have ever seen was parts of Whale Rider, the movie about Maori. Was that NZ? That was intense, as funerals are intense. And the poem by Mr. Mali was very inspiring and so perfect a tribute to people who work VERY HARD. I love that you are thinking about teachers. I am doing that now, too. Have a great weekend! Brenda

  4. I’m afraid to watch the video, Sally, because I’m pretty sure I’ll cry (I’ll wait until there aren’t so many people around…). Taylor Mali’s poem is always great to hear. Looking forward to hearing more about Miss Bruff!

    • Thanks Tabatha. Yes, if you’re anything like me, you will cry when you watch the video. It’s very moving.

  5. Powerful video–rituals have so much impact and ability to heal, I think. I love Taylor Mali’s poem and have heard it several times. He’s awesome. And, finally, I just put Pearl on reserve at my library. Looking forward to reading it!

  6. Since I am a teacher, and newly retired, I appreciated all your words today, Sally. I was just contacted by a couple of students of very long ago and it made my heart smile to hear about them and what they are doing now, all grown up. The tribute to Mr. Tamatea is amazing, as you wrote. Thanks!

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