For some reason today I was remembering one of my favorite spoken word poems, “Miracle Worker” by the wonderful Taylor Mali.

Especially this one bit:

Once in a restaurant, when the waiter asked me
if I wanted anything else, and I said,
“No, thank you, just the check, please,”
and he said, “How about a look at the dessert menu?”
I knew I had become a teacher when I said,
“What did I just say?”

No matter how hard I try, at some point in every school year I find myself saying that!

My New School Year’s Resolution (well, one of them:) Don’t say that.

You can hear the whole hilarious and moving poem here.