By Gloria Zink
Ceniad
East Lansing HS
On the first day of school Amiyah Adams (10) walked into room 430 and was delighted to finally see a teacher with a similar complexion. Life Science teacher Klaudia Burton joined the staff this year as the first African-American teacher since 2014.
To Burton, teaching was more than just instructing. She emphasized that becoming a teacher was less about the content she taught and more about the care and compassion she left her students with.
Every day Burton strives to create a comforting family-like environment for her students.
“My biggest thing is always building relationships with kids,” Burton said. “I want to be, and usually am, that teacher that kids can feel free to come and talk to about any issues and problems they may be having. I feel like trust, as well as consistency, are a few of the most important things kids need.”
According to Publicschoolreview.com, the student body is 40 percent minority students and 60 percent white students. However the staff’s diversity did not reflect that. Burton was one of only three African-American teachers to teach at ELHS in the last 15 years.
“I definitely look forward to her class,” Adams said. “I think it’s a lot easier to talk to her because I can relate to her more easily than my other teachers, so I’m less afraid to ask questions. Her no. 1 –concern is understanding and she is willing to help you with whatever so that you do understand.” Adams also believed that her racial similarities with Burton benefitted her in the classroom because they spoke the same slang and have had similar upbringings.
But it’s not only students of color that were impacted by Burton’s teaching. Marley Saros (10) said that she saw the lack of racial diversity amongst the staff and how it affected her peers of color.
“You can really tell that she cares about her work,” Saros said. “She seems really devoted to her students success and it definitely shows in the way she teaches.”
1st Place
Division 2, Yearbook Verbal
Y-04. Academic Writing
Any copy which features a department, a subject or unusual academic direction but not a personality profile of a teacher. An individual story may not be submitted in more than one writing category. Submit a PDF of the page(s) showing the entry. CLEARLY INDICATE WHICH STORY YOU WISH JUDGED in Additional Information field if there are multiple stories on the page.
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Clear, relevant, engaging angle
- Solid lead that draws reader into story
- Meaningful student quotes that enrich story and reflect effective interviewing
- Evidence of adequate research
- Story goes beyond simply reviewing what happens in classroom
- Adheres to rules of good journalism including: short paragraphs, effective transitions and use of active voice, freedom from editorial comment, careful editing and proofreading to eliminate mechanical errors, correct use of grammar