Jim Burton, an AP and honors chemistry teacher, is at the core of one of the most daunting classes at OHS, ready to quell the fears of students and provide them with a higher level of education. Having majored in biology with a minor in chemistry, as well as a masters in teaching at Cornell University, he prides himself on being able to share his knowledge and abilities with students successfully.

Due to his father being a math teacher and his mother being an elementary school teacher, going into education was always at the back of Burton’s mind. However, in his formative years, engineering was the most prominent prospective career. But Burton’s aspirations soon shifted post high school after being exposed to different opportunities. 

“I actually graduated and then deferred my admissions because I spent a year abroad in Sweden as an exchange student. Then when I came back to the states to go to school, I decided I didn’t really want to get into engineering. I thought I would rather do something with a biology or chemistry base,” Burton said. 

As a result of his experiences, Burton had a realization about his future while he was in college. His unique classes allowed him to connect with people on a more personal level, altering his priorities.

“I wanted something to do more with people and less with numbers. I really like the interaction of working with people and sharing what I know about science with somebody else and vice versa,” Burton said.

Ultimately, the catalyst that permanently changed his career path was a rare opportunity he was able to seize towards the end of his sophomore year of college. 

“One of the programs I got wind of was the Carnegie Mellon Foundation. That foundation was looking for really good math and science teachers to get into public education at the time. They wanted to attract better educated people to the teaching profession… I got a job in one of the local New York schools and taught for three years. I decided I really enjoyed it and stuck with it,” Burton said. 

Although he has been teaching at OHS for almost 13 years, Mr. Burton’s career has seen students across several states. 

“I have been teaching for 32 years, and in those years my family has been slowly moving west. I taught in New York state for 9 years, then for 12 years in Cleveland, Ohio, and finally I came here in 2011,” Burton said. 

Formally teaching in states that may have had different standards for education, Mr. Burton has observed that the proficiency of adolescents in one school is equivalent to another. Even with many various factors at play, he believes that his students will be successful at any place they choose to go. 

“The students are the same no matter what. It doesn’t matter what state you’re from, the topics that I teach are all pretty much the same, but I think it has more to do with the state system and the requirements,”  Burton said.

In the classroom, his enjoyment of chemistry is clearly incorporated into his lesson plan. Burton always makes an effort to show kids their potential or provide additional methods that assist in further understanding a topic. 

“I try to find ways to explain things in ways that [students] can relate to and make it more simple. Real life examples are often very helpful…Everything relates to chemistry,” Burton said. 

For anyone on the fence about taking AP or honors chemistry, he advises students to stay on top of work and apply themselves. Education lies in the hands of the student along with the assistance of the teacher.  

“Have confidence, but just realize you have to put the time in. You can’t wing it, if you try to wing it, you’re going to be in trouble,” Burton said. “During the class just make sure your phones are away and you’re paying attention. That is the biggest factor, student’s attention and apathy when it comes to actually doing the work themselves.”

At the heart of Mr. Burton’s career is a passion for connecting with others. When students leave his class he would like to be remembered as a teacher that balanced friendly banter with quality instruction. 

“Overall it is about just being fair, having good rapport with the kids, and having fun with what I do,” said Burton.