Grades 7-8 Winner: Betty Tang

When the clock hits 7:45 a.m in the morning, the door of the Beebe Malden Public School will open. The woman who opens the door is a nice teacher who has short blonde hair and a soft voice telling the students to get in the building. She is nice and patient.

Her name is a sweet name that suits her very well. Marilyn. Marilyn Burke is the name. Marilyn Burke is a teacher at the Beebe Malden Public School. All the students call her “Ms. Burke.”

Ms. Burke was born in Webster, Mass. She is an Irish/Polish American. She went to Fitchburg State College and Lesley University in Cambridge. Her job as a teacher was inspired by some teachers in her old school. Everyone’s dream job changed as they grew up and so did Ms. Burke’s.

I once asked her what does she like being a teacher. She gladly answered, “Seeing kids learn new things, like interacting with students, furthermore, I have met amazing students in Malden!”

Then the question, “What would her ideal student be like,” came to my mind and I asked Ms. Burke.

“My ideal students must be willing to ask for help when needed, come for extra help, complete his [or] her homework, and use their skill to make their homework better,” she answered.

All adults have some special or humorous moment in their life, and Ms. Burke’s is when she was a teacher in another school. One April Fools Day, a student who never got in trouble before came up to her, and asked her to throw him out of class. She curiously asked for the reason and the student told her that if she throws him out of class, he would meet with the principle and told him he was thrown out of class, then the principle would get mad and the student would say: “HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!”

Ms. Burke became a teacher because she had good teachers back in her time in school. She also finds interest in figuring out how to teach someone.

Students usually play games, some read, some hang out with their friends in their free time, but what would teacher do in the free time? For Ms. Burke, free time is her fun time. She would do yoga, travel, go to a museum, jog, read, go to movies, and paints.

Painting to her is a activity she would do on free time and also a hobby. I asked her why painting? She told me that she enjoys painting with watercolors, seeing the color blend in with another color is interesting, and she could create her own way of looking at things.

Career is more than just a job. It is a responsibility. Changing a career from one to another would always have a question. I wanted to know what would a good teacher like Ms. Burke want to become if she could change her career.

She paused, and started her answer: “If I could change my career, I would want to become a designer for sets for plays. I would illustrate books.”

The answer did surprise me a little but it was expected. She smiled at me and added, “I would want to study French,” so that she could go to visit France, a beautiful country with good weather.

As the interview ended, a student came up and asked her for help. I looked at the students and at Ms. Burke. She smiled and said, “Sure.”