BY ANTHONETTE MAYNARD, Freshman
BLYTHEWOOD-- Loud. Loud is a word that comes to mind when the name Iesha Burns pops into Kristin Claiborne’s head.
Iesha Burns and Kristin Claiborne are both female basketball coaches at Blythewood High School.
Though, loud is not the only word that comes to mind when Claiborne thinks of Burns.
“She is motivational, genuine, and kind hearted,”Claiborne said.
“The last thing that describes me is that I’m loud,” says Burns, while laughing. “I’m just naturally loud. I try to talk quietly but I can’t.”
In class, Burns loves to joke around with students while teaching them at the same time. Though she may joke around with students here and there, she truly cares about each one of them.
¨I truly care about all of my students and most people in general. If I were to walk by a stranger and they asked or needed clothes, I would give them my last shirt off my back,” Burns said.
Busy Burns
Not only is Burns, teacher and coach, she is in Charge of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), she also teaches Algebra 1, Math Seminar, Probability and Statistics and she is one of the coaches for the girls basketball team at BHS.
How she does it all is quite simple she explains.
“God. He really is the head of my life and he is the only one to give me strength to get through it all and helps me to become more organized to complete all tasks successfully,”Burns said.
She also explains how strong her beliefs are towards God, and how she feels God has helped her through struggles she faced as a child.
Future Goals, Inspirations and Career
Burns was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and grew up in a low income family. The biggest struggles she faced as a child was making sure everything was provided for her and her family such as clothes, food, and education.
Burns attended the University of South Carolina where she was the first in her family to complete college and earn a master’s degree.
USC is also where she met her friend and the coach she would be working with Kristin Claiborne.
Burns later decided to become a math teacher after her professor recommended her for a teaching program.
Burn’s favorite part about teaching and coaching is forming relationships with her players and students. Beyond the court and classroom.
Burns also feels forming a relationship with her students is just as important as their education.
“I love her as a coach, just seeing her first hand, she is intense. I love her intensity, She always wants the best for her players,”Claiborne said.
Claiborne also described how Burns’ coaching has helped to make each player better.
“She’s a really cool teacher, she’s funny and very self expressive,” freshman Alyce Moore said.
“I care about education and wanting each individual to succeed, but at the end of the day having that relationship with them where they can come to you if they are in trouble or just seeing them after they graduate and they are able to tell you how much you impacted their life,” Burns said.
In the next 10 years, Burns plans to go back to school to get a Ph.D. She also plans on being married with children and wants to start her own non-profit organization to help out the less fortunate.
According to Claiborne, Burns is a “go-getter”, she is very energetic, and not afraid to speak her mind.
“Anyone who can look to me for inspiration is my inspiration because I know that I have the ability to mentor them or to teach them or to plant a seed in their lives that can potentially send their lives in a positive direction. That’s what inspires me to want to do well, knowing that I have people looking up to me,” Burns said.
Burns stated the main reason she chose to teach was to see the positive impact she would have on students’ lives.
When Burns is not working, she likes to catch up on sleeping. She also enjoys playing basketball, spending time with her family, and going to church.
Burns is an extremely caring and busy woman. She works her tail off to help other people and keeps a smile on her face through it all.
According to Claiborne, Burns is a great addition to BHS. Not only is she an amazing teacher who provides support to her students, but she also turned the Girl’s Junior Varsity basketball team around.
“You could just see the huge improvement that that JV team had when Ms.Burns started coaching them, it’s just amazing what she was able to accomplish with them,” Claiborne said.
Burns is an inspiration to many.
She is always on her toes and willing to help anyone with their problems. Though at times she is very busy, she still finds time to provide help and support to each and every one of her students and players.
Though she is a loud and expressive teacher, who is not afraid to speak her mind. Burns helps, and inspires many students to do their best inside and outside of school.
