Making A Difference

John Becker, Class of 1987

Although John Becker, ‘87, didn’t walk a traditional path into the teaching profession, he is working at making a difference in the lives of students at Detroit’s Burton International School. After graduation from De La Salle, John joined the U.S. Navy, planning to take advantage of the GI Bill. But two years later, his father suddenly died, and John asked to be relocated to Detroit, to help his mother and younger brother, Rob, then 12 (Rob graduated in the Class of 1995). Ten days after his honorable discharge in 1990, while helping a friend with a flat tire, John was hit by a car. His left leg was amputated from the knee down, and he had to adjust to life with a prosthesis. Life had thrown him several lemons. So, he threw them back. For a few years, he worked at a variety of jobs, did some tutoring, and had thoughts of pursuing engineering. A summer camp job with the Grosse Pointe Schools and then working in the after school latchkey program made him consider education. “I enjoyed working with the kids, so I decided to earn my teaching degree.” After graduating in 2000 from Wayne State University, John began teaching in elementary schools in the Detroit Public School System. He is currently at the Burton International School, in the midtown area, where he teaches fourth and fifth grade math. “I was born in Detroit. I went to college

in Detroit. I play in the city, so it only feels right that I work there, too. “I still get excited for work every day. I teach as if my hair is on fire because if I’m not engaging my students, they are quick to lose interest. I’m proud to have a high level of ‘withitness’ which allows me to connect with my students and I try to make learning fun. “I pattern myself after some of my favorite teachers that I was blessed with throughout my days at De La Salle, and before that at St. Peter’s in Harper Woods. Teaching doesn’t get easier with time, not if you’re doing it right. Instead, you’re always striving to do better, to improve your craft, and facilitate as much student achievement as possible.” Despite the socio-economic challenges of the neighborhood, Burton is highly rated. John says, “There are challenges in teaching everywhere, whether you’re in the suburbs or you’re in Detroit.”“I’m at one of the better buildings, although the building has had some problems. There are some rodents; I think all big buildings in Detroit have a rodent issue. It’s hard not to. We had some leaky sewage pipes not fixed in a timely manner. The great news is that a lot of the challenges have been addressed recently. “I feel like I am making a difference. I’ve had students who have gone on to be successful and come back and thank me. That makes me feel good. I’m in for the long haul. There’s a lot of uncertainty in Detroit. It can feel like the Titanic, but I haven’t jumped ship. I’m willing to stick with it.”