That means dressing appropriately, speaking clearly, standing erectly and maintaining eye contact. I m trying to let them know they can be anything they want to be, says Burton. Basically, it s all acting. About 75 percent of the school s students live at the poverty level. Class participation is 20 percent of the grade.
Students practice speaking in public by reading their work out loud.
Burton wants to break students habits such as mumbling words and moving about when they talk. I have to constantly remind them to speak clearly and project, she says. Burton warns her students, You can t be shy when you walk into the real world. People will walk over you. The toughest part is convincing students that it s not okay to type only 30 words a minute or to show up five minutes late for work.