¿Tú Conoces a Sr. Burr? Spanish teacher lives compelling life beyond campus
Manteca High Spanish teacher Chris Burr works through a sentence frame with his students on the monitor at the head of the class. (Hanna Palacio/The Tower)
By ADDISON JACKSON
The Tower
Spanish teacher Chris Burr lives a life defined by fitness, travel, and mindfulness.
While most drive a car to work, you can spot Burr on the streets of Manteca, taking in the miles and morning moments on his bike.
“It keeps me active and humble and challenged,” Burr said of his morning commute. “It teaches me discipline. It teaches me to not take myself so seriously.”
To maintain good health, Burr challenges himself every day with a distinctive workout routine consisting of hundreds of pushups and yoga to decompress.
Burr focuses on keeping a positive attitude every day. He is intentional with his time and devotes energy toward producing new experiences and connections with a thoughtful outlook on life.
Striving to live every day with a purpose, Burr appreciates all the details found everywhere.
“I love things that can be lived in the moment and don’t always collect dust,” he said.
Burr carries his cherished moments with him through his identity and how he communicates with other people. He could be anywhere in the world and is always interested in evolving and trying new things. Through his travels to countries, such as Spain, Argentina, Japan, Southeast Asia and Korea, he’s collected new experiences and insight on different ways of life around the globe.
Manteca High Spanish teacher Chris Burr shares a smile with his students while working through a sentence frame in his classroom. (Hanna Palacio/The Tower)
Angie Anaya, an interior design and fashion teacher on campus, describes Burr as an incredible teacher who understands the importance of learning about the cultural backgrounds of Spanish speaking countries.
“Sr. Burr is curious, constantly learning and consistently kind with a strong value to fairness and equality,” Anaya said, “and he is a really good dancer.”
The Tower sat down with Burr to discuss his background with the Spanish culture and his life away from teaching.
THE TOWER: What made you want to become so involved in the Spanish culture and language?
CHRIS BURR: I went to an elementary school that was predominantly Latino and so at a young age I was just immersed in Spanish language and cultural practices. … I remember one friend in particular, Luis Cortez. He came straight from Mexico in first grade, and he sat next to me, and he didn’t speak any English and Mr. B put him next to me and wanted me to help him get used to the class. … It was the first time I realized there is a place beyond just Paso Robles, California.
TT: Was traveling and backpacking around the world challenging?
CB: It’s a lot of fun. The older you get it sounds like less of a good idea; it’s a little more challenging. There's something beautiful about having everything in a backpack. … It was the best thing because you meet other travelers who are like-minded and people who are there to really learn culture and socialize with all aspects of culture.
TT: I hear you’re a good cook, how has that become a part of your life?
CB: I grew up in a way that forced me to learn to cook. … My parents, rather than do things for me, gave me the resources and they’d teach me but had me figure it out myself. … We didn’t have a lot of fancy things; we grew up simply and humbly but one thing my family always had was food. … I love cooking.
TT: As you said, you live simply. I feel like you’ve kind of strayed away from the norm of consumerism and everything that everyone else is doing. Can you tell me about that?
CB: It’s not always like a mindfulness or an intentionality, like I’m going to avoid consuming things, but really, I try to live for and through experiences more and connections with other people and do things instead of purchasing and accumulating things.
TT: What is the most important thing you’ve learned from teaching highschoolers?
CB: To always remember what connects us. Remember at the end of the day, I’m human. Everyone’s a human being, and it’s my job amongst highschoolers to try to guide and structure and give organization and give meaningful learning experiences to them.