PaliHi English Teacher Steve Klima Wins Petrick Award

In a classroom at Palisades Charter High School, English teacher Steve Klima madly scribbled ideas on the whiteboard as his students excitedly shared their analysis of a speech given by American abolitionist Wendell Phillips. ‘He is really clear in what he teaches,’ said junior Taylor Savage, who sat in the front row and often raised his hand to participate in the discussion. Klima, who teaches Advanced Placement English and creative writing, will be honored for his ability to explain literature to students. He and four other teachers will receive the Palisades Charter Schools Foundation’s Lori Petrick Excellence in Education Award on May 18 during an afternoon ceremony at a local residence. He is delighted to receive the honor, given annually to teachers for their success in the classroom, but said, ‘The people whose opinions matter most to me are my students.’ Since Klima came to the high school 14 years ago, his students have enjoyed his teaching style. For 10 years straight, the graduating class has voted Klima as one of the ‘Most Inspirational Teachers.’ He also serves as the student-elected representative on PaliHi’s board of directors. ‘He is easygoing, and he makes students feel comfortable,’ said junior Gabriella Baharvar as she packed up her books at the end of AP English class. Baharvar said she’s confident she will pass the AP exam because the majority of Klima’s students perform well. ‘He knows what he is talking about,’ she said. The national passing rate for the AP English Language and Composition Exam in 2007 was 59 percent. Eighty-two percent of Klima’s students passed. Klima decided to become an English teacher because he always had a passion for reading and his teachers at Loyola High School inspired him. ‘I wanted to open up other students’ eyes to literature the same way these teachers opened it up for me,’ said Klima, who majored in English at Loyola Marymount University. He worked for four years at three other Los Angeles schools before coming to Palisades High. As in a traditional college course, Klima lectures and assigns essays. ‘My students often tell me ‘Your class really prepared me for college,” he said. To help students comprehend the context of a book, Klima incorporates history of the period when the book was written. For ‘The Great Gatsby,’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he talks about the social changes in the Roaring ’20s. He also gives students information about the author’s background because writers are often influenced by their cultural heritage and environment. He asks students: ‘Based on your background, how does that make you who you are?’ Klima encourages students to think for themselves rather than memorize textbooks or lectures. If students ask him a question, he follows up with a question until they have answered their own inquiry. He also wants students to analyze their morals. After they read Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ he asks them to share their views about monogamy. ‘I like to find out what they think,’ Klima said. ‘I’m very neutral. I try to maintain a neutral environment.’ Among his students, Klima has a reputation for his storytelling. ‘He tells great stories that relate to the material,’ Savage said. ‘My stories are usually spur of the moment –a topic we’re discussing in class will spark a memory,’ Klima said. One story that Klima does tell regularly teaches students the importance of using imagery to convey emotions rather than simply telling readers. Klima recounts the scene at a funeral when his friend’s mother peered into the casket at her husband. ‘She filled the entire room with her tears. I had never heard so much pain in someone’s crying.’ He also likes to talk about the experiences he has had with his wife, Jean, and two sons Vincent, 6, and Peter, 4. ‘Sometimes when a student does an impression of me, they’ll start out ‘You know, I was with my kids the other day and ” or ‘My wife and I were at the store the other day”’ Klima, however, thinks it’s important to share how a certain character, novel, play or poem pertains to his life. His students often relate to characters more than their friends and family. ‘Teens are at a point in their lives when they are trying to figure out who they are and where they are going,’ Klima said. ‘At the same time, they tend to alienate themselves from those close to them, so they can often relate to someone in a novel.’ When students make that connection with literature, Klima finds his job rewarding. ‘I am extremely happy because I’m doing something I love,’ he said.