Sherri Buford '06: Going Above and Beyond for the Students She Loves

Author: Kristin Krebs '93

Sherri Buford ’06, a third grade teacher at Westwood Elementary in Warrensville Heights, has not let the challenges that COVID has presented teachers stop her from bringing a quality learning experience to her students. Sherri’s ability to adapt and be flexible with her class earned her the recognition as one of Cleveland’s Hometown Heroes this past September.

Sherri began the year by visiting each of her students’ homes to introduce herself. As she explained, “This year I need parental support more than ever. Teachers and parents are on the same team and the scholar is the star.”

Extending grace and being patient has also been essential. She made herself more available to her students and their families. It was important to her to build a foundation based on trust. “Relationships are important,” she says.

Throughout her 11-year teaching career, Sherri has gone above and beyond in the classroom. “I’m a teacher, and I love what I do. I love where I work. I love who I work with, and most importantly I love the kids.”

Sherri can’t wait for COVID to end so that she can resume normal and personal touches. She feels like she owes it to her students to show them mentors who they can look up to so that they can grow up to be successful. She hopes that she can inspire one of her students to maybe grow up and be an educator one day.

Her love of teaching began at an early age. She remembers always wanting to be a teacher and playing school as a young child. Growing up, her mother was perhaps her greatest mentor as she was a teacher herself. Sherri saw firsthand how much her mother left a mark on her students. Sherri hopes to continue making an impact on her students’ lives, just like her mom.

As a student, Sherri admired many of her teachers from kindergarten through high school. While at Beaumont, Ms. Bihuniak and Sister Ann Wojnar were a few of her favorites. “Beaumont helped me to be a leader! Teachers are leaders. We have the power to change people’s lives.” Sherri claims that her time at Beaumont helped her find her voice and grow in confidence.

“Ms. Bihuniak was outstanding. She pushed me to be a creative thinker and had a powerful impact on my desire to pursue teaching.” She learned typing from Sister Ann, not knowing it would be such a pivotal skill that she uses daily. She credits her side passion of photography to what she learned from Ms. Hudak in the Art Department. “I am hired by my friends today to take pictures for them, and all of my experience is from what I learned at Beaumont.”

Her time at Beaumont helped her find her voice and grow in confidence. She offers this advice to current Beaumont students: “Enjoy your four years. Take advantage of all of the opportunities that you have at Beaumont and do as much as you can.” Sherri notes that she still has best friends from Beaumont whom she talks to regularly, and she wants students to remember, post-graduation, that “the Beaumont community is powerful and important.

Original Article: https://www.beaumontschool.org/news/2021/04/15/beaumont-news-winterspring-2021-frontline-heroes-living-dynamic-adaptability