Saturday, January 12, 2013

Featured Teacher: Miss Martin



         1. What is your most memorable field trip experience?
I remember when my Junior High took the entire 7th grade class to see The Treasures of the Tzars.  It was a really great experience, but I mostly remember going to the zoo afterward and the whole class being kicked out because some boys were feeding skittles to the animals. We ended up only leaving about 15 minutes early, and instead of my class being punished, they simply cancelled the 7th grade trip in later years.  My class was allowed to go on field trips year after year.  As much as I enjoyed the field trips, I remember thinking that the teachers and administrators had probably not made the best decision in that regard, and wondering how they came to that decision. I was always thinking like a teacher I guess!

         2. What is something you have learned from your time on Teachers Pay Teachers?
I have learned that teachers are even more selfless and supportive than I ever knew! The forums on TPT are just a wealth of helpful information, and I am always amazed how quickly teachers will come to your rescue when you have a question, and how happy they truly are to help!

         3. What book inspired you as a student?
When I was in about 4th grade, my teacher recommended that I read the book The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. I opened it, without expecting much from it at all. At that time in my life, it was exactly what I needed.
 I was blown away by the clever word play and subtle references. I always felt that most books that were geared toward kids my age were somewhat boring and talked down to us. This was one of the first books that I had read that I felt really assumed we were smart!  It really renewed my love of reading, and I still smile every time I think of it.

         4. What is something you would like to see in the future, for education?
I would like to see all college education programs educate every future teacher about special education in a meaningful, effective manner. In every school that I have worked, there has been a slight (and sometimes not so slight) divide between general education teachers and special education teachers. I am not a special education teacher, but I have had years of experience working with special education students, and I know that they too feel that divide. I would love to see one cohesive education program that includes all students equally.
         5. What is something fun about you that teachers don't know about you?
I am an enthusiastic art collector! I especially love supporting and collecting art from local artists. My boyfriend is an artist (ceramics and sculpture) so I have a varied collection of 2D and 3D art. If the artwork involves paper in some way, I almost always gravitate toward it!

         6. What is an achievement, in education or otherwise, that you have accomplished?
I bought my first house at the age of 19 and my second at 26. I paid rent at my first apartment for about 18 months and knew that I was the type of person that needed to know that my money was going toward equity and that someday I would get that money back, with a profit. I am very proud of the decisions that I have made and the feeling of responsibility and control over my life that this has earned me.

         7. What was your first 'Free' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers?  What made you choose that?
My first item was an activity that I call Boggle Your Mind! It is a Boggle game board that is simple to use, but that allows invaluable practice for students in improving their word knowledge and encoding skills.
I chose this activity because I am passionate about the importance of regular word study in the classroom, and this is an activity that I have used time and time again, and have found incredible success with.  I also love how easily this activity lends itself to differentiation amongst students, and I made sure to include tips for differentiating and 30 sample boards for teachers to use. No more worrying if the grid you made has enough words in it, or even worse, that students will find an inappropriate word in it! Once a simple Boggle grid is made, this activity can be done all year without any additional planning or time-consuming prep!

         8. What was your first 'Paid' item that you posted up on Teachers Pay Teachers? What made you choose that?        
The first paid item that I posted, if I remember correctly, was my set of Math Vocab Word Wall Cards.  It is a resource of 76 math vocab terms of varying difficulty, accompanied by visual definitions for the words.  Once the concept is taught, students can use these cards, either in a word wall or other location, as a resource to remembering what that term means.  They can also be used as a visual reference when initially teaching a concept.
I chose this item because it is one that I have shared with fellow teachers at schools I have worked at, and they have always been a hit.  In fact, it was while passing out these cards, that I first heard about TPT! A teacher told me that they looked so professional that I should sell them on TPT!  I went to the site to check it out, loved what I saw, and immediately began posting!

         9.  Your favorite teaching quote is...   
“Fair doesn't mean everyone gets the same thing. Fair means everyone gets what they need."
This quote has essentially dictated the way I teach, and the direction of my educational career, for years.  It is something that I wish every teacher and parent understood.

       10. What is your 'Go To' time filler?          
I wish I had an exciting hobby like mountain climbing or white water rafting, but the truth is, my "go to" time filler has aways been, and probably always will be, creating teaching resources and researching new lesson ideas.  Nothing makes me happier than finding a genius new idea, suggested by another teacher! This is probably the main reason that I am so excited to have found TPT! It literally brings everything that I love together!

 by 

Miss Martin


Math Vocab Word Wall Cards
Math Reference Sheet - Intermediate



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