Mr. Martin’s Classroom Edit display name

About my class

I am requesting a series of books that will help me to become a better teacher for my students. When I started my journey of teaching four years ago, it was an eye-opener. I was hired two weeks before the start of the school year. While most of my colleagues had ample time to plan, I did not and was thrown into the fires of the system. I did not waiver at the pursuit of making sure my students received the best education possible. Did everything go perfect? No. Were there failures? Yes. Did students improve? Yes. Then at the end of the school year, the county let go 20% of its staff, including myself. I was in shock. What do I do? Where do I go? Thankfully, I started at a new school and county teaching middle school. I learned so much that year. The approaches to teaching that work in high school don't exactly carry over to middle school. So, collaborating with my colleagues was vital to my success. Although it was the most difficult challenge of my teaching career, I still wanted to teach. I found a new position teaching EL students at the high school level. For the first time, I felt confidence and purpose in my teaching position. The administration helped me to become better and we saw students achieve gains on their testing scores. I want to continue that journey this year. I did not pursue a traditional teaching route. I've held jobs in graphic design, retail, public relations, and telecommunications. The reason that I am requesting these books is to become a better teacher for my students. I've learned so much along the way and I want to continue my love of learning.