Labor of love
Martin named Alma Teacher of Year
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
Sara Martin isn’t unlike a lot of teachers who were touched by a teacher long before they signed on to take their teacher praxis test.
Martin is reaping the fruits of her labor and love of teaching by being named the Alma School District Teacher of the Year for 2022-23.
“I had a fourth and fifth-grade teacher (Danielle Mille) that looped with me and she was just really inspiring to get everyone involved,” Martin said. “From there, I think I just developed a love for it. I started helping in the resource classroom with students with disabilities. During recess, instead of going outside, I would go in there, and I just think my passion grew as I got older.”
A Fort Smith Southside graduate, Martin interned at Alma and never left. This academic year was her 14th. Being named ‘Teacher of the Year’ is something she shares with her co-workers.
“I keep telling people I wouldn’t be in this position without them,” Martin said. “As a school, it just shows how much we’re moving toward helping students be the best students they can be. I’m excited for all of us to continue to grow and become the best we can be.”
“She's an amazing talent and an amazing teacher,” Alma Superintendent Dr. Bryan Duffie said. “She goes above and beyond for kids and helps the school out, too. She willingly serves in leadership roles. She has initiative and motivation.”
Three years ago, Martin approached Alma Middle School Principal Bob Wolfe with the idea of a math and literacy program to help kids prepare better for high school.
“Their support for the bridge program that we created at the middle school means a lot,” Martin said. “They were a hundred percent behind me to help with anything I need or encourage me or welcome my students to do their best.”
What is the bridge program?
“Instead of being in a partially self-contained setting, where they were tested on the alternate assessment, these students have less severe disabilities, so they’re tested on the ACT Aspire,” Martin said. “Those students are bridging from the self-contain classroom to the co-taught classroom. So, before they get to the co-taught classroom they’re in the bridge classroom, where they receive more direct instruction - that’s for math and literacy, and the rest of the day they’re with their general education classes.”
“It’s huge for those kids,” Wolfe said. “They’ve made such strides. That was her idea She was like, ‘I’m worried about these kids … the state’s making us do this and we have to be ready. We can’t just show up and say, ‘Good luck.’ She was like, ‘OK, here’s my idea.’
“It takes a teacher like that with that type of commitment to make it work.”