Meet Mrs. Martinez
"In order to teach children effectively, you have to keep their welfare in the
forefront. You have to rid yourselves of the mistaken idea that all learning must
be fun. Learning requires hard work and perseverance. The fun, or joy, comes from
having learned how to do something and then being able to do it again independently."
-Elizabeth Crosby Stull
Hi and welcome to our fifth grade website. My name is Shannon Martinez and I am one of two math and science teachers at Oak Crest Elementary. I am 24 years old and just celebrated my two year wedding anniversary in June. I graduated from Northeastern State University in May of 2007 and will be participating in my first year of teaching this fall.
I have two loves in my life. My husband Stephen and my Yorkshire terrier Kal. I am very blessed to have found true love. My husband Stephen served in the United States Army for two years as an Airborne infantryman before being medically discharged last fall. Yes students! That means he used to jump out of airplanes. Needless to say I am a huge supporter of the military. We were able to live in Vicenza,Italy for two years during his service and returned to the states in November of 2006.
Before that, I was born and raised in Broken Arrow. I attended Broken Arrow Schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade and graduated in May 2002. You might also be pleased to know that I used to play basketball for Broken Arrow High School. In addition, my grandfather, Clarence G. Oliver Jr., was once a superintendent for Broken Arrow Schools and is also the individual whose name covers the south side of Oliver Middle School. Therefore, I have some history in Broken Arrow.
As an educator it is my desire to see students suceed. It is also a personal goal of mine to teach students how to love learning and pursue it for the remainder of their adult lives. When a child takes control of his or her own learning he or she becomes more independent, free to take risks and make personal choices. I want the students in my classroom to realize that they can accomplish anything they dream of whether it seems possible or not. It is my desire that every student feels valued because we all need to remember that each child is a future leader of tomorrow.
Welcome to the new year.
Learn about my interests
My interests include spending time with my family, traveling, going to the movies, playing basketball, camping, reading, cooking, and of course teaching. I enjoy preparing fun acitivies for my students and I love to learn new things. Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I also enjoy riding on the back of my husband's motorcycle. It's important to be safe though, so I always wear a helmet.
More about me - some of my favorites:
- Taking photographs
- Dancing
- Studying world cultures
- Sitting in a coffee shop while reading a good book
- Journaling
- Playing board games
- Spending time with my family
- Watching American Idol