Middle School Teacher Receives Spirit of Laguna Beach Award

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — At the Laguna Beach Unified School District annual welcome back breakfast, the district awarded a Thurston Middle School social studies teacher, Michelle Martinez, as the 2016 Spirit of LBUSD Award recipient.

Since its inception in 2008, the Spirit of LBUSD Award has been presented to a district staff member who exemplifies extraordinary service to others.

“The TOSA position quickly allowed her to shine school-wide and develop as a positive role model for our entire Thurston staff. Her creative, supportive can-do attitude is contagious and respected by all,” said Jenny Salberg, Thurston principal. “Parents love her, students want to be in her class and staff respect her continuing quest for excellence both in and out of the classroom.”

Martinez, according to the LBUSD, is a teacher-leader who has taken initiative to reach out beyond her classroom to provide learning experiences for students.

She was instrumental in earing a $5,000 grant from Cox Communications to invest in curriculum and instructional materials for the forensic/mock trial club project on King Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth. Utilizing those funds, Martinez has been able to invite guest lecturers to share their knowledge with students and inspire them to think about their future careers.

Martinez focuses on incorporating specific projects and activities that require certain skill sets, usually involving STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art/design and mathematics. She is also a 4Cs Learning Environment (4CLE) early adopter, and challenged herself to transform her classroom for 21st century learning.

Martinez taught middle school social studies in Texas for 10 years prior to relocating to California with her husband and three children, Elijiah, Beau and Noelle - all graduates of Laguna Beach High School.

For the past 12 years, Martinez has taught social studies at Thurston for all three grade levels, including English Language Development. She has led a variety of initiatives on campus and within the district including Thinking Maps, Peer Court and MyVote, enriching the experience of all students at Thurston Middle School. Her continued dedication to excellence and her love of learning led her to the teacher on special assignment (TOSA) position last year.

In 2016, Martinez completed her master’s degree in administration while quickly becoming a motivational speaker at middle school and/or STEM conferences in Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Ana and even Hawaii. Her experience leading the forensic/mock trial club for middle school students and her passion for student learning has made her an expert.

For the 2016/17 school year, Martinez was invited by Chief Technology Officer Mike Morrison to become one of the first coaches of the Rocket Ready program. Rocket Ready is a new professional development program for certificated staff that will encourage and empower students to solve real world problems. As a coach, Martinez will help teachers learn new student engagement strategies and 21st century practices to incorporate into their instruction.

Congratulations, Mrs. Martinez!

Photos courtesy of the Laguna Beach Unified School District