Schools
NUSD: 8.12.2021 Loma Verde Teacher Names Marin County Teacher Of The Year
Mr. Martin is an experienced educator entering his 10th year as a kindergarten teacher at Loma Verde Elementary School. He believes that ...
lbenjamin
August 12th, 2021
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8.12.2021 Loma Verde Teacher Names Marin County Teacher of the Year
Loma Verde Teacher is Named Marin County Teacher of the Year
The Novato Unified School District is pleased to announce that Tom Martin was named as the 2022 Marin County Teacher of the Year at an all staff back to school event on August 12, 2021.
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Mr. Martin is an experienced educator entering his 10th year as a kindergarten teacher at Loma Verde Elementary School. He believes that social emotional wellbeing and community must be in place for each child for optimal learning to occur. He creates classroom environments where students laugh and learn; students feel included and actively participate in learning. He is devoted to the students ensuring that they have a voice and understand that school is a safe place to learn.
Mr. Martin left the world of accounting and finance to pursue the role of educator – a decision he broadly smiles upon in reflection. He began his career in education working with kindergarten age students and hasn’t left. The responsibility of helping to shape the minds of our youngest students to become lifelong learners and the best citizens they can become is something that guides him each day. Tom said that his “philosophy in teaching includes meeting students where they are when they arrive, teach them that they matter, that they have someone who believes in them and to believe in themselves, and teaching them to love to learn.”
Jan LaTorre-Derby, Interim Superintendent for Novato Unified School District, noted that NUSD “could not have been more fortunate to have Tom join the team at Loma Verde Elementary School.”
Since his first years in the classroom, Mr. Martin has been a positive, student-centered educator who has made a lasting impact on the lives of hundreds of students. He has established himself as a skillful, confident, and student-centered instructional leader among his colleagues. Tehniat Cheema, principal of Loma Verde echoed this sentiment, adding, “Tom is an exceptional teacher and indispensable member of our school
community, committed to examining systems and to change, adapt and improve his own practice as well as educational systems at large to increase positive outcomes for students.”
The Marin County Office of Education has submitted Mr. Martin’s nomination for consideration at the State level.
The Teacher of the Year program annually recognizes those teachers that are deemed exemplary, demonstrate leadership, innovation, and contributions to education. The Marin County Teacher of the Year formal recognition will take place at the annual Golden Bell Awards ceremony which is scheduled for May 2022.
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Novato Unified School District
1015 7th Street
Novato, CA 94945
This press release was produced by the Novato Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
