For 36 years, Mike Martel has been a teacher — almost all of them in the Lewiston school system. Sometimes he’s taught kids. Sometimes other teachers.
Always, he’s loved creating that “ah-ha” moment.
Name: Mike Martel
Age: It’s a closely guarded secret.
Town: Lewiston
Job: This year, I will be teaching sixth grade for the first time. I have never taught that grade level and it was on my bucket list. In addition, I am the chairperson of the (Lewiston) Certification Steering Committee, which helps all teachers with the initial licensure and ongoing renewal process. I am also very proud to say that I just completed the work necessary to become a master teacher. In short, I am a busy guy!
What got you interested in teaching? I got interested in teaching after first going to college with an English major, but quickly realized all my friends in elementary education seemed to be doing things and learning things that I was interested in, so I quickly changed majors and I have never looked back. I definitely found my niche in elementary education.
Do you remember your very first day in front of the classroom? I was scared to death that my little second-graders would know more than me and ask me questions that I did not know the answers to. I also remember spending inordinate amounts of time creating fancy bulletin boards and decorating my class, but kind of forgetting to write meaningful lesson plans and learning the curriculum. Times have sure changed.
Any similarities between teaching kids and coaching adults? Basically, everyone, no matter what your role or age, wants to do the best job they can.
What’s the secret to being a great teacher? I don’t think that there is a secret to being a good teacher, but having lots of energy, drive, conscientiousness, compassion and determination help. Also, being willing to recognize kids’ similarities and differences and build lessons around that will net a successful outcome. Lastly, I think having a sense of humor is a must!
Best part about teaching? Watching the changes that take place throughout the learning process. The moment when the struggling student says “ah ha” is great! It is truly fun to watch the progression of the kids from September through June, both academically and emotionally as they grow and mature.
Most challenging part? The last thing I want to sound like is Pollyanna! Teaching is tough and challenging. The demands and initiatives, lesson planning, grading, understanding Common Core and proficiency-based outcomes, professional development . . . the list goes on and on, but if you find the right balance for you, it really is a very rewarding career.
After 36 years, ever consider retiring? I get asked about retiring all the time, because anyone with this many years in is kind of considered one of the “elder statesman.” Chronologically, retirement is not an option just yet so I don’t spend too much time thinking about it, but sure, it sounds great and I hope to get there sometime in the not-too-distant future.
Who was your favorite teacher and why? When asked if I had a favorite teacher over the years I was really stumped. I actually had so many favorites that picking one is hard because I liked so many of them for so many different reasons. I was a very shy kid who always wanted to sit behind the kid with the biggest, broadest shoulders to kind of be invisible. I guess my favorite teachers were the ones who recognized that about me and worked with me to gradually get me to feel comfortable and go at my own pace. That really helped build confidence in me. I try and remember that with all my students.
Your best lesson ever: My best lessons ever were probably the ones that didn’t go as planned. They were the ones that the kids probably learned the most from because they were not “cookie-cutter” lessons from a textbook, and the kids and their questions and responses really took the lesson in totally new directions. They were the lessons I really had fun with.
Is it hard returning to school at the end of the summer? It is always hard returning to work following a vacation, but I am really looking forward to this new challenge. I have been out of classroom coaching for three years, so that excitement/nervous energy is back. Setting up my classroom has been a blast. Reuniting with my hard-working colleagues and meeting my kids for the first time is an adrenaline rush. NO two days are ever the same in teaching. You usually come in early, leave late, work nights and weekends, but there is joy and satisfaction with what we do, and I suppose that is what keeps most of us doing it for decades.
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