“Many people underestimate kindergarteners, but it’s amazing what five and six-year-olds can do when you put them to the challenge and give them the tools they need to do things independently. One of my class mottos every year is ‘we can do tricky things,’” shared Kaitlyn Martin, of Magnolia Elementary.
Ms. Martin graduated from Spring Hill College with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 2019 and has been teaching ever since. She is very passionate about learning and growing and is excited to pursue her Master’s degree one day.
“This school year will be my sixth year of teaching. I taught First Grade for two years before moving to kindergarten,” she explained. “My first year of teaching was in a Zoom classroom, which was an interesting but positive experience. It helped me learn to establish meaningful relationships with both my students and their families, as well as how to adapt to special circumstances.”
Ms. Martin knew that from a young age, she wanted to become a teacher and shared that many of her elementary teachers played a significant role in confirming that calling.
“I could go on and on with a list of people who inspired me, and why, but the thing that they all had in common was their passion for people,” Ms. Martin shared. “Teaching is a career in which you get to help shape the future generations as well as make your mark in your community! You can directly impact those around you by helping grow confident, kind, capable students! There is nothing more powerful than your ability to shape a child, and I do not take that for granted.”
Ms. Martin works very hard, beginning in July, to make sure both her physical classroom and her year planning are ready to usher in a new school year. A lot of thought and intentionality go into preparing a student and their family for the first year of school. She explained that many students in her classroom have not been in a school setting before, so the whole experience needs to be positive for both students and parents. She also works diligently to create engaging classroom experiences.
“I make sure to build movement into my instruction intentionally because the littles need to move quite a bit,” shared Ms. Martin. “One of my favorite games from this past year was Boom, Snap, Snatch, where students are partnered up and have to combine movement, listening skills, and academic content we’ve learned to succeed in the game! It was a big hit in our classroom!”
Kaitlyn Martin is a Baldwin County Native and loves teaching in the community she grew up in. She has a three-year-old son, Chance, whom she loves immensely. In her free time, she enjoys reading on her Kindle, listening to music and podcasts, and, more recently, she has been trying her best to start a small vegetable garden.
