Name: Sinhidia Martinez
School: Fairwood Elementary
Department, Grade: ESL Teacher K/1
Hometown: Santa Barbara, Guanajuato, Mexico
Favorite book: Too many to pick one, but Mango, Abuela, and Me is such a relatable story.
Favorite season: Fall
Favorite Hobby: Searching for the best tacos around!
Favorite emoji: 😜
At Fairwood Elementary, the mission statement is “Together, Positively Impacting Learning and Life.” Sinhidia Martinez knew she wanted to make an impact as an educator when she was a teenager. When asked what inspired her to begin teaching, Sinhidia credits her high school English teacher for introducing her to Teacher’s Academy, an academic course designed to attract students to the field of education.
“My high school English teacher suggested I try out Teacher’s Academy during my sophomore year. I did, and immediately saw myself in this profession,” Sinhidia said.
Sinhidia leveraged her classroom training and hands-on experiences from the high school course to pursue English as a Second Language (ESL) certification. Currently, she is working to obtain International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE) certification. As the ESL population in the Hamilton City Schools district continues to grow, Sinhidia wants students and parents to know that she believes in them, and all they have to offer their community.
“I want to help our Latino families in our district feel supported and connected, no matter the language they speak.”
Sinhidia describes her teaching style today as interactive, supportive, structured, and caring- all of which are critical attributes for instructing kindergartners and first graders at Fairwood Elementary. If Sinhidia could offer any advice to new teachers coming into the district, she would tell them “Don’t hesitate to reach out to your teacher friends, building coaches, and administration for help. We are all here for you, we want to see you succeed. I know you can do this but you don’t have to do it alone. Teaching is hard, but so rewarding!”