Elizabeth Martinez to be recognized by students, staff, and community at school ceremony on Friday, March 11
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| Elizabeth Martinez with the NABE Bilingual Educator of the Year Award |
March 9, 2011 – Longtime Lantrip Elementary School teacher Elizabeth Martinez has been named as the 2011 National Bilingual Teacher of the Year by NABE, the National Association of Bilingual Educators. Current and former HISD students and staff will congratulate Martinez at a ceremony on Friday, March 11, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Lantrip (100 Telephone, 70023).
Martinez, who has taught first grade for 30 years at Lantrip, received the award earlier this month at NABE's National Conference in New Orleans. The award is the culmination of a year-long process in which Ms. Martinez was nominated first by the school, then by the district, and lastly by the state to be recognized among educators from all over the country who were also being considered for the honor.
An HISD graduate herself, Martinez was born in Mexico and was raised by her grandparents, who were illiterate. As a young girl she felt the call to become a teacher when she would come home each day after school and share what she had learned with her grandparents by teaching them how to read and write. At age 16, she immigrated to the United States and went on to graduate in the top five percent of her class and pursue a college education at the University of Houston.
By dedicating her teaching career at one school for 30 years, Martinez has over time come to teach her own student’s children and has witnessed the change and growth in the neighborhood surrounding Lantrip and in its families. She also has worked with countless teachers over the years as a faculty advisor and mentor supervising teacher.
“Elizabeth’s commitment to inner-city Houston is exemplified not only by her passion and dedication in reaching all her students, but by her constant involvement in volunteer and charity work in the community including teaching classes in ESL, literacy, and citizenship for parents,” said Sam Sarabia, HISD’s Chief Elementary School Officer.
Martinez says she is honored to receive recognition for what she truly loves to do, however, the most meaningful reward of all is found in the triumphs and achievements of her students. “Seeing the smiles of my students when they realize they have learned something new or when I have former students and parents come back to visit and share with me their academic successes is what truly motivates me. My passion for teaching is just as vibrant as it was on my first day teaching in the classroom.”
Read more on the Houston Chronicle's School Zone Blog!
Read more on the Houston Chronicle's School Zone Blog!
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| Ms. Martinez, pictured with her first class in 1981 |
