Jodi Martin started her teaching journey by attending the University of Vermont for four years to get her bachelor’s degree in English. She then went to Trinity college of Vermont for another four years,  where she received her bachelor’s degree in secondary education. After all of that, she attended Southern New Hampshire University for two years where she was awarded her master’s degree in education.

Ms.Martin is currently in a two year program to get a Special Education Endorsement on her teaching license.

Martin got inspired to get into special education through an experience at a boarding school. “The first school I worked at was an independent boarding school for students with learning disabilities and that’s where I met Jean Foss who taught me the Orton-Gillingham Approach,” Ms.Martin said “Jean Foss taught me everything I know and use to help kids succeed.”

Aaliyah Samuel is a student that currently works with Jodi Martin on reading and spelling. When asked, “how does working with Ms.Martin help you succeed as a student?” She stated that Ms.Martin has helped her alot with her organization skills, making sure that she turns school work in on time, and has taught lots of skills that she uses everyday while reading. Commonground asked, “what are some of the skills she has taught you for reading?” 

“One of the skills she taught me was to break up words that I don’t know into smaller chunks and then piece them all back together after I figure out how to read each chunk,” said Samuel

When Commonground asked Ms.Martin what some of the common problems she deals with on a daily basis are, she said that every kid that she works with has trouble with reading and/or spelling and she is required to provide special instruction to fill in the gaps. Many kids will come in when it is time to meet with her and ask for help with homework, projects, and studying for tests. So that leaves Ms.Martin with the struggle of balancing helping with school work and helping them get better at reading and/or spelling.

Jodi talked a lot about the impact that Pine Ridge School (the first school she worked at) and Jean Foss had on her life. Jean Foss was the director of education at Pine Ridge school and Martin’s mentor. 

“I always used Jean Foss as the example of the type of teacher I hope I can even come close to being.” 

When Jean Foss retired, the headmaster (principal), talked to Jean Foss about who she thought would be the right person to replace her. They picked Martin. When the headmaster told her about their decision she was filled with so much self doubt.

“All I could think was no way, not me I’m nowhere near smart enough to do what Jean Foss does,” said Martin

Martin decided to just go for it. “I decided to trust the people who picked me, if they thought I could do the job, I would do it.”

She became the education director.

“I think this is a good message for my students because they come to me with so much self doubt and I help them to become more confident in themselves just like how I had so much self doubt and Jean Foss made me believe in myself.” Said Martin.

“Sometimes you doubt yourself and you need someone to show you what you are capable of. That is what I aspire to everyday- showing my students what they are capable of.”