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"Since becoming my instructional coach, Jenna has challenged me to provide my students rigor and make the work they do have relevance to their daily life. For years even though I had experience with the curriculum, I avoided certain rigorous activities. She supported me with the encouragement to try new avenues for example: getting over my avodiance of the Fishbowl Socratic Seminar and taking on Generation Citizen Action Civics in my classroom. I appreciate her relevant feedback and pushback to check and see if I am meeting my goals in lesson planning. I value her advocacy for the teacher she coaches, and the students we educate. She is a person I trust and appreciate having her to go to when I plan, because I know not all have the luxury of a resource like herself."

--Ryan Rost, M.Ed. Teacher, Academy 7th Grade Pre-AP Texas History

I first met Jenna Martin 15 years ago when I first started at Kealing Middle School. We were both relatively new history teachers trying to navigate through all the issues new teachers face. Ms. Martin was not only one of the most organized people I’d ever met, but she also had a knack for making social studies activities fun and entertaining by always figuring out the best way to engage her students. I immediately respected her work ethic and sense of pride while teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies (and also finding the time to be an awesome mother to 4 kids).

While Ms. Martin has accomplished much as a teacher, I was most impressed at her ability to step into a leadership role when needed. In 2011, Kealing’s magnet director retired and we were hiring a new principal. We hired a new director, but she was a first time administrator without a lot of experience. For the 2011-2012 school year, Ms. Martin voluntarily gave up teaching her classes and agreed to be a curriculum coordinator assisting the new director. That year, Ms. Martin performed many of the duties of the magnet director without recognition or compensation. She took charge of recruiting visits to AISD elementary schools and helped completely redesign the advisory curriculum. She tirelessly advocated for Kealing students and teachers.

Since 2012, Ms. Martin has continued to teach elective classes and also perform her duties as a curriculum coordinator. This school year, Kealing hired 3 new Texas history teachers. As new teachers, they needed guidance in planning lessons and improving classroom management. Naturally, the principal turned to Ms. Martin again to step in and take the lead. She has single handedly written curriculum for the 7th grade team while also teaching her own classes and still performing the duties of a curriculum coordinator.

Sadly, these descriptions don’t come close to accurately describing the traits that make Jenna an amazing person and teacher. She is someone that I’ve always looked up to as a colleague and respected as a leader.

--Will Shoaf, M.Ed., 6th Grade World Cultures Teacher

"Jenna Martin's style of teaching history is one which forces students to look at the multifaceted stories that compose history, introducing different narratives of historical events which make students think critically about why certain dominant stories are reproduced and others are not. Additionally, she makes history accessible to students through interactive activities in the class. One of my fondest memories is participating in several mock trials that were held about various historical events. In one such trial we discussed the idea of free speech by replaying the trial of Tinker v. Des Moines. This not only helped students learn about the intricate functioning of the courts system in America, but also encouraged us to formulate our own opinions through independent research about what free speech should be. Overall, she is a brilliant teacher who is always full of enthusiasm: excited about learning and always up for the challenge of answering any questions her students might have."

--Kalayani Allums, former student

"Ms. Martin's strength is the breadth of her vision and her ability to make that vision come to fruition. She inspires and envisions change on a large scale (department wide, curriculum over a whole year, or shifts in methodology for example) but also helps to enact it on a smaller scale in each classroom. She provides the support, structure, and guidance for teachers to make large scale changes in their classrooms without it feeling like an overwhelming task. She also has an impressive knowledge of diverse, effective, and engaging strategies to use in the classroom. Student learning is at the forefront of her teaching, coaching, and coordinating, and she does those with seldom matched passion and devotion."

--Cara Crouch, 6th Grade Social Studies

"I hated history. It was a class that was dreadfully boring and presented in a way that was impossible for a young student to understand. And then Mrs. Jenna Martin quickly changed my mind. Her class was always something I could look forward to. As a student who struggled with attention issues, her class was perfectly designed to keep me on task with multimedia learning, hands-on group assignments and opportunities for creativity every day. As a freshman in university, I still compare my social studies classes to her eighth grade American history course. She cares about her students in such a way that one feels immediately comfortable once stepping into her classroom. She taught me to never doubt my capabilities in academia and beyond, but to welcome challenges as they come. Without Mrs. Martin, I wouldn't have realized that I belong in the field of social studies. I am now studying global security and government and thank her for being such a positive female influence when I needed one the most."

-Savannah Riddles, former student