How’s Your Spanish?

A few years ago, on the last day of school, Martinez pulled into the Sevastopol School parking lot to pick up a student. The principal came out and greeted Martinez, who often worked as a substitute teacher for the school, and asked, “How’s your Spanish?”

The road which brought Martinez to her position as Sevastopol’s ELL teacher has been unconventional – which is often the case for many Door County residents. Born and raised in Green Bay, Martinez has been in Door County “off and on,” as she puts it, for the past 20 years. Her Door County occupations have included owning a store in Egg Harbor for a few years, working for Trio Restaurant, where she met her husband Muaricio, opening and running a restaurant in Egg Harbor, working at St. Joseph School in Sturgeon Bay, and substitute teaching.

Tori Martinez (left) Sevastopol’s ELL teacher helps out Isela (right), one of approximately 40 students that are English Language Learners at the school of 520 students.

Graduating from St. Norbert College with an art degree, Martinez says she has “always worked with kids. I was a camp counselor…involved with Boys & Girls Club.” For a few years she taught on a tiny island on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, near the Dutch Harbor, before returning to Wisconsin. While in Alaska she received her teaching certification from the University of Alaska – Fairbanks.

At the suggestion of the Sevastopol principal, Martinez applied for the position of ELL teacher. “I am close to the Hispanic community. I was comfortable here, so I applied,” she says. “And I love it! I’m by no means fluent in Spanish, but it’s teaching English anyway.”

For the past three years Martinez has been the ELL teacher at Sevastopol. ELL stands for “English Language Learners.” “We use a lot of acronyms in the educational system,” she laughs. Her position covers K – 12 and includes the help of two aides, Naomi Spritka and Sue Spitz. Of the 520 students attending Sevastopol, 7 percent are ELL, which accounts for approximately 40 students. All Sevastopol’s ELL students are Hispanic, “which is not usually the case at the other schools,” she says.

The students’ English levels are “all across the board,” says Martinez. “The majority are born to Spanish-speaking parents, so it’s English here and Spanish at home. A lot of the kids have been here since first grade, other ELL populations in schools have students that are very transient.”

Like many public teachers, Martinez’s position encompasses a host of various undertakings to enhance the education and wellbeing of the students of Sevastopol. She and her aids will attend class with students, help with homework and note taking. They read tests aloud in the ELL room and differentiate for students.

“We don’t dumb it down,” says Martinez. “For example, if there is a list of 25 vocabulary words a student needs to learn and memorize, we will pick 15 to focus on.”

The ELL room is a “resource room, a study hall,” says Martinez. “It serves as a comfort room. There is a camaraderie with the students. We don’t pull kids out of class often, there is a nice balance – it’s not overused as a hideout. The students are feeling more comfortable mingling more.”

Martinez also spends her time “organizing. I work with the guidance counselor. Work with aides.” She organizes trips for students to visit college campus, adding “The statistics for Hispanics attending college is dropping, so we want to expose them to what’s available.”

To further her own education Martinez says, “I’ve taken Spanish immersion courses; attended seminars; I go online to see what other ELL teachers are doing; read relevant books.” Being married to a fluent Spanish-speaker certainly helps as well, and Martinez and her husband are hoping to raise their children, four-year-old Malaya and two-year-old Rio, to be bilingual.

Martinez encourages the public to experience the Hispanic culture as well, saying, “There are so many misconceptions about the Hispanic community. A lot of people, even in Door County, don’t understand or know. They need to find out for themselves before they pass judgment. It’s hard to come from another country, but they do it for their families.”

Martinez believes the school is accepting of the Hispanic community, though, “there are times,” she says. “The Hispanic community is behind the scenes, working tons of jobs. The first thing many students want to know is where to get a job.”

“What’s positive about ELL is the good communication with the families,” Martinez says, referring back to her position. As far as future goals, “I want to improve my Spanish,” she says, adding, “I want to help content area teachers; give them a toolbox to work with ELL students. I want to try to give classroom teachers more confidence. I want to learn as best I can and pass it on to classroom teachers.”

Martinez says ELL students’ grades do not suffer as a result of the potential language barriers, saying “They are diligent, hard-working, wanting to learn.”

As far as extracurricular activities, “Some are in soccer and we just started a Multicultural Club, where we learn about all kinds of cultures. It’s open to everyone.”

As stated earlier, Martinez works to educate and enhance the wellbeing of not only her students, but also her colleagues, her community, and her family.

To learn more about the ELL program at Sevastopol, visit http://www.sevastopol.k12.wi.us.