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Saturday, January 24, 1998Name: Geri Martin
Position: Makaha Elementary 6th-grade teacher
Age: 37
Education: University of Hawaii
Pastimes: Volunteer, pursuing continued education
One day at Makaha Elementary, a sixth-grade boy made an obscene slur against a girl's mother. Geri Martin decided to take the boy on a special field trip. Going the extra mile, literally
With parental permission, Martin introduced the boy to the girl's parents. "He was filled with remorse," Martin said gently.
The boy told Martin he had said that slur many times in the past, but had gotten away with it. After meeting the real person affected, he vowed never to do it again.
"School is so much more than the books. It's about life," Martin said. "I help the kids see from another point of view, why it's important to be honest, to have integrity, and how to handle difficult situations."
Martin was among the teachers winning the 1997 Sallie Mae Award, given to the nation's best first-year teachers. She tries to teach the whole student -- for instance, making three to four house calls a week, the most Principal Ed Oshiro has seen.
"She's one of those teachers who gets the message to the parents," he said. "She goes the extra mile."
Many of Martin's students are latch-key kids or live in extended families, she said. "I try to fill the void. I make myself visible to the parents because some feel they can't come to school."
Martin, who grew up in Waianae, found her calling while working as a substitute teacher, and returned to the UH at age 32 for her teaching degree. "I find the kids so real," she said. "They opened my eyes to appreciate education."
By Lori Tighe, Star-Bulletin
