Over the past 17 years, Sarah King and Robin Martineau, the current 5th and 6th-grade teachers, have built strong and lasting relationships with each other, students, staff, and community members.
King shared, “We are not in a competition with each other, because we both are just comfortable with each other; we know who we are. I don’t try to be her, and she doesn’t try to be me, and that’s what makes us a nice teaching combination.” When speaking with King and Martineau, it became clear that often, both would finish each other’s thoughts and build on each other’s ideas.
Throughout the 17 years they have taught together, King and Martineau have taught every grade from 1st to 6th. King reflected on this diversity by explaining that, “Kids are kids; there is pros and cons of every age, I love that I have had the opportunity to move to different grade levels.” Both teachers enjoy the flexibility that teaching multiple grades offers, as Martineau explained, they can “Do different things and not get stuck.”
King and Martineau have also enjoyed Blue Mountain’s Pre K – 12 system. For many, getting to see your former elementary teachers is rare, but at Blue Mountain, both the teacher and the student can reconnect at any time. Martineau reflected on this, saying, “My favorite part is the senior exit projects because you get to see how much your students have grown.” King also shared, “Every year, kids come back in the morning to check in, and I always see former students of mine in the hall.” Former student of King and current junior, Paxton Hosmer, said “It is always nice to see either King or Martineau in the halls during the day.”
Not only does King enjoy seeing former students, she also has a special tradition for those students whom she once taught. She asks students to write a letter to their future self and have students read the letter when they near graduation. King said, “I love seeing the graduating students read their letters to themselves from when they were a kid.” Current senior and upcoming graduate, Daniel Gelsleichter, said ¨I remember writing the letter, and I cannot wait to read it. I am only a couple of weeks away.¨
Both King and Martineau have enjoyed their time at Blue Mountain, and everyone who has met them has enjoyed their presence. Over the years, King and Martineau have become highly appreciated teachers, built on respect and relationships. It is clear that their impact at Blue Mountain goes beyond the classroom.
