Local Educator Named Florida High School Physical Education Teacher Of The Year
Patricia Martin from John I. Leonard High School is the 2012 – 2013 Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, and Sport (FAHPERDS) High School Physical Education Teacher of The Year. A resident of Wellington, Ms. Martin has been teaching Physical Education for the past 23 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Central Florida and her Educational Leadership certificate from Nova University.
Her principal Terry Costa “was delighted to learn that Patricia Martin was chosen for the 2012 FAHPERDS Teacher of the Year. She is an outstanding educator, Instructional Departmental Leader, Coach, Health Wellness and Fitness Director for our school, and sponsor for numerous school activities. She is most deserving of this prestigious honor.”
Currently Ms. Martin teaches physical education, serves as the Department Instructional Leader and is the Wellness Coordinator for John I. Leonard High School, ensuring that her students, faculty, and staff are kept abreast of the trends that relate to the promotion of healthy practices and a reduction in childhood obesity. Additionally she is the head volleyball coach for both the girls and boys programs, coach of the Academic Brain Bowl and Ethics Bowl teams, chairperson for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation school task force, and is the academic advisor for the school’s Fuel Up To Play 60 student body.
Eric Stern, School District Administrator of Physical Education, said “Patricia is a pioneer when it relates to technology in her physical education classroom. She utilizes heart rate monitors, ipads, and APPs, to provide relevant and practical learning experiences for her students.”
Over the past ten years, Ms. Martin has served on textbook adoption and review committees, wrote curriculum for high school courses in Learning Village, developed supplemental assessments for e2020 fitness on-line courses, instructed FCAT learning strategies workshops, led professional development workshops, and implemented cross curricular content of math, science, reading and social studies into physical education classes.
In 2012, she served on a committee of educators, college professors, and district administrators that helped the Florida Department of Education create the new Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) for prospective physical education teachers. This process took almost two years to accomplish.
In closing Ms. Martin said “I am a firm believer that a healthy body leads the way to a sound mind and happier individuals for a lifetime. Every child has an opportunity to learn in a safe environment in my class.”
Ms. Martin will be recognized as the High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year on October 19, 2012, during the FAHPERDS Conference at the Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida.
For more information please contact Eric Stern at 561-434-7450 or eric.stern@palmbeachschools.org
