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by Professor Joe Martin


If we ever have the pleasure of meeting each other, whether it be at an education conference, a teacher workshop, or in a classroom, other than my size (I stand only 5’-6”), you’ll notice that I will adorn two bright red bracelets – one on each wrist. I never take them off.

Both are bands I specifically created for a pre-determined purpose: to keep me focused on what’s most important when it comes to building my character as a teacher. One band reads “Integrity” and the other reads “It’s Not About Me.”

I started wearing these bands about two years ago, and I haven’t taken them off since. They serve as a constant reminder that...

1.) no matter how difficult my job as a teacher becomes, I must always be a man of my word; do the right thing when no one’s looking; and do things for God’s approval, not people; and

2.) I must always remember that I became a teacher to serve others, not myself, and to ALWAYS do what’s in the best interest of my students.