Teacher Appreciation: Mr. Jose Martinez

Pepper Bough staffer Angel Arjona-Meza gives us his insight into why maths teacher Mr. Jose Martinez is so effective in the classroom

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Elias Velasquez

Pepper Bough staff writer Angel Arjona-Meza and maths teacher Mr. Jose Martinez.

My time at Colton High is about to end, and over the course of the four years I spent at CHS, I have met many wonderful teachers who have done more than just teach. They would chat with their students and motivate them so they could be at their absolute best.

For Teacher Appreciation Week, I’d like to give a shout-out to one of those teachers. His name is Mr. Martinez, my math teacher for both my freshman and junior years.

Mr. Martinez always had a positive attitude and was always willing to help his students. If you ever needed it, you could always ask him and he’d be very glad to help. If you wanted a better test score, you could arrange something and go after school to retake it. 

He always motivated students, giving speeches and such to help pump us up. Some of that motivation has stuck with me. At a few times in my life, my mind goes back to something he said, and it would help me get pepped up to do the task I needed with a hundred and ten percent. 

When he wasn’t teaching, he was having conversations with his students, treating them not just as students, but also friends. He told stories about his childhood, his home life, and his other hobbies. 

He isn’t just a teacher, but also a gardener and a vocalist in a band. His vocals are deep and growling, but the man himself is honestly one of the nicest teachers I have ever had.

Even as I depart from Colton High, teachers like Mr. Martinez will always be with me.