Alongside U.S. history, McMartin also teaches two special topics classes: Modern World Genocides and History Through Film, which are each one semester. 

“Genocides throughout history involves a lot of international law, international relations between countries, world responses and current events,” McMartin said. “It’s interesting, relevant and very inspiring for the students to make knowledge of history and apply it to what is going on in the world. The film class is a fun class, and you get to see how history is played out on the big screen, and there is an emotional response to it. We look at the films as if they’re literary works, and they’re analyzing stories.” 

The history through film class reviews background information from history classes rather than going into detail as students watch films and critique them, commenting on scenes and their significance. Students use cinematic terms to describe why the filmmaker specifically made the scene the way it is. For grades, McMartin loves to add a unique spin to her activities, such as having students create a film critique, play a game inspired by the film or do a mock trial.

“Her teaching style is very different from what we’re used to because it is more college style,” senior Audrey Nguyen, who took McMartin’s special topics classes her junior year, said. “She talks but also gives us the chance to talk, so it is very discussion-based.” 

Although history relies on facts, McMartin has a personable teaching style, one where she incorporates stories and background information, attempting to not just make it relevant, but for her classroom to have a lively atmosphere where students are challenged to learn to their fullest potential. 

“I think a good history teacher leaves the students knowing that it’s not just ancient history, that it’s relevant, that it’s important, that it builds them into a better citizen of the world and gives them knowledge to be an active participant in society,” McMartin said. “I like the personal connection [and] seeing students engaged.” 

Entering McMartin’s classroom the first day of school, junior Meera Basileh had a strong, lasting first impression of her. 

“I thought she was very energetic and colorful,” Basileh said. “I walked in and I saw all of the flags and was like, ‘Oh, okay, this is how it’s going to be.’ I could tell from looking at her, she put a lot of thought into, for example, her appearance, like she wanted to look all dressed up and her room was so well decorated. You could tell she put thought into things.” 

As the year progressed, Basileh noticed being able to retain and understand the information taught better than usual. Through abbreviations—such as “MAIN” for learning the causes of World War I—mnemonics and Kahoots, Basileh said she has a better ability of comprehending and memorizing topics, allowing her to do significantly better in the class. Compared to some of Basileh’s past teachers who heavily relied on busy work, McMartin ensures that her class is one students don’t dread coming to, where they are able to interact, learn and still feel comfortable. 

“When she’s lecturing, I can tell that she knows how I think, because I would be studying for [the topic] she taught the other week, which I know nothing about, and suddenly I would read one word and remember everything,” Basileh said. “Whenever she’s teaching, I can tell she knows what’s going on inside my head as a student. You can tell she actually puts thought into what she says and she knows what approach to take. I feel like she knows exactly how the student thinks, which really helps when studying.”

Associate Principal Matthew Warren met McMartin four and a half years ago when he first came to Clements. Warren does her instructional spotlight—where he will observe one of her classes and give an evaluation. McMartin won an instructional spotlight last semester. 

“With Ms. McMartin, it was more so getting that level of engagement up,” Warren said. “The last four and a half years, I’ve been working with her and just all the teachers here in general, but her specifically, she has done a tremendous job of completely, truly – her and the U.S. History team have revamped the curriculum where there is much more student-led discourse, student-led projects and interactive pieces.” 

Through the years that he has known McMartin, Warren has noticed the significant amount of engagement she puts into the school atmosphere, such as sponsoring the Interact Club, leading the U.S. History team, helping facilitate before and after school detention, Saturday detention and teaching summer school. 

“Ten years down the road, they’re not going to remember what they learned in Ms. McMartin’s class,” Warren said. “They’re going to remember who she was as a person.”

As the U.S. History team lead McMartin makes sure students are prepared for their STAAR exam throughout the year by making any adjustments needed to the curriculum. 

“She and the U.S. History team have revamped the curriculum where there is so much more student-led discourse, student-led projects and interactive pieces,” Warren said. “She does a great job of any feedback she gets, she sees it as growth, not a negative thing. She is someone who leads by example, leads with integrity. She doesn’t see herself as a leader, but everybody on this campus knows that if she steps into something, it will get done, and it will get done very well.”

U.S. history teacher Kelsey Bates collaborates with McMartin to adjust certain areas of the units to deliver the content in a way that will support students’ learning. Being dedicated to making room for improvement, McMartin is eager to assist any of her co-workers with tasks—her energetic and creative personality finding new ways to improve lessons and being open to feedback, letting each teacher work to their strengths.

“She is definitely passionate about history and connecting with the students,” Bates said. “Last year she decided she wanted us to start fixing the notes by tweaking them to be more condensed and concise so we could have more time for activities and not just notes every day. She took it upon herself to redo a lot of notes and she said she had three different computer screens up at her house and worked all day on Saturday doing one unit. It shows how she goes above and beyond.”

McMartin’s optimism shaped Bates by shifting her perspective about challenges she faces while balancing being a mother and teacher. Worried that the schedule would be disrupted if she were to take off for her children’s elementary school activities, Bates avoided doing so her first year of teaching at Clements but was influenced by McMartin to prioritize her children. Since then, Bates has attended events like Thanksgiving luncheons for her son.

“She has reminded me several times that being a mom is important,” Bates said. “When I feel guilty about taking off to go see my children do their silly little things in elementary school like field day, she will be like, ‘No, take off, you want to, you are their mom. These kids will not notice you even being gone.’ She has reminded me that you can juggle so many things in life and you have to know which balls are rubber that can bounce back and which are glass because if they shatter it’s tougher to pick up. She reminds me all the time that my kids are more of that glass.” 

AP Human Geography teacher Christine Badillo describes McMartin as the “epitome” of resilience and an angel. Badillo often goes to McMartin for advice on parenting.

“We’ve shared a lot of the struggles that parents face and sometimes the traumas that parents face,” Badillo said. “She is an inspiration for everything that she has overcome…she has loved her kids unconditionally through everything that she has been through. It’s just inspirational as a mom.”

For Badillo, McMartin is a role model for what teachers should be: someone to push students to their full potential, while also lending a genuine listening ear. 

“They have a teacher that they know that they can talk to,” Badillo said. “She’s going to have standards and she’s going to hold them accountable, but she also wants them to be successful students and successful humans.”

McMartin’s teachings are especially helpful for students as they age out of high school and encounter the real world, Badillo said, without being overboard.

“She continues to push forward and find joy in the world and bring joy to others, no matter what she’s feeling,” Badillo said. “She could be having a really down day, but she’s still going to ask you about your day. She is a really good example of what a teacher should be. You put your students first, you hold them accountable, and you keep the standards high, but you also are willing to fight for them, fight for their success and make yourself available.” 

McMartin is also the sponsor for Interact, a youth club sponsored by Rotary International—she herself is a member of the Rotary Club of Sugar Land—for people from ages 12 to 18 years old. She has embedded the motto “Service Above Self” into her lifestyle by prioritizing volunteering. Through the club, McMartin hopes to inspire students to see community service for what its worth, beyond its YES-hours value. 

“It builds a lifestyle,” McMartin said. “Service above self: it’s not about you, it’s about helping others. We all want to sleep in on Saturdays, but if you get up and do something every now and then you come home tired, you feel very, very rewarded. It’s very rewarding, but also a lot of work. Sometimes I want to give it up, but then when I see the results, it keeps me going and keeps me leading it.” 

Since her junior year, Basileh has been part of Interact and has participated in events such as Books for the World which is a global project where Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors donate and sort out books to ship to schools and libraries all around the world. Basileh has also volunteered for Toys for Tots, run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. It is a community-wide event at a local church where toy donations coming from infants to teens are made over a course of a month then are distributed to hundreds of families where parents get to shop for holiday gifts for their children. 

“A lot of times I see her during the volunteering events,” Basileh said. “You can tell she is very humble as well, like she doesn’t think, ‘Oh, I’m too good to be seen to be working with my students. Like I’m just their manager.’ She goes and she volunteers with us, you know, and she has integrity. She made me realize that being determined and an honest person is not easy, and that it’s shown through the smallest of actions.” 

Over the years, McMartin has participated and assisted the Interact club for projects such as Trick or Treat for Hunger, the Hope in Motion Walk, and Toys for Tots so they can run smoothly. As a Rotarian, McMartin goes to meetings often and receives firsthand information about volunteering activities, is present for events, and ensures there is transport for all students. Trick or Treat for Hunger is an event where Interactors knock on people’s doors during Halloween day to collect cans and non-perishables and donate them to local food banks. 

“When you work with the community and you see the ‘Happy’… The day of the distribution, the happiness and the gratitude on some of the family’s faces, it’s just really nice to see that you made someone’s holiday a lot better,” McMartin said. 

Hope in Motion is a walk raising money for mental health and suicide prevention awareness that is benefiting the Fort Bend Mental Health, an organization to take the stigma off of mental health issues and to give people hope when they’re facing hard times. During this event, families are able to engage in carnival games and kids can do face painting. 

“It’s just nice being in the community and putting a smile on people’s faces,” McMartin said. “A lot of the people who go to the walk have lost someone, so when they can come and be in a positive environment and leave with a smile on their face because they had a nice day and they’re with people who care and gave them hope, it is meaningful. It’s really nice to have the Interactors be part of that and help out the community that way.”

Senior Miles Daner is President of the Interact club and has been working with McMartin to make Interact better by ensuring that the motto “Service Above Self” is applied in all service projects. 

“She’s done a lot for us, especially just trying to keep us on task a lot of the time,” Daner said. “She’s very good at managing us and making sure we’re doing what we need to be doing, but also encouraging us to try and do things that we hadn’t done before and generally push us in a positive direction as a club and as a group of people.” 

McMartin hopes that as students watch the news or see history playing out, they remember her and what she taught them.

“I hope people would describe me as someone who not only cares about the subject but about the students,”