Name: Martha Cothron
Age: 34
College & Majors/Minors: Alabama A&M University BA in English Lit. Minor in Sociology
Current Location: Clearwater, FL
Current Form of Employment: Middle School Language Arts, Reading and Journalism Teacher for Pinellas County School Board
Where do you work and what is your current position?
I currently teach English/Language Arts and Yearbook for Dunedin Highland Middle School in Dunedin Florida. I have been teaching ELA for 6 years in middle and high school as well as reading on the middle school level for 3 years.
Tell us about how you found your job! How many places did you apply? What was the application process like?
I was recruited for my job at career fair when I was living in Alabama right after graduation from Alabama A&M University.
What did you do in college to prepare for your post-grad life?
While in college I made sure I completed my internship in order to make myself more marketable to companies port-graduation. I worked as an intern for Walt Disney World for 9 months in 2003 and became a recruiter for their program when I returned to school for my senior year. During my senior year I had my heart set on being a magazine editor so I made sure to work with student services editing papers and submitting articles to the school newspaper.
What has been the most surprising thing about being a teacher?
I'm surprise that I like working with children. For the longest time I was afraid because I didn't think I would do a good job. But I have surprised myself. My students learn a lot about life and literature from me. In turn, I learn a great deal about life from their perspective.
