Mission teacher makes a comeback after stroke

ST. IGNATIUS — Richard Martin has awards on his classroom wall at St. Ignatius Middle School for "Outstanding Teacher" and "Craziest Teacher," but they probably don't give teachers awards for "best comeback."

Last fall, Martin suffered a debilitating stroke, and it crippled him in many ways. It also drastically changed his ability to work a full day, and to do all the "extras" he did as a teacher in the Mission School District.

"I had a ruptured blood vessel in my brain. I had to have brain surgery to relieve the pressure and remove damaged brain tissue," Martin said of that fateful day.

Before the stroke, Martin umpired softball and baseball games for students in several different leagues; organized an after school program to teach students measuring skills; tutored students that needed an extra boost; coached sixth, seventh and eighth grade football and track; and was working on getting his master's degree in educational leadership — all in addition to teaching a full day of school.

The school district — and the kids — were his life.

"I spent most of my time with the kids," he said. "I didn't feel like I was doing too much. I just had some health issues that I didn't pay attention to. The stroke was just a warning sign that I needed to take care of a few things. For me, it was blood pressure. I ignored it for too long," he said.

Martin had a busy career as an electronics engineer before he followed a calling as a teacher that he said was too strong to ignore.

"Working with kids is what I really enjoy doing. So, in 2000 I got my teaching degree and went to work here. I get a great sense of satisfaction from helping kids. I like to push them. There is not one kid that hasn't been able to succeed if they try. But seeing them do things that they didn't think that they could is the greatest reward," he said.

Martin incorporates both his science and math background into a hands-on learning environment. Last week he got the kids interested in learning the science of projectile motion and angle measurement with a mechanism that shoots potatoes across the room.

"It doesn't mean anything to them if they can't apply what they've learned. When we do hands-on projects the students get to see that what they are learning means something, it has a purpose. Otherwise they are learning long enough to pass a test. This way, with the hands-on activities, they retain the material and it is something that they take with them after they graduate," Martin said.

While Martin was in the hospital recovering his students let him know how much he was appreciated.

"I have boxes of well wishes and things the students sent. The school brought me a laptop so I could check my e-mails and stay connected," he said. "That was a great support."

Martin lost 25 pounds while he was in the hospital, he had to undergo weeks of physical therapy to regain his balance so he could walk without aid, and what kept him going was the thought of getting back in front of his classroom.

"Once I got my balance back, I was allowed to come back to class and observe. Then, I started to help. Later, I was allowed to come back part time. I'm back to a full day now and I'm working on getting everything else back," he said.

He said that's been his goal for the past year — getting back to 100 percent, and that means all the extracurricular activites he used to do for the kids, too.

"I'm slowly getting it all back. And I still want to keep a full plate. I'm lucky to be doing what I do," he said.

"When Richard was out, only then did we realize how much he did for the district," superintendent Tim Skinner said in an interview last month. "It was amazing how many balls he juggled in the air for us. We're just so happy to have him back."

The big test will be this fall when Martin attempts a hunting trip, something he was looking forward to before the stroke.

"I have a little blind spot in my vision. I was told that it might take up to two years to get full vision back but I'm improving weekly," he said. "This fall during hunting season, I'll see if it works. Then I'll know how much I've been effected long term."

Martin hopes that if anything comes of the stroke it is that people are more aware of their own health.

"The strange thing was that I never felt bad at all. I'd go from sun up to sun down and I'd feel fine. I wasn't stressed out from doing too much. I just had a few minor health issues that I ignored," he said.

"Comparing now and then, I wish I didn't have the stoke. It's easier to pay attention to your health before something happens."