LSEM Teacher Uses Skills to Connect with Teen Learners 

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 LSEM Teacher Uses Skills to Connect with Teen Learners 

  • September 12, 2016
  • Posted by: LSEM
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Kathy Martin loves working with teenagers.

As the Student Support Services teacher at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota, LSEM teacher Kathy Martin gets to meet all incoming freshmen during a mandatory study and computer skills class that she co-teaches. She also assists other students one-on-one, helping them in her classroom space behind the school library.

Mayer High School is located in rural Minnesota, in a small town outside of metropolitan Minneapolis. Serving nearly 250 students, Mayer also hosts Genesis Academy, a virtual K-12 Lutheran school, which serves families across the country and the globe.

Kathy enjoys working with the diverse population at Mayer, and finds her work with high school students rewarding. By meeting all the freshman in her class, her role is introduced early on in the student’s academic life, and fully integrated into Mayer’s culture.

While LSEM has been a fixture at Mayer for several years, Kathy’s time there has been short. A transplant from Arizona who fully enjoys the outdoor activities that Minnesota offers—even in the winter– she adores the challenges high school students present and the ability to problem-solve alongside them.

The students Kathy assists range in need, from those children who are able to articulate their needs to students who have been recently diagnosed with a learning need. Because a number of students at Mayer attended LSEM partner schools in the area, kids and their families are familiar with the resources she can provide. Recently, she has been working with a student with Asperger syndrome who is able to take an online language class through Genesis Academy, while receiving resources in real-time from Kathy. This type of seamless support for students strengthens the school and the student’s ability to make the big step from early education to college prep.

The LSEM partnership also brings with it state-of-the-art technology resources to Mayer. This year, Kathy introduced the computer-based Scientific Learning program. This program uses brain exercises to improve a student’s reading levels, while also addressing deficiencies in listening comprehension, attention span, memory recall and processing skills. Kathy has already noticed big strides for a few students, who have improved nearly an entire grade level in reading in less than two months.

Mayer’s partnership with LSEM helps address the unique challenges that comes with a diverse high school population. Kathy assists international students, making students to make sure they have the resources they need as they acclimate to a new culture and language. She also guides students who may need short-term assistance after an extended absence from school, or even a sports injury. Recently, she was able to help two students with short-term challenges; one student with a medical problem that was causing her to miss school and fall behind, and a student athlete who suffered a concussion and needed learning accommodations and supplemental help as he healed. Having a specialized teacher at Mayer who can work with teachers and counseling staff, students and families helps keep these students in a Christ-centered environment as they navigate the choppy waters of young adulthood.

Kathy notes with admiration a recent story about a student she has worked with since she started at Mayer: a young man who arrived at Mayer as a freshman, having been diagnosed with ADHD and depression. She reports:

“He had been admitted to hospitals for depression and put on watch for suicide. He was labeled EBD [emotional behavior disability]. He just completed all the reevaluation requirements, and guess what? He is no longer qualifies for special education services! No more labels, nothing. All the teachers reported that he is not a distraction in class, he is polite, participates in discussion, and has appropriate relationships with his peers. I honestly believe that the Christ centered environment that Mayer Lutheran offers and the support I am able to provide him through LSEM has changed him.” 

Simply put: Mayer Lutheran could not meet their mission of being a school that welcomes all students without their partnership with LSEM and Kathy in their school. God continues to bless this high school and the community it serves.

Kathy Martin (far right) with Minnesota-based LSEM teachers (l-r) Terri Bentz, 

Donna Stole and Michelle Melde 

For more information on how LSEM may enrich the lives of your high school community, please contact Rich Schumacher, Programs and Services Director, at rschumacher@luthsped.org, or at 248/419-3390.