Gemma Martin
Year 5 Teacher
First of all, I would like to express how very excited I am to be rejoining the Year 5 team. I joined Safa Community School in 2015 and I am very proud to be purple. I have been fortunate enough to call the UAE my home since 2008!
About Me
I am from Largs, which is a little seaside town in West Scotland. I have two children: a little girl called Isla, who is 2 years old and a little boy called Dylan, who is 5 years old and attends SCS. Reading books is a passion of mine, something I hope inspires those I teach to read for enjoyment. In my spare time, I love to keep fit, especially crossfit. As a family, we love to spend time at the beach together. I graduated from Strathclyde University in 2008 with an honours degree in psychology. Following this, I completed my postgraduate degree in primary teaching at the same university. I moved to the UAE in 2008 and I have loved every minute of my time here. As an approachable, passionate and caring practitioner, the children that I teach are always my priority.
My Experience
Since graduating, I have gained experience in teaching all ages across the primary phase. I am extremely proud and lucky to be embarking on my tenth year as part of the Safa family, where I have taught Years 2, 5 and 6, been Head of English, Head of Year 5 as well as part of the Inclusion Team. Prior to teaching at SCS, I taught FS children for three years, then in Scotland I taught in Years 2 and 3. In addition to this, I taught Year 3 at another school in Dubai for two years, where I undertook an ELL support role. As an educator, I set high expectations for myself as well as the children I teach. My aim as a teacher is to create a classroom atmosphere which nurtures children to take risks in their learning, be inquisitive, ask questions and achieve their best, while having fun. I look forward to meeting everyone in 5GM and I cannot wait to begin a wonderful learning journey together.