FLORENCE ISD

My wife, Gisselle and I have been married for 21 years.  We have 4 amazing children.  Valerie is 18 years old and attends St. Edward’s University in Austin.  Daniel is 15 and is a Fresheman at Leander High School.  Benjamin (Benji) is 11 and a 6^th grader at Running Brushy Middle school, in Leander.  Sydney is 9 and a 3^rd grader at Winkley Elementry, in Leander.

My name is James Martin.  I have been teaching for 4 years.  I have been coaching for 14.  I have coached in the Army and youth sports, before becoming a school coach.  I served as a Medic for 4 years in the U.S. Army in the mid 1990’s.  While in the Army, I was stationed in Germany (1^st ID “The Big Red One”).  We deployed to Bosnia for Operation Joint Endeavor.  I then transfered (PCS’d) to Fort Polk, Louisiana (2^nd ACR) where I was the Senior Medic attached to a Scouting company.  After leaving the Army, I went into business management and later went to St. Edward’s University to study marketing.  Afte almost 20 years of managing various companies, I decided that I wanted to follow my passion of coaching and became a teacher/coach.  I worked in Cuero ISD as a 5^th grade Social Studies Teacher, Smithville ISD as a Middle School Coach and social studies teacher, Bastrop ISD where I was a coach and Language Arts teacher.  

I am proud to be here in Florence ISD where I teach and coach some amazing young men and ladies.

When  I am not teaching and coaching, I can be found in the woods camping or on the lake fishing with my friends and or family.  

One funfact about me:  For the past 19 years, I have been dressing up as Santa for the children.  On Christmas Eve, My family and I will load up in my neighbor’s truck, with me dressed as Santa and drive around our neighborhood giving candy canes to the children.