After a long wait and much effort, one of Lowell High School’s new classes this year, Advanced Speech, can now be taken for dual credit. This is possible thanks to the hard work and determination of Mr. Martinez, who proved to Ivy Tech that he was serious and committed to making this class dual credit. He has also shown his students that same level of dedication, finding a way to make a class as serious as this both fun and enriching.
Let’s take a closer look at what the class is about. Advanced Speech teaches students different types of communication, including both individual and group work. Students also work on five main types of speeches: introductory, informative, persuasive, demonstration, and impromptu. These speeches are a mix of student- and teacher-led activities. Mr. Martinez provides prompts, and students build from there, choosing their own topics for their speeches.
I asked Mr. Martinez about the class and how it has changed. Going from last semester as a high school class to this semester as a college-level course, there have definitely been adjustments. One of the things he said was, “I definitely wish I had more resources at the beginning of the year. It is very hard to pilot a class and have no faculty member in-house to be able to help me launch it.” Despite this challenge, he has taught the class well. He also added, “This semester, I plan on increasing the rigor while also allowing my students more meaningful opportunities to approach the podium.” This shows the level of determination he has going into this course.
The amount of work that goes into creating and maintaining a dual credit class is astounding. Mr. Martinez gave some insight into that process, saying, “Mrs. Denton, Mr. Goeringer, Mrs. Daugherty, and I were in frequent communication about what needed to happen so we could offer our students this incredible opportunity.” This really highlights how much our staff cares about students and their education. He also explained some of the requirements, stating, “I had to show that I was progressing through my academic coursework at USI to prove that I am a worthy candidate to teach the curriculum.” I was personally surprised by how much went into making this possible.
I also wanted to know whether he chose to take on this challenge or if he was asked to do it. As it turns out, he volunteered. He explained, “I was interested in starting my master’s degree and told Mrs. Daugherty, who was our principal at the time, that I wanted to study communications to be able to offer Advanced Speech to our students for dual credit.”
Mr. Martinez cares so much about his students that he even said when asked what he would redo about last semester, he said he would have started his master’s earlier, so that the students he had last semester would have been able to obtain college credit. His quote being, “I wish I would have started my master’s degree a few months sooner. The students enrolled in the class in the fall were unable to obtain dual credit because I was not progressing through my master’s coursework until the middle of summer.” This shows how he truly has his students’ opportunities at heart. Mr. Martinez also gave a bit more insight on this “Had I began the coursework in January or March 2025, it is possible that I would have been able to offer the course for dual credit right away.”
A bit more about Mr. Martinez’s personal life and history being that he grew up here in our little town here in Lowell Indiana. This definitely intrigued me so I had to ask him how he knew he wanted to go down this path. He said “I taught social studies at many different schools for years. I also began my career at LHS as a social studies teacher. Two years into my time at LHS, the needs of the student body changed, and I was asked to shift to the English/Language Arts department. It was not in my plan, but I am glad it is what the plan became.” I am glad personally that his plan had changed as had many other students. Anyone who has seen how interacts with his classes can tell he cares for his students deeply.
This is just a small look into the life and work of Mr. Martinez, as well as the Advanced Speech class. From my own experience, it is an enjoyable and valuable class. I hope those of you who have the opportunity will consider taking it next year.
