Martin Vickers, a graduate of Crestview High School in Okaloosa County, Florida, has returned to his alma mater as a teacher after nearly two decades. His journey back to the classroom was not straightforward. After earning an English degree with a minor in education, Vickers initially struggled to find a teaching position due to a lack of openings for inexperienced teachers in Florida at the time. He began his career as an editor but maintained his ambition to teach.
“I never was fully satisfied sitting behind a desk all day…I really wanted to work with young people. I’d been influenced by so many wonderful teachers, and I wanted to have the same influence,” Vickers said.
In 2009, he accepted a teaching job in Walton County despite taking a pay cut and facing a long commute. While there, he prioritized supporting all students, including one who was deaf. “We had an interpreter, but there were times—maybe before or after school—the interpreter was not there, and I wanted to communicate with the student. So, I started going home at night and studying American Sign Language. I never got great, but I got to where I could hold a basic conversation…there has always been a desire to find ways outside of my norm to help people,” Vickers explained.
After eight years in Walton County, Vickers moved closer to home and taught at Davidson Middle School before returning to Crestview High School. As more English language learners enrolled at Crestview, he decided to improve his Spanish skills using language apps and other resources.
“I wanted to get to a point where I could talk with them so I wouldn’t have to constantly use a translation app…so I started picking Spanish back up with Duolingo and different things,” he said.
When two out of three Spanish teachers retired at Crestview High School in the same year, Vickers approached administrators about switching from English instruction to teaching Spanish. The administration supported him as he pursued further studies at Northwest Florida State College and prepared for certification exams.
Now in his third year teaching Spanish, Vickers works alongside Leah Merritt—his former Spanish teacher from high school. “Ms. Merritt was an amazing teacher then. She is an amazing person now. I am so thankful for the opportunity (to work alongside her),” said Vickers.
Reflecting on sixteen years of teaching across various counties and subjects, Vickers continues seeking new ways to connect with students through ongoing learning and self-improvement.
He encourages colleagues statewide: “If there has even been an interest (in studying another language), the students who speak another language are super encouraged by anything you can pick up.”
The story highlights how educators like Vickers make significant impacts on their students’ lives throughout Florida’s schools.
