Ms. Fox is one of the many middle school teachers here at Preuss and is well-liked among the middle school students. As a result, she won the middle school teacher of the month. Ms. Fox teaches seventh grade World History, AP Psychology, and has an eighth grade advisory class.
Although Ms. Fox is an outstanding educator, she didn’t always see herself working as a teacher. After beginning to work in the private sector for a Japanese educational travel company, she soon discovered that her true passion and what she enjoyed the most was working with students.
“I decided to pursue teaching so I could have a direct impact on students, rather than working day to day in an office setting,” she explained.
Ms. Fox’s path towards becoming a teacher began at UC Irvine, where she received her undergraduate degree. She then continued at SDSU, where she received her teaching certification. She decided to teach at Preuss because of the community and the opportunities for the students.
“I liked the fact that this school is not a neighborhood school because I am able to teach such diverse students. I think it is a great opportunity for students to interact with students from all over San Diego and from different backgrounds,” she mentioned
Teaching middle school students can be tough; however Ms. Fox is able to find ways to enjoy teaching them and to keep moving forward.
“There are two different aspects I really enjoy. The first is teaching skills that I know will help them in the years to come. I like working with students on good habits and organization skills because that was what really helped me become a better student. The second thing I enjoy is the unpredictability in their reactions. I like that students constantly surprise me in the random trends they follow, and I feel like I learn something random from them each day,” she stated.
Different aspects of life helped Ms. Fox become who she is today, but she believes her family to have been her biggest influence.
“I don’t think I had one singular role model growing up, but I relied heavily on my family. I come from a family of seven people including myself and they helped shape me to who I am today. I looked to each sibling to gain different insights on their experiences growing up,” she stated.
Ms. Fox knows that even small interactions can help make a big impact in someone’s life and this is where she derives her motivation from.
“I have always wanted a job where I felt like my work was having an impact on someone. Teaching is a profession where you can see the small seeds you plant slowly grow and you can watch people reach amazing potentials. Even when it gets frustrating (frequently), I know that even the small interactions I have can make a difference to someone,” she mentions.
Ms. Fox wants all her students to aspire for success and she believes there to be many different ways in which students can succeed.
“Everyone has a different idea for what success looks like, but if you are able to motivate yourself and develop good habits, it can make a difference. I also think that developing strategies to promote your mental wellness can help when you face the inevitable challenges,” she emphasized.
For those students who struggle, she encourages them to implement two different strategies which she believes will help them to overcome the obstacles they may face at Preuss and in life.
“First, search for something that sparks passion and try to apply that interest to different aspects of your life. And if you haven’t found that passion yet, try new things! When you can apply your interests to information that you wouldn’t typically enjoy, it can help make the information more interesting. Second, never be afraid to ask for help. It is a vital skill to ask for help, and everyone at some point needs help,” she advises.
