About me

Hi, Thank you for finding out more about me, Eileen Fox, third grade teacher, mom, and animal lover.

Figuring it out in Third Grade started for a few reasons.  I really wanted a place that I could collect my thoughts on  teaching, share with my teaching community, and ask and receive comments on my own journey.

I have been in the teaching world (not third grade) for a long time, but I have not figured it out by any means! I am continually learning new ideas and seeking out ways to be a better teacher.

I began my teaching journey in 1999 when I worked with special education learners in 6th - 8th grade in Coppell, Texas (near Dallas).  I worked for about 4 years when I had a big change in life.  My husband (now ex), daughter and I moved to east Texas and owned and operated a gymnastics and cheerleading facility for 10 years.  During this time, I substituted in the elementary schools.  Well, long story short... I got back into teaching full-time in 2011 when I taught science for two years to 6th graders than made the journey back to Coppell in 2013.  So my current journey for the last three years is teaching third grade.

I absolutely found my passion in in third grade!  I think it is the perfect age that fits my personality and sanity...lol!  I believe third graders are still young enough to respect their teachers but old enough to take their learning seriously while have tons of fun with in a balanced, loving, community of learning.

Even in my three years (going on four) of teaching third grade it seems every year I have had to learn a new way to teach or to really think "outside of the box."  I have a teammate (another third grade teacher) that can just pick up an idea and just run with it.  I am not that way.  I have to understand a new teaching idea from beginning to end before I will implement it.  I need to see an example and have to really think about it before I start.  So this is why I started my blog, Figuring it out in Third Grade.  Making a post about an idea will help me slow down and see how I can use a tool, a book, an anchor chart etc more effectively. 

I certainly know this blog will start slow, but with hope and a lot of people sharing my link (hint, hint)  it will grow into a place where people are actually reading what I write, find some common ground, and share comments to my ideas in order to help me and others that are growing in their profession.  

Contact me: efox@coppellisd.com