Former Football: Charles Fox – finalist for LEF Award Nominees: Middle School 1/25/12

Daily Advertiser, Dec. 14, 2011 and Jan. 25, 2012

2012 LEF finalist Charles Fox Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Photo by P.C. Piazza

The following is day-two coverage spotlighting finalists for the LEF Teacher Awards.

Elementary school finalists were featured in Monday’s newspaper, and, today, the nominees from middle schools will be highlighted.

The Lafayette Education Foundation will officially announce four winners in its annual LEF Teacher Awards at the Heymann Performing Arts Center Thursday. The four winners will come from four divisions — one from the divisions of Elementary, Middle and High schools, as well as an "Inspirational" category.Tickets may be purchased at the Heymann center or through Ticketmaster. General-admission tickets are available for $10 each, and educators may purchase tickets for $5 each.

Look for the finalists in the high school division in tomorrow’s issue of The Daily Advertiser. The "Inspirational" finalists will be featured Thursday.

Charles D. Fox

Edgar Martin Middle School

Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades

Born and raised in Lafayette, Charles D. Fox played football at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and was a member of the 1970 Bowl Team. At Edgar Martin Middle School, he is an alternative education teacher.

A great teacher is "» "Someone who really cares about the students he/she teaches and tries to get the best out of them and will not settle for any less."I became a teacher because "» "I like young people, and I really enjoy having a direct effect on their lives. I’ve been teaching for 17 years but have been involved with young people all my adult life through coaching and teaching."

Most rewarding part of my job is "» "To see these students improve and gain self confidence. "» To see a student smile or to have them open up to you for the first time in their lives — it doesn’t get any better than that!"Advice for other teachers "» "I’m definitely not a sage when it comes to advice! "» My only advice would be to be real with your students. Show them you care but draw the line in the sand — be firm and in charge!"

Funniest memory from teaching "» "My ‘pizzaro’ story. A student asked me one day in science class, ‘What animal does pizza come from?’ I quickly answered, ‘From a pizzaro.’ I explained to her that a pizzaro was a wild animal from Italy and when captured the circular sides were cut out and used for pizza. One student said, ‘I thought pizza was made from dough.’ I again explained that he was correct. The ‘does’ were used because the ‘bucks’ were too tough. "» After I told them the truth, we all got a big laugh out of the story."

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here for Charles Fox’s AN profile.