by Thea Markus (8th)
What is intelligence? Is it just the ability to retain information and use it to solve academic or political problems? No. The reality is, academics are just one branch of intelligence. One petal of a damask rose. No one represents this better than Cynthia Cox who has been teaching at CMS for about 18 years. Mrs. Cox is an eighth grade English Language Arts teacher (the best type of teacher).
She has been at CMS since 2004, but that is only one branch of a tree. Cynthia Cox is not just Mrs. Cox; she is a mother, grandmother, sister, and daughter. It is both amazing and devastating to see someone with so much depth go.
We are losing such an extraordinary teacher, but we are also gaining more pride and happiness for her and all she has accomplished throughout her years of teaching. She makes children feel happy and comfortable; some have said that she is one of few teachers that they truly feel comfortable talking to about questions they have because she creates such an amazing environment for students to learn and have fun. Her intelligence goes far beyond any academic or political standards. She is able to understand people’s emotions and identify them, and she understands how to treat someone with respect no matter how old they are—this is why so many students love Mrs. Cox and look up to her.
Teaching is actually Mrs. Cox’s second career. In her first career she was a retail store manager, and even then she would teach people. She helped her employees study for GEDs, tests, and studies.
It wasn’t until she moved to Pennsylvania with her husband that she decided to become a teacher. Mrs. Cox ended up having a neighbor that was autistic, and she says “he was my muse and inspired me to go get my teaching degree,” and everyone is glad she did (so far there has been no evidence of someone disliking Mrs. Cox). She should be proud of herself for finding her joy and career from helping others.
During an interview, Mrs. Cox said that her favorite part about teaching was “the energy with the kids, getting them to see something for the first time getting them to discover something for themselves weather it is appreciating an author's choice of words and it’s effect or discovering the many different themes that a piece of literature can have, but i think my most favorite part is seeing them find their voice, seeing them find confidence in their writing.”
These words explain why we love her so much: she helps us understand a text and the author's choices, she helps us discover different themes of a story but most importantly, she helps us find our voice and our confidence—she helps us discover our style and she strengthens that within us. Now imagine inspiring and teaching young minds while also having to take care of a family. Mrs. Cox, just like plenty of other teachers, is no stranger to this double life.
Some might be wondering, Why is such an amazing teacher who loves her job retiring? The simple answer: Family.
Mrs. Cox has stated that she isn’t ready for retirement but, “what forced the issue is my son decided that he could not move back to the states and personally I can't be away from my grandchildren that long. When they are little it doesn't seem like a long time, but it is. That was really the deciding factor.” Mrs. Cox’s son has been in Abu Dhabi for a few years due to work and has decided to stay there. Being away from family can make someone feel lonely and left out, so Mrs. Cox also wants to be there for her grandchildren as they grow up and learn new things. Who knows? Maybe she’ll become their English tutor some day.
Mrs. Cox herself has also learned a lot from teaching, but one of the biggest lessons was that it is not just about teaching content, it is about teaching someone how to use their voice to find themselves, and Mrs. Cox does such an amazing job at this. It is no wonder that she is seen as intelligent. Her future plans consist of spending evenings and weekends with her family and friends instead of grading and planning lessons.
However, she does have some last bits of advice. For future CMS students: “Use your time wisely and find your voice.” And for future CMS teachers: “I think the best advice is that everyday is a new day, an opportunity for new experiences, new accomplishments, and to be kind to yourself and others.” As Mrs. Cox leaves the classroom for good, we must always remember and be inspired by her tremendous work and her selfless attitude towards others.
As a student of Mrs. Cynthia Cox, I would like to say that she is one of if not the best teacher I have and will ever have. This year with her has brought out the best in me and I’ve learned so much. I will always strive to be like her and others should too.
Goodbye Mrs. Cox. Through your intelligence, both emotional and academic, you have created confidence and voice in others. Thank you for an amazing 18 years at CMS.