Cox earns Teacher of the Year honor at Bob Jones

MADISON – Kimberly Cox has earned the title of Teacher of the Year at Bob Jones High School.

Cox “believes students learn best when they can discuss their thoughts, compare and contrast ideas and make connections to concepts they already understand.” Therefore, she encourages a fair amount of “working noise” in her classroom.

“I see the payoff when students turn to each other to discuss approaches to interesting problems instead of waiting for me to show them how to solve a problem,” Cox said. “I don’t expect all students to earn A’s, but I believe every student can learn and should do so to the best of their ability.”

Cox taught for 10 years at Huntsville High School before moving to Bob Jones in 2005. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education and English from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a master’s degree in secondary education with mathematics specialty from the University of Alabama.

Cox has guided Bob Jones Math Team consistently to phenomenal results. “The math team has had a stellar year, placing in the top ten nationally in eight different competitions and winning first place nationally in Mathfax Geometry and the Rocket City Interschool Test. The team was first-place winner in State Ciphering Competition,” she said.

In 2016-2017 national team awards, the math team placed in the top ten for Fall Start-up, Team Scramble, Ciphering Time Trials, Four by Four, Mathfax – Advanced Math and Rocket City Math League.

In state honors, Bob Jones ranked first in contests at UA, Calhoun and Grissom and in top five at Vestavia (geometry, comprehensive and interschool); algebra 2/trig written; and comprehensive written.

Cox will always remember Joey Li, graduating senior and Math Team co-president. “Joey is probably the most intelligent student I’ve ever taught yet incredibly humble, patient and hard-working. His leadership, encouragement and explanations have been instrumental to the Math Team’s success the last four years.”

“Though I taught him his freshman and sophomore years, Joey is now the person I turn to if I’m stumped by a math team problem,” Cox said.

Also a math teacher, husband Gene Cox coaches Scholars’ Bowl at Monrovia Middle School. Their children are Ryan, UAH sophomore; Kaitlyn, Bob Jones senior headed to University of Alabama at Birmingham; Andrew, Bob Jones sophomore; Will, Discovery Middle School seventh-grader; and Ben, Rainbow Elementary School second-grader.

Kimberly Cox devotes free time to her children’s activities in band, tennis, chess and basketball; teaches a Sunday school class; and volunteers in mission trips.