Teacher at Great Bridge Middle School in Chesapeake, Va
Aviator Mike Fox faced some risky missions in the Navy. But nothing made him sweat like his first day as a sixth-grade teacher.
by Warren Duffie

Sweat soaked through Mike Fox’s dress shirt and the inside of his mouth felt like a wad of cotton. A former Navy flight officer, Fox knew about pressure – serving aboard S-3 Viking aircraft as a navigator and tactics officer, giving presentations to military brass and training aspiring aviators. But those were child’s play compared to his first day as a sixth-grade student teacher, his pupils’ eyes both challenging him and sizing him up.

“Once you close that classroom door, you’re the one alone with the kids,” Fox said. “I was sweating buckets. I had worked on hot flight decks, but nothing was as hot as the classroom. But I kept my cool and got through the day just fine before going home completely drained.”

On the Job
That was six years ago, and the former lieutenant commander is now much more comfortable building tomorrow’s leaders and thinkers. Fox, 49, is currently a seventh-grade history teacher at Great Bridge Middle School in Chesapeake, Va. He teaches “American History through the Civil War” to more than 100 students each day.

“It’s especially fun to teach about the Revolutionary War because we’re near Yorktown and other famous battle sites,” said Fox, who became a teacher through the Troops to Teachers program. “The students can really relate to this history because it’s local.”

Fox arrives at school at 0700 and prepares and plans out his day. The students get to class at 0820 for homeroom, and from 0900 until 1000, Fox and his fellow history teachers map out upcoming lesson plans and hold meetings. From 1000 until 1530, Fox has four consecutive classes before school lets out. As the school’s athletic director and boys’ basketball coach, he often holds practice, checks up on his assistant coaches, or attends a school athletic event. Fox normally heads home around 1800.

“I really enjoy working with the students,” Fox said. “Seventh grade is a critical time in their lives – physically, mentally and socially. I like to teach them about life as well as history. How to plan and stay organized. How to set goals. That’s where my Navy experience mentoring younger officers helps. It’s also satisfying to have students tell me they learned to enjoy and appreciate history in my class.”

Troops to Teachers
Thousands of military veterans are transferring the skills they learned in the Armed Forces to serve their country again – as teachers in classrooms across America. With assistance from the Troops to Teachers program, more than 10,600 service members have been placed in full-time teaching positions since it began in 1994.

Troops to Teachers, which is managed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support System (DANTES), was established to help relieve teacher shortages by helping eligible service members become public school teachers.

The program offers stipends of up to $5,000 to help pay for certification costs, or bonuses of up to $10,000 to teach in schools serving a high percentage of low-income students, according to program officials.

Detailed information regarding program eligibility requirements, enrollment and contact information for state coordinators is available on the Troops to Teachers Web site: www.proudtoserveagain.com.

In Uniform
Fox came from a family of educators. His parents and an aunt were teachers. But the military is also a family legacy. His father served in the Navy for 20 years, retiring as a lieutenant commander. After high school, Fox applied for and earned a Navy ROTC scholarship – graduating from the University of Kansas in 1982 with a bachelor’s in civil engineering.

After attending flight school in Pensacola and San Diego, Fox served in Jacksonville, San Diego, Kansas, Nebraska and Norfolk.

The Transition
A couple of years before retiring, Fox attended an on-base seminar hosted by a Troops to Teachers representative. Fox was considering a civilian teaching career, so he attended. He liked what he heard, did some more research on the program and decided to enroll. Fox signed up for classes at nearby Old Dominion University and earned the required certifications. Within a month of his January 2003 military separation, he was a student teacher at Great Bridge Middle School.

“There are about 15 other male teachers here,” Fox said, “10 of whom are prior military. Several of the female teachers are also veterans. This type of work attracts career military because our pensions and retirement benefits are great supplements to a teacher’s salary.

“When I first started, I took a pay cut,” he continued, “especially with my flight pay and housing allowances being gone. I felt those cuts the most. Fortunately, I have my pension and my family can use TRICARE and on-base facilities. There’s a large military presence in this area. But I didn’t get into teaching for the money. It’s something I love and for which I have a passion.”

Fox’s Advice
Talk to people who have already left the military. “Ask them what went well and what challenges they faced.”

Discuss the transition with your family. “They’re going to be affected by the lifestyle change as well. Also, they stuck with you when the military sent you around the world. They deserve a voice in this new chapter of your life.”

Do something you love. “Money isn’t everything. Do something that makes you happy and excited about going to work.”