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Dorothy Foy is an unsung hero at Rosecrest Elementary! My son had her for 1st grade 5 years ago, and at the beginning of the year I was excited to find out why parents oohed and aahed about her as a teacher. It didn't take long before I saw why. Children love her! Each child feels loved, accepted and yes, encouraged to learn according to their ability. She has a way of distinguishing learning styles and abilities without any child feeling left behind.
She inspires confidence in each child to do better and do more than they think they can. From my observation, she does this by being incredibly organized, by utilizing centers to minimize downtime and by incorporating creative projects to make rote learning even more memorable. By doing this, she takes the unknown, or fear, out of the equation and children become obedient and trusting. Mothers of "difficult" children are the first to tell me they are amazed at Ms. Foy's "transformation" of their child, and I believe it. Second grade teachers comment on how prepared the children in her class are and what skills they bring: obedience, preparedness, confidence, self-awareness. My son was an advanced reader, and she challenged him just as she did with children who struggled to read. She truly sees each child as unique and valued, and not just as a test score. Ms. Foy would be the first to say she has shortcomings, but over the years has turned any weaknesses into strengths by inviting parents in the classroom to share talents and by taking classes on her own time to develop abilities.
Ms. Foy is the ultimate example of an outstanding educator and I would love to see her recognized in KSL's Teacher Feature. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions.
-Becky Pettit
