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Amanda Bell

School: Arnett Elementary, Erlanger-Elsmere Independent Schools
Grade/Subject: MSD Special Education
Years of Experience: 13

As a peer tutor in high school, I realized that I love working with people with disabilities. I went to art class with a boy who had been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and watched him light up the first time we used pastel crayons together and he created something himself! From then on, all of my favorite teaching moments are when I’ve been lucky enough to witness the “lightbulb moments” – the exact moment something “clicks” and a student understands a new concept or has mastered a new skill – or when they light up with pride in themselves!

My favorite thing about being a teacher right now is that I’m also a mom of two girls who attend the same elementary school where I work. I love the time with my kids in the car on the way to school and I love passing them in the hallway or popping in to the cafeteria during their lunch breaks to say hi. I also love that I see them learning to respect others’ differences. As a special education teacher, I often can only hope that my students’ peers see them as equals and I know that starting with my own kids, we’re making progress in that area because they are examples for their classmates and our school has the best climate of respect for peers!

I love spending time with my family – my husband, two daughters and I have 2 spoiled rescue puppies who love to explore local parks with us. I also love to read and we go to our local library every week, sometimes more than once a week to check out books, attend programs, and lately I’ve been able to join in their virtual adult book club.

I would choose to have the superpower or ability to heal others’ illnesses.

Follow Amanda on Twitter: @goteachmsd.