“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” recites Jackie Robinson.
Landstown High School’s Mrs. Bell embodies this quote as she finds her purpose in life as being a teacher that positively influences her students.
Mrs. Bell discovered her passion for teaching as a child when she observed her mom teaching her class. At such a young age, she knew she wanted to leave a positive impact on young people, and the best way to do that is to become a teacher. But what kind of teacher you may ask?
“I felt the elementary students were too clingy and I loved literature so much, so it was clear that middle or high school English was the perfect fit for me,” she says.
Jacob Bernardo, a junior at Landstown High School, conveys that taking Mrs. Bell’s AP English 11 class makes him feel more confident in his writing skills and more prepared for the college exam.
Bernardo states, “Students should take AP Lang with Ms. Bell so that they can improve their skills in writing and English and index so they can be more prepared for the AP exam and for their future.”
Similarly, Natalia Bailey, a junior at Landstown High School voices, “I think a student should decide to take AP Lang with Ms. Bell because it is a very intuitive course that she helps to guide you through, so that way you understand all of the context of the course.”
Both Bailey and Bernardo express that Mrs. Bell is helping them not only prepare for the AP exam, but also the future. Based on their reviews about her, it is apparent that Mrs. Bell is really what students should look for in an English teacher.
Many know Mrs. Bell as the only AP English 11 teacher here at Landstown High School, but she also teaches Yearbook Journalism. She explains that beyond the challenging days of producing the school yearbook, she adores the creative aspect of the making process.
“There is something so freeing and exciting about watching each year’s staff come up with their own concept, visions, and ideas for the yearbook and then helping them bring that vision to life,” she adds, “I love when the yearbooks finally arrive in May and we get to actually hold the product of a year’s worth of work.”
It’s clear that Mrs. Bell finds creating a yearbook with the minds of her inspired students both a challenging, but rewarding process.
Outside of teaching, but keeping it school related, Mrs. Bell sponsors Landstown High School’s Leadership Workshop (LW). Her job is to help select a group of students each year who are excited about student leadership and the opportunity to reach out to other LHS students. To prepare for the school year’s Leadership Workshop, her and the LW Staff meet every other week up until the day of the actual workshop.
She expresses, “As someone who was transformed tremendously from attending Workshop as a student at the school level and citywide level, I know personally the incredible benefits … Here is something powerful and hopeful about seeing youth work together to better their school and instill values like community, collaboration, and school spirit.”
Mrs. Bell believes that the LW experience boosts the confidence of students and encourages them to get involved at school or in their communities, allowing for unexpected bonds between students to form.
Unlike many AP teachers, she focuses on finding a common ground between upholding her expectations as a teacher, yet also remembering that her students deal with outside factors such as personal issues and stress.
“I have to be willing to extend grace just like I need grace sometimes,” she says.
There is no doubt Mrs. Bell is an impactful teacher, and over the next years of her teaching, she will continue to leave a mark on future generations.
