Putnam County’s Amy Bell shares in her students’ growth: ‘It’s that light bulb moment’

Whether they primarily focus their time in the classroom, give their services to leadership initiatives, take on extracurriculars or a combination of all three; a teacher’s job is never truly done.

In Putnam County second grade teacher Amy Bell’s case, she has dedicated her time to making sure her students get the best education they can.

Bell spent the first three years of her teaching career at Lostant where she taught middle school language arts and then managed a fourth-grade classroom.

She then went to Mendota and taught fifth grade for a year, before making her transition to second grade at Putnam County. Before teaching at PC, Bell already was working as the varsity volleyball coach in Granville.

“I just recognized that it was a great district and it was a district that I hoped that I would get my foot in the door as a teacher and stay,” Bell said. “I wanted to be able to raise a family in the district, so a second grade teaching opportunity came open and that was where my dream job actually was.”

Bell is now in her eighth year at PC and has spent 12 years in education around the Illinois Valley.

In her time at PC, she has seen many students come and go through her classroom. For Bell, the most rewarding aspect of welcoming in her new students each year is that she is able to see them grow over a school year.

“I think that my favorite part about education is probably that light bulb moment with the kids where we’ve been working on something so hard and it’s been a challenge for some students and all of a sudden they get it,” Bell said.

For her and her students, Bell said, while the work can be challenging, it’s the sense of accomplishment and achievement throughout the year that keeps things moving in the right direction.

“It’s just their excitement and their joy and how proud I am of them and their internal pride,” Bell said. “Seeing that growth that they make is really cool. I think that’s what I enjoy a lot about second grade.”

Growth is important for Bell but she also enjoys establishing a personal relationship with her students as they learn.

Bell said she believes there are many individuals who play a role in the education and growth of a child. These people, from fellow teachers, administrators, peers and family members, play their role in the growth of one child.

“I think education is 100% a collaboration,” Bell said. “We are working with each other every day, working with parents and working with the students to help them develop the best that we possibly can.”

Bell said she feels fortunate to be supported by the administration at Putnam County, which has worked hard to try and meet the teachers’ needs in her time at the school.

Bell mentioned that the school also feels the support of the local community from organizations like the Putnam County Education Foundation and through parents of many of the students in the classroom.

Outside of her classroom, Bell is the varsity volleyball coach and also fills many leadership roles in the district.

Bell serves as a chairperson for the school’s EPIC program, which is designed for curriculum improvements for herself and her fellow teachers.

She has taught alongside student teachers in her classroom as well as served as a mentor teacher for young educators in the school for many years.

Bell is a part of the leadership team at the school and serves in other positions such as on the social and behavior committees.

“I think that I like serving on the different committees because I get to learn more about what’s going on through the unified district,” Bell said. “I can kind of see the different things that are happening at different buildings.”

These responsibilities, outside the normal classroom, give Bell an opportunity to see all sides of a child’s growth and continue the work to improve local education.

“I’ve said that I would never be able to be at a job that I did the same thing every day because I would be easily bored,” Bell said. “This ability to be here is great because you get different students every year and you have to meet their needs differently every single year.”