Velma Childs Bell is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She attended the Atlanta Public Schools System from elementary (W. J. Scott Elementary) to high school (Archer High School.) There was a love for teaching, even at a very young age as she tutored students while still in high school. Tutoring sparked her interest to further her education in college.
Mrs. Bell received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education in 1976 from Morris Brown College. In 1977, she received a Master of Arts degree in Learning Disability from Atlanta University, which is now known as Clark Atlanta University. She later received her T-6 Specialist degree in Inter-related/Learning Disability from Clark Atlanta University in 1996.
A lifelong teacher, Mrs. Bell taught in the Atlanta Public Schools System for 30 years before retiring in 2007. During her 30-year career, she received several awards such as Teacher of the Year and the Project Grad Award for Excellent Teaching of the Year. She was also awarded a grant by Scholastic Magazine to enhance the reading interest of her students.
Educating the future generations has always been a goal of Mrs. Bell’s. This book highlights her years of learning and growing as a teacher, and she hopes that this book will help teachers examine, inspire, and reflect on their true reasons for becoming a teacher.
Motto: “Education is a business. My business is educating students up to their potential level of success.”
Philosophy: I believe that every child has a right to an education. I believe that every child can learn, and as a teacher, I must be willing to seek out, observe, and present the materials to the students in an interesting and accurate way.