Inside Bell's Brain

This year will be my ninth year in education. I was blessed to spend my first four years in education as a Special Education Paraprofessional in my school's Autism Unit. I was simultaneously earning my Master of Arts in Education in ESL while gaining real classroom experience. Since 2011, I have been an ESL teacher, and I absolutely LOVE my job! I get to teach English to students in all grade levels, and my students are always teaching me new words in their home languages and new ideas in their cultures.

I believe in creating an educational experience for students. The more senses that are engaged, the more students are learning. So when you visit my classroom, you'll likely see students moving around and making noise, expressing themselves and learning through doing. I believe in establishing strong procedures and then letting students discover their own learning within those procedures. I encourage students to chase their thoughts if they have a new idea that leads them to a new direction. I believe this is where the most meaningful learning takes place.

CCBOE Employee of the Month, February 2014 Target Early Childhood Reading Grant, 2013-2014 ACEF Discretionary Grant, 2013-2014

Master of Arts in Education in English as a Second Language, K-12 Bachelor of Science in Marketing with Spanish minor

My name is Erika Bell, and I was born and raised in the great state of Alabama. In 2007, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, with a minor in Spanish. I earned my Master of Arts in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2011. I am highly qualified to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) for kindergarten through twelfth grade. I have three dogs, whom I consider to be my children. In my free time, I enjoy reading, watching movies, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family.