Pate’s Creek Elementary School Teacher Named Teacher of the Year for Griffin RESA TAPP Program

HENRY COUNTY, GA – The Griffin Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) recently named Courtney Bell, an Exceptional Student Education teacher at Pate’s Creek Elementary School, as teacher of the year for its Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (TAPP) program.

Griffin RESA serves Henry County Schools and seven other school districts south of Atlanta. The agency’s TAPP program is an alternative pathway to certification for aspiring teachers.

“I’m not going to lie, I did shed a tear when I won,” Bell said.

Teachers with provisional certifications can enroll in TAPP, which compresses a four-year certification into two years. They graduate as fully certified teachers.

Bell finished in the top 10 of her class and was honored just to be nominated for TAPP Teacher of the Year alongside many other strong teachers in the group of more than 80.

Her story demonstrates the possibilities for those without teaching degrees who become interested in the profession. She encourages anyone considering teaching to give it a shot.

“Going through Griffin RESA was a good experience,” Bell said. “You learn a lot. The field supervisors have so much knowledge to give to you. …When you’re not doing something right, they don’t tear you down. They are there to help you, there to mold you, there to guide you. You also have a mentor inside of your building, as well, that you work closely with, so to have all that support behind you can definitely shape you into being an awesome educator.”

Bell started at Pate’s Creek Elementary as a paraprofessional while pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. She was assigned to a classroom of special education students in the third through fifth grades. When the teacher left the following year, Principal Jennifer McCrary suggested that Bell complete the TAPP program and take on teaching responsibilities for the class.

“It didn’t take long to notice that she was already functioning as a teacher in every sense of the word,” McCrary wrote in her letter nominating Bell for TAPP Teacher of the Year. “She took initiative, built meaningful relationships with students, and consistently used creative strategies and resources to meet their needs.”

Bell had studied psychology and sociology at Georgia State University. She was focused on counseling and didn’t think teaching would be her strength.

“Teaching has really shown me a lot about myself that I didn’t know I was capable of,” she said. “To teach others and to see it stick and see them regurgitate it back – a lightbulb came on.”

 Change of plans

As far back as she can remember, Bell wanted to be a counselor.

“I was always that friend everybody’d come to and tell everything to,” she said.

She understands what it’s like to face difficulties as a child. Her father died when she was 1 year old. But she benefited from the support of teachers, especially in her senior year at Northgate High School in Coweta County.

“I knew the struggle that a lot of kids went through with family, and I just wanted to give back what somebody had given to me,” Bell said.

She didn’t envision working with elementary school children, thinking she would prefer preparing older students for life after high school.

Her first job after college was in the billing department with Apple. Even that had an unexpected connection to children.

“Most of the time, it was parents calling in about their children playing games and making hundreds of dollars in purchases,” Bell said.

After she had her fourth and youngest child, she became the assistant director of his day care center. She took over the after-school program and implemented more dynamic activities, such as field trips and themed educational weeks during the summer. Then, she worked alongside a teacher in a Georgia Lottery-funded pre-K program.

She left the workforce in 2020, when COVID-19 closed schools and day cares. Then, five years ago, she joined HCS as a paraprofessional working with high school students at the JB Henderson Center, which serves students with emotional and behavioral disabilities.

Bell had enrolled in a graduate degree program for counseling, but she couldn’t complete the required internship at JB Henderson. She took the paraprofessional job at Pate’s Creek Elementary to satisfy the requirements of her internship.

A year later, when McCrary asked Bell to become a teacher, Bell didn’t hesitate to say yes.

“I had gotten an attachment to those students in that classroom,” Bell said. “I knew that I could make a difference with them.”

She completed her internship and earned her master’s degree in counseling from Walden University while also attaining her teaching certification through TAPP.

“That decision alone speaks volumes about her dedication, courage, and commitment to students,” McCrary said.

Persevering through adversity

Bell’s students follow an alternative curriculum, but she still makes a point of introducing general grade-level standards, to get them as close as possible. Although her students are intellectually disabled, she teaches them critical thinking skills to go beyond the curriculum. She also teaches strategies for reading and learning without depending on others for help.

One of her third-graders couldn’t recognize letters or numbers, but now she is writing paragraphs and doing multiplication and division.

“Her classroom is a model of structure, consistency, and care – an environment where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to learn,” McCrary said. “She is passionate about creating meaningful experiences for her students, especially her exceptional education learners, and has led opportunities for them to explore the world beyond school.”

Bell coordinated two field trips for the Exceptional Student Education students at her school: one visit to the Georgia Aquarium and another to Zoo Atlanta.

She also sponsors her school’s “student ambassadors,” who lead district officials and new students on tours. She took that group to tour the Georgia State Capitol this year.

“I wanted them to see what it’s like being an actual leader in our community,” she said.

She pulled it all off despite a succession of personal challenges, including a car accident in December that left her walking with a boot for months.

Amid the hardship, Bell still gave her best efforts to her students. And it all flashed through her mind when she was named TAPP Teacher of the Year.

“I was really grateful to receive that, because I was still trying to stay on top of it, keeping my life as normal as possible,” she said.

Bell’s award shows that some of the most talented and passionate educators come from non-traditional backgrounds.

“The district is committed to supporting individuals like Ms. Bell who possess diverse professional and life experiences as they transition into our classrooms,” Executive Director of Employment Amy Spicer said. “With accessible routes available to effectively prepare individuals for the teaching profession, we have and will continue to expand our talent pool and ensure students benefit from educators who bring a wide range of perspectives and expertise.”

“Henry County Schools partners with various colleges, universities, and educational agencies that offer alternative routes to teacher certification,” added Superintendent Dr. John Pace III. “These important partnerships offer diverse programs allowing educators to find a program that best fits their needs and learning style, ultimately supporting our goal to recruit, retain, and develop high-quality employees.”