Traditional classroom experience preparing Bellish to explore tutoring
Former Coppell High School algebra II teacher Michelle Bellish prepares materials for her tutoring classes on Dec. 2 outside CHS. Bellish recently retired after 32 years of teaching because of COVID-19 and now has her own math tutoring service. Photo by Tracy Tran
December 10, 2020
For the past 32 years, former Coppell High School algebra II and advanced quantitative reasoning (AQR) teacher Michelle Bellish would walk into her classroom greeted by smiling students.
For the past 32 years, she would interact with each of her students, looking over their shoulders to watch them work, joining in the classroom camaraderie.
This year, for the first time, her day begins online. She logs on to her laptop as she works on her newly launched service, Michelle’s Math Tutoring.
Bellish was originally hoping to teach in the classroom for five to 10 more years. However, when COVID-19 hit, everything changed.
As she has elderly parents to take care of and didn’t feel safe coming into the classroom, Bellish decided to retire after the 2019-20 school year. Despite the new circumstances, she was not ready to stop teaching. Her passion led her to create an alternative solution: tutoring.
“It’s my passion to help kids and work with them,” Bellish said. “This is the next best thing. It’s not as great as the classroom, but it does keep me connected, and I’ve really enjoyed working with them so far.”
Bellish launched Michelle’s Math Tutoring in September through a Facebook page and is currently accepting students.
“She was actually my sister’s old teacher so that’s how my mom heard about her and signed me up,” Coppell Middle School East eighth grader Drew Minnick said. “She can see when I mess up and goes back and explains it really well. I’m always ready to learn something new and she helps me understand better.”
If I can help one student a year know their potential and that they can do this, even though they’ve been told they can’t, it gives me joy. — Michelle Bellish
Having worked as a traditional classroom teacher, Bellish understands both sides of the spectrum and ensures she tutors alongside the school teacher’s curriculum. As she now has primarily middle school students, her experience as a high school teacher also helps her prepare them for concepts in high school math.
“I’ve always been a classroom teacher and I’ve never tutored outside,” Bellish said. “It’s very different and I’m learning a lot. As a classroom teacher, I appreciated tutors who told the students to stay focused in class and learn from their teacher. I am not here to take their place, I’m here to supplement what the student needs.”
While tutoring is new to Bellish, teaching online is not. Throughout the years, she has posted more than 100 videos explaining concepts to her YouTube channel and has garnered more than 10,000 views.
To CHS algebra II teacher Reagan Richmond, who worked alongside Bellish for six years, her skills extend beyond mathematical expertise.
“She has a unique way of holding students accountable and raising kids to that level of accountability,” Richmond said. “She was a second mom to kids and somebody they could always come to. She always had a passion for not only her subject, but her students.”
These students are who Bellish misses the most. While tutoring allows for more one-on-one interaction, allowing students to collaborate and help each other out is difficult to facilitate on Zoom.
“I always worked in my classroom as a community, so I liked different opinions and ways of solving problems,” Bellish said. “If somebody had a better way to say it then I did, then by all means [they could] help. I miss that sense of community and the conversations that go on in the classroom as I’m walking around.“
Bellish can be contacted at [email protected] and plans to continue tutoring for the next several years.
“I have always made it my job to work with kids who struggle,” Bellish said. “If I can help one student a year know their potential and that they can do this, even though they’ve been told they can’t, it gives me joy.”
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Carol Burns • Jan 5, 2021 at 2:45 pm
Great job Michelle. I’m very impressed. You rock!!