Portrait of an Educator: Mrs. Polly Sauls of Bell

By Ashley Jones

For the past eight years, Bell Elementary School has been blessed with the helpful hands of Mrs. Polly Sauls. I went to speak with Mrs. Polly this week to ask her about her life, her career and what drives her to volunteer everyday at the school.
Mrs. Polly grew up in Bell and was the oldest of 12 children. She graduated from Bell High School and then from Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Mrs. Polly also did a fellowship for a year through the International Rotary at the University of Capetown in South Africa. The teachers who inspired this future educator the most were Mr. John Dew, Mrs. Louise Coleman, and Mrs. Iris Roberts.
Mrs. Polly taught for 36 years in all grades from kindergarten to college courses. She taught at Trenton and Bell Elementary Schools and the John Morse School in Gilchrist County as well as in Cross City, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Savannah, Georgia and Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The best part of teaching, she says, was “Getting to know the students and watching them mature and get excited about learning; teaching them long division and seeing the ‘AHA!’ moment and all of the sudden they get it.”
It is plain to see this love of teaching is still evident in this veteran instructor. In fact, during our interview she was busy working on a project for another teacher at the school. That is just one of her many daily tasks at the elementary. She also works with students in small groups and tutoring throughout the day. This begins at 6:30 a.m. when she arrives at school and doesn’t end until well after the students have gone home. In addition to this, Mrs. Polly serves on the School Improvement Team for both Bell Elementary and Middle/High Schools.
I asked Mrs. Polly what motivates her to volunteer so much of her time everyday. Her reply, “Having taught for 36 years I know what kind of help teachers can use. I try to help them as much as I can. I like helping the kids, too.”
The most important things to instill in students, Mrs. Polly says, are “Honesty and caring for one another… and they don’t test for that.”
Michelle Smith, former principal of Bell Elementary says this of Mrs. Polly, “What would Bell Elementary be without her? It would not be complete. She is part of the heartbeat of the school. She is loved, respected, and admired by all.”
This is a sentiment echoed around the campus at the Elementary, and rightly so. You see, Mrs. Polly taught many of the teachers at the school when they were children. Sherry Lindsey, interim principal at the school says “Mrs. Polly has been an inspiration to me beginning in 5th grade when she was my teacher. She continues to inspire everyone around her with her love and dedication to the school system.”
No doubt about it, Mrs. Polly is a bedrock in the educational foundation at Bell Elementary. She is a jewel of the community who continues to reach a new generation of Bell students through the gifts of her time, knowledge and heart.