Reavis Belin has been a teacher at Columbia Adventist Academy (CAA) for 29 years. He has personally taught the students in more than a quarter of the 100 classes to graduate from this school.
Some of the classes that Belin has taught over the years include auto mechanics, welding, algebra, drafting, woodworking and geometry. But even after all these years, Belin is innovative and has an endless supply of fun, creative ways for kids to learn. In his geometry class, the students cut out shapes from brightly colored paper. "When shapes are three-dimensional, the angles and other concepts are easier to grasp," said Belin.
Reavis Belin has quite a story about how he became a teacher. He used to be, of all things, a barber. When he tells the story of how he got here from there, he gets quite choked up at times. "There is no doubt this is what he loves and that he is very passionate about it," says Tami Congleton, CAA staff member.
And the students love Belin. Here are some things they shared about him.
"Mr. Belin always asks how I'm doing…and he really cares!"
"I have never seen Mr. Belin mad…he's like a big teddy bear!"
"If you need help and you ask Mr. Belin, you know he'll say yes."
Gary Brown, CAA principal, says, "Students, current and former, tell me when they think of CAA, they immediately think of Mr. Belin. That says a lot to me about the kind of teacher and person that he is."
Reavis Belin has taught at Columbia Adventist Academy for 29 years. (Kight Photography)
Reavis Belin, CAA teacher, helps sophomore John Miller understand math concepts. (Lara Dowie)
Reavis Belin, CAA teacher, assists sophomore John Miller with a geometry question. (Lara Dowie)
