“It’s the ‘a-ha moments’ for me that have been the most rewarding,” explained Iola High School math teacher Amanda Belknap. “The kids who don’t think they can do math or feel like it’s not their thing, but then all of a sudden it clicks. They just light up.”
The Iola native has been teaching for 19 years. Of these, she has spent 17 years mentoring and helping shape the lives of Iola High School students.
Teaching seemed a natural fit for Belknap. “Going through school, I was always the math nerd,” she laughed. “I constantly had kids around me who I was helping and tutoring. I’ve always loved numbers and I’ve been obsessed with the Fibonacci sequence since I was pretty young.”
Belknap had her very own “a-ha moment” when she realized that teaching was her life’s calling at a young age. “I had Vickie Tholen as a first and third grade teacher and I knew from that point on that I wanted to be just like her — I wanted to be a teacher,” she explained. “I’ve had a ton of amazing teachers in Iola, but she was the first that I really looked up to.”
Belknap and her older sister, Holly, were first-generation college students. Looking up to her big sister, who attended Emporia State University, she followed in her footsteps. Graduating from high school in 2003, Belknap was on the educational fast-track and quickly earned her bachelor’s degree in 2005 from Emporia State. After starting a family with husband Christopher, she went back and received her master’s in Adaptive Special Education in 2010. The couple has three kids, Molly, 18, Ethan, 17, and Logan 14.
Through loss and grief, Belknap’s bond and adoration for her sister grew stronger. In her early twenties, her mother passed away from cancer. “Holly took on that mom role,” she explained. “She has been the biggest role model in my life.”
IN ADDITION to teaching, Belknap has been the adviser of the National Honor Society at IHS for 15 years. She has also been the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club sponsor since its inception five years ago. “At one time it was the biggest club at IHS because it encompasses LGBTQ+ kids and allies,” she said. “It’s really cool.”
She noted that Thrive Allen County has been a huge help for the GSA club via grant writing. “Since GSA is not a KSHSAA (Kansas State High School Activities Association) activity, I don’t get paid to be the sponsor,” she said. “However, with the help of Thrive, we have money to spend in the club that helps us do some really cool things.”
She sees her work with the GSA club as vital and strives to help kids feel accepted. “The Trevor Project says that teenagers are 40% less likely to commit suicide if they have one adult who accepts them,” she explained. “I always have that in the back of my mind. I love being that person for them. Even if nobody else knows or nobody else can accept them — I can.” The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 that focus on suicide prevention efforts among non-heterosexual youth.
Through her teaching, Belknap hopes she can awaken a love of learning in her students.
“Even if they don’t go to college, I hope that I can inspire my students to love learning and to continue to explore topics that they don’t know about,” said Belknap. “I hope they stay thirsty for knowledge.”
Considering herself a lifetime learner, Belknap applies this mindset to her own life. She has been a part of a local book club for nearly seven years that helps foster this desire. “It’s all well-educated, well-spoken and intelligent women in the club who get together and talk about books,” she said.
“It’s good to be around women who have similar thoughts.”
