Rey Bell Built His Classroom Around Connection, and Students Feel It

Publish Date: Jan. 12, 2026

If you’ve taken a class in Crafton Hills College’s Respiratory Care program, odds are you’ve met Professor Rey Bell. And if you have, there’s a good chance he already knew your name within the first week.

Bell’s desire to connect with each one of his students is a fundamental piece of his teaching philosophy. “By learning each student’s name,” he says, “it allows the students to feel acknowledged, accepted, and to begin feeling comfortable right away.” This connection with his students is evident throughout his classes. Bell teaches a variety of courses in the Respiratory Care program (from introductory theory and lab classes to advanced courses) and also teaches and mentors students through the clinical portion of their training.

He believes that his teaching philosophy of empathy and accessibility was absent when he was a student. “Some of my instructors were quite intimidating,” Bell said. “While they taught very well, I did not find them very approachable.

Bell has created a safe, inclusive environment for his students.

“There is no such thing as a dumb question,” he says. “I want my students to feel that they can ask me anything, anytime...not just during my office hours. The doors to my classroom and office are always open.”

In addition to educating his students on clinical procedures, Bell believes that they need to understand the impact that they will have on patients’ lives. “As graduates, these individuals will be entering a profession where patients are dependent upon them,” he says. “I want my students to truly realize the level of responsibility that comes with this profession.”

Bell’s passion for teaching has led him to often ponder the hardships that his students have overcome to be successful. “There was a student in our program who lived in a car the entire time they attended,” he said. “They never missed a class, nor did they ever ask for assistance, nor did they miss a single clinical rotation. Not a single person knew that this student was living in a car until after graduation. They found employment and are doing well. If only I had known, so that I might have been able to assist.”

These moments remind Bell of the true value of teaching: not just to provide knowledge, but to serve as a stable, positive influence for students striving for a better life.

Many of Bell’s connections with his students continue after they graduate. Bell is a clinical instructor at Riverside Community Hospital and regularly encounters students who have graduated from Crafton and are working as respiratory therapists. “It is wonderful to see them working as members of the respiratory care team,” he said. “From time to time, they will send me texts or stop by to let me know how things are going. It is a great feeling to see how far they have progressed.”

Prior to becoming an educator, Bell was unsure which direction to pursue after graduating from high school. “I excelled in math and science,” he said. “I wanted a career that utilized both. I saw the title ‘Respiratory Care’ in the college catalog, and it seemed interesting. I had no idea what it entailed.” That decision set Bell on a long and fulfilling career as a respiratory therapist; he worked clinically at Redlands Community Hospital and later at Riverside Community Hospital.

During his time working as a respiratory therapist, Bell found himself developing a desire to teach. “I realized that I thoroughly enjoyed assisting students in the clinical area,” he said. In 2000, Bell had the opportunity to teach part-time at Crafton Hills College. Initially, Bell assisted in the lab and taught medical terminology, but eventually took on additional responsibilities. “One thing led to another,” he said. “Now, I am still teaching.”

Bell has filled several positions since he began teaching at Crafton. He served as the Clinical Director of Education and the Program Director, and currently works as a full-time professor in the Department of Career and Technical Education. Bell earned his Associate Degree in Respiratory Care from Victor Valley College, Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health Education from California State University, San Bernardino, and Master’s Degree in Management from the University of Redlands. Additionally, Bell is a Licensed Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner and serves as an instructor for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program through the American Pediatric Academy.

Although Bell has spent over 20 years in education, he still finds teaching exciting. “Watching students grow, pass their boards, and secure employment, it never becomes old,” he said. “I genuinely enjoy what I do.”

Bell spends his free time with his family and watching sports. “Basketball, football, baseball, horse racing, I support all of it,” he said. Although many of his students view him as serious, Bell’s family will attest that he is a big jokester. “My children say that my jokes are corny,” he laughed. “However, my students will always remember me telling them to ‘bank it in.’ It is my method of reminding them to keep track of important information...whether for an exam or for the field.”

Over 20 years at Crafton have provided Bell with a sense of purpose in his ability to help students succeed. “Each class, each student, provides a new opportunity for me to positively affect a student’s life,” he said. “To see them employed as respiratory therapists, and performing the tasks that they set out to accomplish, makes everything worthwhile.”