Paul Bonnell: Best Teacher and Musician

BONNERS FERRY — Paul Bonnell has been reaching out and positively affecting lives for many years, not only through teaching, but also music. The impact he has made was evident in the 2019 voting results for the Best of Boundary County, where Bonnell was voted Best Teacher at a Local School, and Best Musician.

Bonnell said teaching found him. He began working in the maintenance department and admissions office during college, and was a professor’s assistant. He also had experience in publications, such as the college newspaper and an arts/letters magazine. After a series of other odd jobs, he started teaching and coaching.

Bonnell began his teaching career at the Praise Church School, from 1994 to 1995, then the Rocky Mountain Academy from 1999 to 2000. He became a teacher for the Boundary County School District #101 in 2000 and has taught as an adjunct for North Idaho College (NIC) intermittently since 2004.

This year Bonnell will be teaching English 11, Professional/Technical Literacy 12, and AP World History at Bonners Ferry High School. He will also teach English 101 at the NIC Bonners Ferry Center this fall, and probably History 102 in the spring.

“I enjoy the multi-layered conversations and interactions with students,” said Bonnell about teaching. “I always have been interested in geography, literature, writing, history, social studies, media arts, the outdoors, etc., and I find it challenging and rewarding to work with students as they discover these as well.”

Bonnell is also actively involved with sports. He coaches cross country at Boundary County Middle School, as well as distance track athletes at both the high school and middle school.

“The word ‘learning’ has its etymology in ‘cultivation,’ in finding or following a track or a path,” said Bonnell, “and it seems like such an apt description for what we are doing — finding our way(s) and helping others find theirs — cultivating patterns of thinking and doing and being.”

Bonnell said that one of the aspects he enjoys about being a teacher in this community is running across current and former students. This summer, at an art show in Coeur d’Alene that he was a part of, he had the opportunity to interact with several former students.

“We reminisced about class — assignments, discussions, books, poetry, and the process of discovery,” said Bonnell. “It’s hard to measure the value of these conversations. I’m not sure they should be quantified.”

As a musician, Bonnell plays folksy, acoustic guitar covers, although he said that he is branching out into some new fields. He can often be seen playing with Barb Robertson, Josh (Josue) Sherven, and India Rain at events around the county, such as Boundary County Fair, Boundary County Human Rights events, Kootenai River Days, and some fundraiser events.

Bonnell also enjoys playing at the The Pearl Theater during their Performer’s Circle, which takes place on the last Friday of every month, as well as their Open Mic night. Recently, Bonnell and the group had the opportunity to open for Sofia Talvik, a singer/songwriter from Sweden, at The Pearl Theater.

“We have played at the Kootenai River Brewing Company a few times and are hoping to play at some other restaurants/venues in town,” said Bonnell. “Last summer Barb, India, and I played at Ronniger’s Farm-To-Table dinner. It was a beautiful evening!”

Bonnell also plays with other musicians and he does write some of his own songs, although he said that he doesn’t usually play them. That may change in the future.

“We’ll see!” said Bonnell. “Musically, I feel like I am just ‘beginning,’ so to speak. There’s so much to learn. I have so much to learn.”

Bonnell began singing in church as a child, as well as singing in middle school and ninth grade choirs at his school in the Philippines.

“One of my college roommates introduced me to playing guitar,” said Bonnell, “but it wasn’t until I was teaching at Rocky Mountain Academy that some students really piqued my interest, and maybe the last decade or so that I have been playing with more regularity and focus.”

“I love how music connects us in so many complex and subtle ways — and on so many different levels,” said Bonnell. “I marvel at how variable the musical experience can be — from listening to music while on a walk or drive, to attending a concert or show, to playing music in a friend’s yard, to studying different musical styles, instruments, and histories.”

Bonnell enjoys the back stories behind songs, albums, bands, and artists.

“I love that there are musical traditions and ways of making music that are thousands of years old and about which we know so little, or nothing,” he said. “We live in such potentially rich musical contexts, and I’m curious about how we might discover and develop these.”

Bonnell appreciates the community of musicians in Boundary County, emphasizing the talent displayed in the many different genres and styles. He said that he is grateful for their interactions and connections, as well as the potential he sees in moving forward.

He is also appreciative of the community from his position as an educator in Boundary County.

“I am grateful to be just one part of students’ educational experiences here,” said Bonnell, “and I am honored to work with my colleagues, other parents, and community members here to support our students in their various endeavors.”

Bonnell expressed an emphatic “thank you to the community” for voting him the favorite local teacher and musician through the 2019 Best of Boundary County.