College of Charleston alumna Emma Rittenbaum ’10 was named the Charleston County School District (CCSD) 2011 Rookie Teacher of the Year. Rittenbaum teaches first grade at St. James-Santee Elementary School.
“She is quite simply the most gifted first-year teacher I have ever had the privilege to work with,” says Chris Swetckie, principal of St. James-Santee Elementary School. “Before the school year even began, I had parents asking me if their child could be in her class.”
Rittenbaum graduated from the College’s School of Education, Health, and Human Performance with a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education. She was named the Early Childhood Outstanding Student her senior year and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Rittenbaum completed her clinical internship at Stiles Point Elementary School in Robbin Mosier’s first grade class.
“We proud of Emma’s performance in the classroom and are honored to call her an alumnae. It’s a wonderful reflection on our teacher education department to have one of our graduates named Rookie of the Year for one of the state’s largest school districts,” says Fran Welch, Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance. “We place a focus not just on instructional pedagogy, but also on the engagement and compassion necessary to really reach students. Our education majors become leaders in the profession with the help of our diverse, talented and experienced faculty.”
Rittenbaum credits her time at the College with helping to shape her future.
“I spend a lot of time planning for each week, each lesson, and each individual student,” Rittenbaum says. “After reviewing the teacher’s guide and standards, I decide how I can take the material and add more student involvement, or how we can add more manipulatives to help students who need the hands-on experiences to grasp a concept.”
