Ashley Rittinger
EDUC 3505
Robert LeBlanc
Statement of Personal Teaching Beliefs and Values
When adults are making conversation with children, a popular question that is asked is:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”. When I was little, my answer was always
consistent. “Babysitter”, I would say, without hesitation. As I got a little older, the answer
changed to “pediatric nurse,” and then to “speech pathologist.” Finally, after approximately six
months of researching post-secondary schools near home, I decided my calling was to move two
hours away to Lethbridge to become a teacher. Looking back on my other career choices from
my youth makes it clear that I was always interested in working with children. I had a relatively
rocky start to my school career when I started grade one at a public charter school. My class was
very small and only three of us were girls. Everything started out alright, and then developed into
a mess when the other two girls decided they did not like me as much as they liked each other. I
shuffled around behind those two for a few months before I realized they hung out a lot on the
weekends without me. After I cut myself away from the neglectfulness of the girls, the only
female person left to be friends with was my teacher, who had a lot of better things to do than sit
with me at lunch. In hindsight, I probably could have pushed my way in to be friends with some
of the boys, but they liked to play soccer at recess, and I wasn’t much good at that. As time went
on, I became very lonely. I didn’t really have any friends that would hang out with me after
school or have sleepovers on weekends. I had a very sad first two years of school and no one
seemed to notice. My mom taught me grade two and even she did not realize until I explained to
her much later how much the bullying affected me and my willingness to both come to school
and to learn.
I decided that I wanted to become a teacher to make sure nobody had to go through what
I did in their first few years of school. The many years of observation I have experienced as a
student have helped me to see what goes on inside the minds of the most vulnerable populations.
I vowed that I would pay attention to them. The quiet ones who seem fine on the surface, but
inside they are suffering. I have since decided that I want to become a high school teacher, but
that does not mean I will let life pass the lonely ones by. I will check on them often because most
of the time, high school is where the most vicious of bullies hide. I want to be a source of
comfort for those who don’t receive what they need from their family or their friends.
When I think of myself as a teacher, I see a kind, patient person who loves what they do.
I know that this perception of myself is something that I can strive for, but of course, everyone
has their bad days. Because my passion lies in teaching dramatic arts, I have a differing view
from many people about what learners will look like in my classroom. Often, the high school
drama classroom doubles as the school theatre. The theatre is a place where student’s minds are
pushed to develop creativity, rather than academic proficiency. Classroom management looks a
lot different in this setting than in a traditional classroom as well. Students are encouraged to let
out their voice, to tell their opinions, and to show their emotions. This is often a vulnerable
experience for young people, so I want my classroom to be an open minded and supportive place
to explore the deepest corners of the mind. Drama education is so important for honing skills in
many different areas. Not only does it open the centres of imagination and emotion, it helps to
understand the way the human body moves, feels and develops. Drama opens a window into a
judgement. Everyone comes to school to learn, and the drama classroom is no different. Because
it is a creative field, students will have different skill levels and willingness to participate. I will
not force them to be creative. I want creativity to flow as a product of interest and understanding.
Some students will take longer to unhinge themselves from the norms of society, but eventually,
I want students to feel comfortable enough around each other to show the most vulnerable parts
of themselves through characterization and action. It is easy to find yourself in the characters of
texts explored in drama. I want my students to be able to relate to those we read about. I will
know that I have taught successfully when students are able to fully let go of who they are to
become someone they want to be. “In education, [drama] is a mode of learning that challenges
students to make their world meaningful”, (Gałązka, 2011). The purpose of education is to help
us understand what is of value to each of us. Education shows us how to be mindful and
confident.
I strive to foster relationships with children. To learn their names and their stories. To
learn who they are on a personal level so that I can choose study material that will be relevant to
them. I strive to engage in career-long learning, to better myself so I can continue to better the
students. I will always be researching ways to engage, interest and effectively deliver content to
my students. I will strive to demonstrate only the most professional knowledge of dramatic arts
that I have to give. Students deserve to be given high quality education. I can and will give them
all that I have to offer. My classroom will be a comfortable, inclusive place to learn. My
classroom will be a diverse, inclusive, accepting, welcoming space for everyone, regardless of
race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. According to O’Gorman et al, alternative schools
which provide a sanctuary for students, increase student engagement both academically and
within the school community, (O’Gorman et al, 2016). In my opinion, making my classroom into
a “sanctuary” for my students would create the same effect. Everyone will have the equity to
demonstrate their knowledge. I will use Indigenous Canadian texts to apply foundational
knowledge of the past and present of First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples. Making sure the
students are immersed in culture, knowledge and understanding is important to me. I will always
be professional and ethical in my treatment of students. I will adhere to the legal frameworks and
policies laid out by the Alberta Education system. I will always do my best to ensure that my
classroom is the most positive learning environment it can be for every individual who walks
through the door. I believe all students should benefit from equity of opportunity to learn. I
believe we should support students with special needs. I believe class sizes should be small and
regulated.
O'Gorman, E., Salmon, N., & Murphy, C., (2016) Schools as sanctuaries: A systematic review of
contextual factors which contribute to student retention in alternative
education, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20:5, 536-
551, DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2015.1095251