by Kate Evans
Paw Paw Schools special education teacher Rhiannon Ritenour was selected for the Mary Linn Fox Memorial Award for First Year Teacher at the April 1 Morgan County School Board meeting. Ritenour is a teacher for special education multi-categorical students.
Ritenour attended Frostburg State University from 2014-2018 and pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in art history and graphic design. She also received a West Virginia Alternative Education Program certification which gave her a provisional license to work in West Virginia.
Special education interest
Ritenour said that she began as a substitute teacher at Paw Paw Schools and that she really wanted to work as a special education teacher for students with special needs. Ritenour said that Paw Paw Schools Assistant Principal Amber Guthrie encouraged her to pursue a special education degree.
Ritenour said she also had life experience with a family member that had Down’s Syndrome. Ritenour helped take care of her a lot.
Philosophy
As a first-year teacher, Ritenour’s philosophy of teaching is that she tries to encourage the growth mind set and experience that the school system instills in students. Having a positive relationship with students and knowing who they are as students is also important.
Ritenour said that Paw Paw Schools uses Capturing Kids Hearts. Students really love talking about the good things in their lives.
Activities
Ritenour said her special education students love doing activities in the kitchen and helping the community. They like to write cards for the Paw Paw Senior Center at Christmastime and holidays.
In the kitchen her students make themed treats like cupcakes and brownies and hand them out to students and staff, Ritenour said.
Ritenour does a lot of positive things in the classroom. Before Easter break her class was looking up recipes on the computer and calculating how much ingredients would cost. They were also engaged in cleaning up the classroom.
Ritenour loves Paw Paw Schools very dearly. They have such a small team that really works together.
“It’s been a very great experience doing this,” Ritenour said of her first-year teaching at Paw Paw Schools.
Ritenour said she was very honored and very surprised to receive the Mary Linn Fox Memorial Award for First Year Teacher.
Her only advice for new teachers is for them to build connections with their students. Ritenour noted that many students struggle with poverty and hard things in their lives.
“When they have someone who cares, it helps kids get through it all. Being more authoritative is not necessary all the time. It’s important to make teaching engaging,” Ritenour said.
Paw Paw Schools Principal Melinda Kasekamp said of Ritenour:
“We are so incredibly proud of Ms. Ritenour for being named the Morgan County First Year Teacher of the Year. She ensures the success of students in need of extra support. She has formed positive mentoring relationships with many of the students and is the adult that so many of them need during the tumultuous high school years.”
