Emily Ridge

Upon graduation Emily undertook a Bachelor in Primary Education at La Trobe University, Bendigo and completed one of her placements at BalCC in our Lower Primary classrooms.  Here Emily shares about her time at BalCC and during placement:

“Since graduating from BalCC in 2019, I have successfully completed three years of my Bachelor in Primary Education at Bendigo La Trobe University. Coming into university from BalCC I felt ready and able to conquer the world of university and the subjects they had to offer, as the positive learning experiences that I had at BalCC gave me the confidence that I needed to tackle the next chapters of my life.

My time at BalCC was encouraging as teachers would always walk past and greet you with a smile. I loved being at a faith-based school, as this not only strengthened my worldviews as a Christian to be ready for the challenges ahead, but it also helped me to achieve the education I needed to follow into my passion of being a teacher. During my time at university, I have stayed connected to my fellow teachers and students, which has blessed me with the opportunities of coming back to the College for the third placement in my course.

It has been a privilege to come back and see the constant growth that the College has experienced and the continuing improvements that will benefit the College facilities and grounds for the staff and future generations of the College. During my placement at the College, I have been able to spend time in the Lower Primary classrooms, where there were abundant resources that I could use and incorporate into my teaching practice. I was blessed with so much support and it has been amazing to enjoy all the new improvements that the primary school has to offer! It has also been wonderful to observe the values that the College upholds in all learning and teaching moments.

The most valuable experience during these four weeks at the College was being able to share devotions with fellow teachers and students of a morning. As a pre-service teacher at the College I have been encouraged in my faith and my abilities to show resilience and creativity in my ongoing practice as a pre-service teacher. I loved feeling a part of a community where teachers put so much passion and faith into their classrooms, which shines through all the students at the College. Coming to the end of my placement it was sad to say goodbye to such an amazing Year 1 and 2 class, whom I had the pleasure of co-teaching with Kirsty Johnson for the past four weeks. It has been a valuable learning experience for me, and I will never forget it!”