Educators Help OU-Chillicothe Graduating Education Majors With Job Hunting Skills

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Ohio University Chillicothe’s graduating education majors recently participated in mock interviews with local educators and administrators to help hone their interview skills and prepare them for the job hunt, while learning what their local school districts are searching for in new teacher candidates. 

Karen Corcoran, associate professor of instruction in the Patton College of Education, middle childhood education program and regional coordinator of professional internships in teaching, said many local school partners expressed interest in coming to campus to meet the teacher candidates. 

“This annual event benefits both our graduating teacher candidates and the school districts in our surrounding area,” Corcoran said. “Not only do the teacher candidates get an opportunity to practice this important job search skill, but the local administrators get to practice interviewing and meet viable candidates for teaching positions in their school district. This event also gives Ohio University Chillicothe the opportunity to continue to cultivate the great relationships we have with our partner schools that host our teacher candidates in clinical field opportunities, including the capstone internship, formerly called student teaching.” 

Corcoran noted that the mock interview process has resulted in many job opportunities and hires over the years. 

Kim Adams, gifted coordinator from Southern Ohio Educational Service Center, participated in the mock interview day for the second time and described the day as mutually beneficial for the teacher candidates and for the school administrators who attended.  

“I’m so excited to be able to participate,” Adams said. “What a wonderful experience this is. I wish this had been an experience I had been afforded when I was finishing my student teaching because it does give you that skillset to prepare for an actual interview. This also gives us great experience getting to know these candidates.” 

Jeremiah Oates is graduating this spring with his Bachelor of Science in Education in middle childhood education and has been selected as an Outstanding Graduate for his program. He said the mock interview day allows students to see viewpoints from various school districts and helps them prepare for interviews as part of their job search.  

Oates already has a job lined up at Chillicothe Intermediate School where he will be teaching sixth-grade math and science.  

Gage Bray, who graduates this spring with his Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus in special education-intervention education, is one of four Patton College of Education students selected for the Lester D. Crow award for outstanding professional interns. Bray said the mock interviews gave him confidence in knowing and representing his abilities. Kathleen Haskell, coordinator of professional internships in teaching from the Patton College Office of Clinical Experiences, presented the Lester D. Crow award to Gage Bray. Haskell emphasized that only 4 education students out of the more than 300 graduating across the OU campuses received this award.  

Following the mock interviews, students and visiting administrators continued their discussions over lunch and school administrators shared their perspectives and expertise during a Q&A session.