Forty future P.E. teachers are out in the schools this fall gaining the hands-on experience to excel in their careers after they graduate next month.
Jim Ressler is making sure they’re also ready to secure those careers.
Ressler, professor of Physical Education Teacher Education, hosted an Oct. 11 workshop in Anderson Hall where his students learned about creating great résumés, participated in mock job interviews, networked with alumni in the profession and listened to a panel discussion/Q-and-A featuring people who make hiring decisions.
“This is ‘go time.’ We want to prepare our students as best as possible,” Ressler said. “Bringing experts to our candidates is that much more valuable than anything at an arm’s length or theoretical.”
Students see that “there is a network locally with NIU roots and that has been down this path before,” he added.
“We have panelists who were student-teaching here last year, and some who’ve been away for a couple years. Their examples are real. Their examples may have been from yesterday. The topics we cover and the questions we’re asking them are real-life and practical and often from those who are asking the questions in the field themselves.”
NIU alumni who returned included recent graduates Madison Mikos (Fall ’19), Johny Carvajal (Fall ’20), Jesus Bahena (Fall ’21) and Jordyn McFarlane (Fall ’22).
Other guests were current P.E. teachers Staci Hale and Kelly Zerby, along with regional K-12 administrators Melanie Bickley (elementary school principal), Jason Harper (superintendent), Jeff Henrikson (high school assistant principal) and Pam Pater (school district physical education coordinator).
All are complimentary of the preparation, professionalism and polish of the students, Ressler said, adding that “having those eyes and ears as a part of the team is invaluable.”
“I’m really proud of our alumni and friends who are always generous in giving back,” Ressler said. “It’s very easy for them to say yes, and I don’t take that for granted. We’re probably doing something right if they continue to be generous with their time.”
His Huskies gain what he calls “a separator” when they start knocking on doors.
“Certain things are happening this afternoon that are new territory for some of our students, and for others, they’ve already put in their first couple of job applications. A couple might already have something waiting for them,” he said. “The feedback that I hear from our candidates who have done this in years past is, ‘I’m really glad I had this as my baseline, or as my primer, because I was much more prepared in the next one.’ ”
Physical Education major Alicia Hrvatin appreciated the opportunity.
“I’m always struggling with what to ask an interviewer, and I thought I got a lot of good feedback regarding that. I wrote down a lot of answers to my questions,” said Hrvatin, who grew up in the Lincoln-Way School District 210 area and has already logged a few job interviews.
“I also think it was great to bounce ideas off my peers in my cohort,” she added. “We haven’t seen each other recently – we’d been used to talking to each other – and these seminars are a nice way for us to all get together and to chitchat every few weeks, just to see how things are going.”
She is eager to officially join the profession.
“It’s so important to give students a safe spot to learn from people who are empathetic to their situations. There are people out there who don’t understand the emotions and the domains that go into teaching, and I think that once people do realize the connections teachers have with their students on a personal level, they realize what creates a good student,” Hrvatin said. “I think I understand that, and so I’m excited to do it myself.”
Oskar Ibarra shares that emotion.
Growing up in Belvidere, he witnessed firsthand the power of the classroom.
“Education is in the family. My mother is a retired teacher – she just retired last year – so I saw the impact she has made on the community, both inside and outside of school. We’d go to the grocery store, and kids would identify her as their teacher and say hello. They were happy to see her,” Ibarra said.
“Seeing the positive impact that one person can make, I strived to do that,” he added, “and I know I can do that.”
Physical education is the best venue, he said.
“Academic-wise, I struggled sitting still,” he said. “When I got into P.E. was my time to shine, and I know there are other students out there like me.”
More photos: Click on any image for a larger view.
