Jamie Rylands

What year did you graduate from SRU and what was your major?
May 2014 
Major: Early Childhood Education, Special Education, with a Minor in Elementary Mathematics

What jobs have you landed?
August 2014 – Autistic and Emotional Support Teacher, at Moraine Elementary School in Slippery Rock Area School District
July 2015 – 2nd Grade Teacher, at Moraine Elementary School in Slippery Rock Area School District

How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?
I took an accumulation of interview questions from previous teaching interviews and brainstormed the best possible answers the days before the interview. 

What have you done well at that job?
I have become great at differentiating instruction, writing IEP’s, and individualizing lessons. My classroom management skills have improved tremendously. 

What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?
Smart Board and Promethean Board Workshop Presenter
Kindergarten Camp Teacher
SRU Track and Field High Jumper

What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?
The whole special education and elementary departments at SRU supported me tremendously.
My Advisor, Dr. Merhaut, guided me in all the right directions. He was always so easy to contact and willing to help!
My professor, and later student teaching supervisor, Dr. DeCarlo, was an amazing mentor. She gave the best feedback to help me improve my teaching strategies, and was never more than a phone call or email away for support.
Dr. Preston, Assistant to the Dean, was so easy to contact and continually supports me with everything including my efforts to extend my knowledge of smart boards to current SRU students. 

What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?
Don’t get discouraged when applying to schools in PA. I applied to over 50 schools across the state, and didn’t hear from a lot of them until late July and August. I was actually hired just 2 days before school started!
Apply anywhere and everywhere! The more interview experience you have the better. I truly believe all the interviews I had prepared me fully for my current job interview.