Houston Area Teacher Center Conference & Job Fair - University of Houston
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Houston Area Teacher Center Conference & Job Fair

Teacher Candidate meets with School District Reps at the HATC Job Fair
A Teacher candidate speaks with a school district representative at the HATC Job Fair at the Hilton, University of Houston on November 13, 2015.

Approximately 650 teacher education students from the University of Houston College of Education (UH COE) and partnering Texas universities attended the Houston Area Teacher Center’s (HATC) biannual Student Teaching Conference and Job Fair held on November 13, 2015.

The purpose of the fair is to bring future teachers and representatives from 43 public school districts and entities together to learn and network.  The consortium provides a forum for representatives from each school district to solve issues of common concern. Together district and UH representatives discuss certification areas that districts would like to focus on, job placements for student teachers, policy statements and more.

Teacher Candidates discuss issues at a workshop at the College of Education Farish Hall
Teacher Candidates discuss issues at a workshop at the College of Education Farish Hall during the HATC Conference and Job Fair.

Teacher Candidates from the UH College of Education and partnering universities began the day with a general session at the Hilton University of Houston where district representatives fielded questions from students eager to secure teaching jobs.

Jeff McCanna, Officer of Human Capital, Human Resources at the Houston Independent School District was one of the panelists who praised the UH College of Education students. "One thing I really like about UH graduates is that many of them already have the HISD experience and therefore know how best to effectively teach in our system.”

After the general session, students made their way to Farish Hall to attend two sessions that covered topics such as job seeking strategies, financial issues, leadership skills, and how to create an electronic portfolio. Wayne Emerson, visiting professor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies led two workshops, one which was entitled What the Principal Wants to See When Visitiong Your Class which covered the new evaluation system, teacher appraisal, and how teachers can be their best.  "I had a group of eager young teachers who will be assets to the profession," he said.  "They were very eager to learn how to become better teachers.”

Ikram Hersi, a (4-8 Science) Student Teaching Candidate at UH COE, appreciated the information she received from the conference. "The panel discussion was very informative, engaging, and helpful," said Hersi.  "I will definitely use the tips they offered."  And Robert Lospeich a UH Clear Lake (7-12) Social Studies Teacher Candidate said “The discussions were great!  Questions were expertly answered and there was excellent audience participation.”

Student Teacher Candidates at the HATC Job Fair in the University Center
Teacher Candidates registering for the HATC Conference and Job Fair.

The day ended with students returning to the Hilton University of Houston for a job fair where teacher candidates met with representatives from area schools and entities, interviewed, and in some cases, walked away with the job offers they had been working so long to attain.

Two Teacher Candidates, Maribel Rebollar (EC-6 Bilingual) and Larisa Wright (4-8 Generalist) from UH Clear Lake received letters of intent from Galina Park ISD.  “As a grad from North Shore High School in Galena Park ISD 20 years ago, I’ll be returning as a middle school teacher," said Wright. It’s an honor and a privilege to teach in the place I came from.” What a great way to end the day!!

In 1971, HATC began with only six Houston area school districts under the direction of UH Professor Robert Houston. A grant from the US Office of Education funded it initially, but the innovative concept caught fire. One of the first teacher advisory groups of its kind in the country, HATC’s success helped inspire the State of Texas to mandate that similar teacher centers be created across the state. Over the years, the consortium has bloomed in its size and impact.