Bethany Unruh

115 E. Logan Ave. Emporia, KS 66801

Bletelli@g.emporia.edu (505) 412-3678
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To Whom It May Concern:
I am thrilled to for the opportunity to be considered for a position at this school. I
believe I will be a strong asset to this school and to the district because of my rigorous
education, broad experiences, and passion for teaching.
I recently graduated from Emporia State University (ESU) with a bachelors degree in
Elementary Education and a minor in Leadership. Through the ESU program I had the
opportunity to complete two full semesters of student teaching. In the fall of 2014, I assisted
in a 6th grade classroom at Reading Elementary. During my professional experience at
Reading I completed a teacher work sample; built, taught, and assessed my own curriculum;
and refined my personal classroom management strategies. In the spring of 2014, I taught a
semester in the 2nd grade at Riverside Elementary in Emporia, KS. At Riverside, I created
many interactive lessons in the core subject areas, prepared and analyzed learning
assessments, and participated in several professional development activities provided by the
STREAM grant through the Emporia School District. My Leadership minor included a 60-hour
internship in a special education classroom at William Allen White Elementary in Emporia in
the spring of 2013. As part of the internship, I assisted differentiated instruction for
struggling learners, helped prepare materials for state assessments of students with IEPS,
joined many Student Intervention Teams, and interacted one-on-one with many students who
are diagnosed with behavioral disorders. Each of these experiences added to an extensive
portfolio that showcases strengths that I bring to this teaching opportunity.
I believe that communication is a key strength I bring to every situation. During PLC
meetings I am able to refocus the group, express my opinions and ideas, and resolve conflicts
between team members. In Parent Teacher conferences I present and explain data to parents
so that they are able to understand where their child stands and recognize possible areas of
improvement. Classroom management is another strength that I bring to this position. I have
observed and applied many strategies and systems for managing students. My observations
and experience have taught me how to judge what approach is and is not effective in a given
classroom setting. Through student teaching I put my strategies into practice and adjusted
them based on effectiveness. Rigorous preparation and professional exposure to a variety of
classroom settings have prepared me to be a well-rounded and effective teacher.
Teaching is a personal passion. I greatly enjoy the opportunity to positively influence
the academic and social maturity of young people. I am also passionate about learning, and I
use every experience to self reflect in hopes of being a better teacher for my students, a better
resource for my colleagues, and a better employee for my school district.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,

Bethany Unruh