Ms.

VanB
PHONE NUMBER| ADDRESS | EMAIL
May 31, 2015
ADDRESS
Dear Mr.,
I am interested in applying for an elementary grade position at Elementary. I am particularly
interested in working with a school that places a high value on the shared responsibility and
accountability of its students amongst all members of the community. I have received my
Bachelors Degree in Education from University with a dual certification in elementary and
special education. I have completed a full year of student teaching in the Philadelphia School
District, where I worked with both IEP students and English Language Learners. I am
confident that my background in educating students with diverse needs will be beneficial to
your school.
During my general education student teaching at School in a first grade ELL-friendly
classroom, I developed a two month long social studies curriculum. Our students did not
have the opportunity to receive a social studies special. I decided to meet this need I would
by developing a curriculum that focused on the various levels of communities we are all a
part of and how to be positive citizens in these communities. I utilized visible thinking
routines during the lessons to understand what my students thoughts were and how to
build off their current knowledge to lead to further understanding of communities and their
roles in them. I tracked progress through a simple rubric I created. Each lesson supported
continued growth and development towards mastery of the common core standards. By the
end of student teaching, I was elated to find my students using vocabulary and concepts
taught during the unit in other areas of their education, such as making connections during
a read aloud to our social studies unit.
Throughout my experience, I have been known to create lessons that engage all types of
learners through the use of different modalities, such as total physical response, songs, and
strong visuals. I infuse literacy into all academic areas because it is important for elementary
students to develop strong literacy skills in order to achieve success during their lifetime. I
will bring a knowledge of positive reinforcement to the classroom in order to manage
behavior and create a productive learning environment. I have an understanding of the
specific needs that children in an urban environment bring to the classroom, due to my
student teaching experience in the Philadelphia School District and feel prepared to assist
Elementary in meeting their students needs.
I truly want to make a difference in the lives of the children of Elementary and help facilitate
their growth as life-long learners into capable citizens of the twenty-first century by giving
them the building blocks on which to build a great education. I would appreciate the
opportunity to discuss with you further how my skills and experience can meet the needs of
the students at your school. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Ms. VanB