Today's project

I decided to write a brand- new cover letter today for a long term sub gig for which I wanted to apply. It took me seven hours to write one page. The following paragraph started out as three single spaced pages. For me, this is the hardest part of the application process; In a limited space, getting across how much I want to get back into the classroom and how I'm qualified for it even though I don't have the standard 3 full years of classroom experience.

Here's the end product:

"I have had many diverse experiences in the education field. While it has been a few years since I was a salaried teacher, I know that every experience I have had has better prepared me for full time classroom teaching. Being a student teacher and a literacy coach in Worcester, Massachusetts gave me a general introduction to teaching, but also showed me how to address the needs of a student body that was as diverse in skill levels as it was in ethnic backgrounds. My time as the assistant director of a private tutoring company taught me how to communicate effectively with parents and the value of one-on-one time with students. As an outdoor educator, I had limited time with each school group that came to our facility. I taught myself out how to learn names and gauge the needs of a group almost instantly, how to balance teaching both content and team building skills, and the value of hands-on learning. Substitute teaching helped me hone my classroom management skills and exposed me to a variety of teaching styles. Even being underemployed recently has helped me redefine my teaching philosophy. In my new found free time I have become somewhat of a news junkie. This has made me realize that helping students understand the world around them should be my main goal as any educator. I believe that teaching students how to access information and evaluate sources is just as important as the content that is covered."