This is a letter of introduction (cover letter) that I am currently using to apply for teaching positions.  It contains a lot of information about my work history, experiences, and love of teaching.

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to apply for the position of English teacher in (your district). I am a graduate of Thomas Worthington High School and attended school in that district from kindergarten through graduation. I earned a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Wooster and became certified to teach grades 7-12. Following college, my husband and I moved to Kentucky where I worked one year as a long-term substitute and after-school, remedial English teacher in a county school and was hired the following year, in Lexington, as a seventh grade Language Arts teacher at Tates Creek Middle School. During this first year as a permanent teacher I completed the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) with a top rating. I learned collaborative, team-teaching, lesson design for a block schedule, and to help students prepare portfolios of their writings for state assessment.

The following year my family returned to Ohio and I was employed in Revere Local School District. Over the next six years I taught remedial, college preparatory and honors level English for grades 8, 9, and 11 at Revere Middle and High Schools. I strengthened my ability to create a learner-centered, standards-based classroom. I improved my ability to facilitate learning in a variety of class types, to differentiate instruction to accommodate many learning styles and to communicate effectively with students, parents, and colleagues. Revere is a school district with a rating of Excellent and many highly academically motivated students. I learned that, when students and parents have very high expectations for achievement, standards-based teaching and assessment are an important means of establishing a reputation for fairness and equability. Most of all, I strengthened my conviction that this reputation is earned by establishing mutual respect in every encounter with students, parents, and colleagues.

When my husband was hired in Columbus, I was very sorry to have to leave Revere but happy to return home to Worthington with my family. Since the birth of our second daughter I have been a full-time parent. This experience will further shape my teaching, in that I have a better sense of the perspective of our parents in their role as advocate in their child’s education. I have remained active in education as a volunteer at Evening Street Elementary and through working with my own daughters but I have missed daily interaction with students. I am currently enrolled in semester classes in Creative Nonfiction Writing, Poetry Writing  and Educational Technologies; after which, my renewed certification will be available in June.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about any English teaching positions that become available in my area of certification: grades 7-12.