Fillable Printable Cover Letter Format for Teachers

Cover Letter Format for Teachers

Cover Letter Handbook for Teachers

Table of Contents

Effective Cover Letters .......................................................................................................................................... 1

Guidelines ......................................................................................................................................................... 1

Cover Letter Format for Teachers ......................................................................................................................... 2

Sample Cover Letters ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Cover Letter Guidelines for Educational Leadership Students ......................................................................... 5

EFFECTIVE COVER LETTERS

A well written business style cover letter should accompany every resume being sent to a prospective

employer. Think of the cover letter as a promotional advertisement of your candidacy. The first

impression of you as a candidate will be based on your ability to express yourself and stimulate interest

in your background and qualifications. A cover letter’s goal is to highlight your knowledge, skills and

related experience and establish yourself as a viable candidate. Your cover letter should show how your

qualifications meet the needs of the school and its students. This is your opportunity to distinguish

yourself from the other candidates (background in the arts, ability to coach, fluency in a language, etc.)

There are two basic types of cover letters: application (responses to available openings) and broadcast

(general inquiry about available openings). Letters should be addressed to a specific individual. Try to

find the name and title of the school district contact before writing. Hiring officials are often listed in

directories, available by phoning the school district, or by checking online information about the

district. Make sure you have the correct spelling of the person’s name. If you cannot obtain a name,

address the letter “Dear Administrator”.

The first tip in writing a cover letter is to review information about the job and the school and attempt

to address key points relating specifically to that position, school and district. Next, consider your own

qualification and select those that most closely fit the requirements of the position. What are your

strongest selling points? What makes you especially qualified for that position?

Cover letters should never be more than one page and should not repeat your entire resume

GUIDELINES

•

Since most cover letters get only a minute or two of consideration, you must grab the reader’s

interest immediately!

•

Always customize your letter for each position.

•

Appearances count so pay attention to format. Proofread and have someone else proofread!

•

Mistakes could cause your immediate rejection.

•

Use the same contact information heading for resume and cover letter.

•

Avoid beginning too many sentences with “I”.

•

Use professional language without too much jargon.

•

Demonstrate your abilities with specific examples. Show how your qualifications meet the

needs of the school. Highlight relevant experiences, appropriate training and specific

qualifications.

•

Use your own words; you do not want your cover letter to sound like it was copied from a book

or the internet.

OVER

ETTER

ORMAT

EACHERS

Name

Your present street address

City, State Zip Code

Telephone email

Date

Contact Person’s Name

Title

School or District

Street Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Administrator (or Mr., Ms., or Dr. if you know the person’s name):

First sentence/paragraph: State why you are writing: specify the position for which you are applying

and whether you saw an advertisement or heard about the position or school through a referral or

by reputation.

Second paragraph: Begin with a sentence that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. Briefly

summarize why you are qualified for the position – use examples and specific accomplishments to

show how your skills and experience, strengths and accomplishments will address the school’s and

the students’ needs. Do not reiterate what is on your resume. However, you can elaborate on

something in your resume and how it impacted the students. Highlight any special skills that make

you a more valuable candidate, i.e. your desire to coach a sport, your theater/drama experience,

your interest in music or art, etc. If you are a graduate of the school, student taught or was a TA at

the school, mention it in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Third paragraph (optional): Use this paragraph to reveal more of yourself. If you are a career

changer, tell how skills developed during your previous experience will be an asset to you as a

teacher (i.e. communication, management, follow through, organization). You can also state why

you decided to teach.

Last paragraph: Express your sincere commitment to education and teaching children. Close the

letter with a request for an interview and include your telephone number if you do not use your

resume heading. Conclude by thanking the reader.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Your full name, typed

AMPLE

OVER

ETTERS

Sample cover letter for recent graduate

STEPHANIE ROBINSON

2900 Purchase Street

Purchase, NY 10577

914-323-0000 [email protected]

April 20, 2009

Ms. Sara Jones

Director of Human Resources

Summerville School District

Summerville, NY 11111

Dear Ms. Jones:

I am interested in applying for the elementary teaching position posted on the OLAS website.

In addition to completing an undergraduate degree this year, I served as a tutor in an after-school

program at a local homeless shelter, where I helped students complete homework assignments and

broaden their understanding by connecting to the world outside their community. As a student teacher,

I created lessons that engaged all learners by applying a variety of teaching methods and utilizing

SMARTboard technology. I formed cooperative learning groups, organized individualized projects,

created learning centers and implemented learning style research in every lesson. Alternative

assessment methods, such as portfolios, rubrics and performance assessments, in combination with

traditional tests, enabled me to evaluate the students individually and comprehensively. In both my

student teaching and tutoring experiences, I met with parents to keep them apprised of their child’s

accomplishments and areas needing extra attention.

Classroom computers present unique opportunities to help each child achieve success. In a staff

development workshop I attended called Problem-Based Learning, I learned to pose open-ended

questions that children could research over the internet. In addition, I have studied and continue to

monitor educational software and websites that address the diverse abilities and interests of children.

I am passionate about teaching children and forge relationships with them that help build a sense of

confidence and enable them to grow as learners. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you

to discuss how my skills and experience can meet the needs of your students. Thank you for your

consideration.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Robinson

Sample cover letter for a career changer

Thomas Nelson

1111 Purchase Street, Purchase, NY 10577

914-323-0000 nelsont@mville.edu

July 29, 2009

Dr. Rosalie Collins

Human Resources Director

Hamburg High School

2233 Division Street

Hamburg, NY 12456

Dear Dr. Collins:

I am interested in the secondary English teaching position for the 2009-2010 academic year. I am

well qualified for this position, possessing New York State certification for English Language Arts (5-

12), a B.A. in English, and a Master of Arts in Teaching, Literacy (5-12).

My experiences as a substitute, tutor, and student teacher have afforded me the opportunity to

interact with diverse student populations and engage them in learning. Using teaching methods that

coincide with the Universal Design for Learning, including providing high-interest learning material,

multiple means of assessment and instruction, as well as the careful modeling and scaffolding of

new skills, I strive to ensure that every student achieves excellence.

In addition to believing that every student deserves and is capable of achieving success, I am

passionate about preparing students for the globalized world that they will undoubtedly face as they

grow to be adults. My lessons utilize any and all technology that is available, giving my students an

education in common technological uses including professional writing and presentations, internet

research, web design, and proper communication. Students are also encouraged to use and create

podcasts, web quests, and other similar activities as part of their authentic learning experience,

which engages them in the subject matter and teaches valuable real world skills.

Through my previous experience in retail sales and management, I understand the importance of

motivation and possess excellent listening and time management skills. In training my sales staff, I

created a cohesive team of people from very different backgrounds, modifying my training style to

suit the needs of each individual. I participated as a tutor through a program at my company,

volunteering each week as a teacher’s assistant in a local public school. It was this experience that

inspired me to re-evaluate my career and return to school to become a teacher.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience to further discuss my qualifications as

a secondary English teacher in your district. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Thomas Nelson

OVER

ETTER

UIDELINES FOR

DUCATIONAL

EADERSHIP

TUDENTS

Your cover letter should

• Be one to one-and-a-half pages in length with short, clear paragraphs

• Single space within paragraphs; double space between paragraphs

• Describe you, not your previous employer

• Outline the realization of the district’s goals

• Show that you have done your homework (know district/school and its needs)

• Be error free – spelling, punctuation, grammar must be perfect

• Be positive, void of anything negative (districts want positive leadership)

• Clearly describe YOU and give the district the opportunity to assess the match between you and the

position

• Highlight (but not repeat) information in resume that is germane to the position and the district’s needs

In drafting the cover letter, you must assess your knowledge, disposition, skill and match to the position and

district. The letter will be the first impression the district has of you and should bring out the highlights of

your resume and your knowledge of the district and position. It is an opportunity to explain and expand your

resume with a sample of your writing, philosophy and vision, and to establish how these conform to the

needs and expectations of the district/school. The cover letter should contain the following four sections.

Paragraph One

• Begin by stating the position for which you are applying

• Include that you are aware of the duties and responsibilities of the position

• State whether you meet all of the qualifications – if you do not, specify which qualifications you do not

meet or indicate when they will be met

Paragraph Two

• Highlight the knowledge, skill and experience that you will bring to the district

• Intent should be to inform the district about what you can offer them for the future as opposed to what

you have accomplished for someone else in the past. Example: state that you bring two years of

experience in administering a primary reading program, instead of stating that you ran the Distar Program

for the XYZ District

• Summarize your resume – might include the highest degree attained, total number of years in education,

relevant training or experience, etc.

• Can include further explanation and/or additional information not included in your resume – information

about your background, the types of students with whom you have worked, evaluations, successes with

particular students, other relevant information.

Paragraph Three – Your Match with the District

• Show how your knowledge, skills and experience meet the current and future needs of the school/district

• Become knowledgeable about the history, current issues and future demands of the district

• Analyze the needs of the district and position in light of your experience and abilities – this is the

opportunity to show that you are the right match

Paragraph Four – Thankful and Bold Conclusion

• Offer a thank you for the time and effort the district took to review your application materials

• Request an opportunity to meet to further discuss your qualifications

Source:

School Leader Internship: Developing, Mentoring and Evaluating Your Leadership Experiences (Martin, Wright, Danzig,

Flanary & Brown, 2005)