Feelings

This is week 3 well 4 (if you count workshop week) of student teaching. I have spent the past two days reminiscing about my days as a nanny and a one on one at a childcare center. I cannot wait to get back to working with my littles. I was telling my mom that today and she asked, "Why did you even bother getting your B.A.?" Here's why:

1. In most childcare centers you need your B.A. to be a head teacher even if you only want to work with infants and toddlers. 
2. You need your B.A. to be a director or assistant director.
3. A B.A. opens tons of doors for me outside the field of education. 

My mom became all furious like this was new information. I NEVER wanted to teach in a K through 3 setting until the spring of 2014. I knew student teaching would make or break my decision to be a classroom teacher. It's not like I am hating my experience (I would TRY a year in 1st grade) but I miss everything about infants, toddlers, and even preschoolers. I miss the spit- up, blowouts, and witching hour. I miss the messy house, sticky fingers, and diaper changes. I miss singing all day everyday. I miss nursery rhymes, picture books and making up my own songs to go along with anything and everything we did. I miss the snuggles, kisses, and the innocent and incredibly adorable things toddlers and preschoolers say and do. 67 more days with 2nd graders and then hopefully I can get back to the age group that means the world to me! 

Student Teaching

I started student teaching in a 2nd grade classroom on Tuesday and my first day was a huge success!

Classroom Management Plan

Below you'll find our philosophy, classroom management plan and a couple pictures: 
 

Philosophical Statement

We believe the purpose of education is to help children develop, grow, and learn. We believe each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, loving, and stimulating environment in which they can grow, mature, and reach their goals. We believe children learn best when they are taught under certain environmental conditions and in certain ways. Some of these are direct guidance, indirect guidance, redirection, limit setting, and encouragement.

           

All children have certain primary needs that must be met if they are to grow and learn at their best. There are five basic needs: Physical, Intellectual, Language, Emotional, and Social. They can be remembered by the use of the acronym “PILES.”  We will meet these needs by planning appropriate activities, providing appropriate materials, a safe and comfortable environment, and being flexible to children’s learning needs. It is our desires as educators to help children meet their full potential. We will incorporate themes, projects, integrated units, group and individual work, and hands-on learning in order to make children active learners.

Technology plays a big role in today’s learning and while we will use technology in our classroom, it will not replace hands on teaching.  As a good educator it is our responsibility to teach students how to use technology positively and effectively. We will use every resource in hand such as the Smart Board, computers, digital cameras, Internet, handheld and wireless devices to include technology in our classroom.

Our goal as educators is to make a difference in the world by teaching young children. We will provide the tools needed to help children become successful in life, reach their goals, and to believe in themselves. Children are our future and they need help and guidance to reach their full potential and become productive members in society. They also have needs and those needs must be met in order for them to reach their full educational potential. We, Allison and Liz, as effective educators, hope to meet these needs and help our students reach their full potential.

Room Arrangement 

When entering the classroom, students will find a well-organized classroom. Natural lightning from the windows will illuminate our classroom; the vibrant colors on the walls and decorations will make the children feel welcome and comfortable; there will be a weather book section where students can learn about weather by reading a variety of books; a Water Cycle bulletin board will create curiosity. Students’ desks will be arranged in a semicircle. They will be able to see their classmates as well as their teachers. The carpet on the floor will be comforting to the students and will allow them to be closer to the teachers. The teachers’ desk will be placed in front of the class so the teachers have a better view of the classroom and the students.

We believe that the set-up of a classroom has a big effect on student learning and we hope that our classroom will be an environment that will engage all students in critical thinking, discussion and reflection. Arranging the students’ desks in a semicircle will create an environment rich in discussion. We think that it is very important to engage students in discussion to try to draw out and challenge ideas and let the class learn from each other. No one will sit behind the semicircle or on the sides of the room outside the semicircle. The class will enjoy the eye contact and facial expressions of everyone as they share ideas.  

By arranging the students where they are facing each other, we believe this leads to a more intimate environment as well as a space where we can get to every student easily. We like to walk around the room while teaching, rather than staying in one stationary place in the front. If the desks are arranged as so, we can walk around, engage more students, and hopefully create an environment where students can talk and share ideas freely and comfortably.

We believe that students should be constantly challenged and provoked to think critically. A variety of materials will be provided to students, they can use these materials to study, practice their writing, reading or learn more about weather. Our desk will be in the corner of the room, but will be used mostly for administrative tasks. A computer and Smartboard will be used to make learning fun and interesting. 

Classroom Rules

We believe in keeping a safe environment where put-downs and name calling is not allowed – this also falls under respect. Is we can have respect for our students as well as having them respecting each other, we believe this will lead to a safe environment where learning can take place. We don’t mind if students bring food to the classroom, as long as they eat it during snack or free play. We also don’t mind if students wear hats or necklaces in class, as long as the hat or necklace doesn’t interfere with learning. If it gets out of control and students start eating during a lesson or they start playing with their hats or necklaces, we will let them know that these privileges will be taken away, right from the beginning.

We want to create an environment with positive and numerous student-teacher relationships. Especially in diverse classrooms where many students are from different backgrounds, we want to create an environment where students are not and do not feel that they are being treated unfairly. We do not want to label students or assume their academic ability on the way they look or arc. We do not want the diverse settings to lead to situations where communication is not happening. We feel this is where behavior problems may arise. We will accept students as individuals with unique and cultural difference; to respect, relate and like them; to listen and communicate openly; and understand and honor their family, culture, language, and race. In order to create an environment like this we have created a list of classroom rules and morning meeting rules:

Class Rules

1.     Be nice and kind.

2.     Be honest.

3.     Listen and follow directions.

4.     Take care of our things.

5.     Respect the rights and property of others.

6.     Do your best and have fun learning!

Morning Meeting Rules

1.     Come to morning meeting with empty hands.

2.     Cooperate and participate.

3.     Raise your hand when you want to talk.

4.     Respect others and their thoughts.

5.     Learn from each other and have fun!

We will discuss these rules with the students on the first day of class and have them sign a copy. By signing a copy of the classroom rules and morning meeting rules, the students are accepting the rules and their consequences.

Logical Consequences

Students are expected to be respectful and responsible throughout the school day. If a student is having difficulty following a rule they are given a warning and reminded of what a good choice would be. If a student continues to misbehave they will have a consequence. We will try to make each child's consequence as logical as possible; therefore, consequences will vary depending on the situation. For instance, if a child continues running and talking in the hallway after a warning is given, they would have to come in during part of their recess to practice safe and respectful ways to walk in the hallways. However, if a child continues to be distracted by a bracelet or necklace, instead of coming in for recess, they would have to keep the bracelet in their locker for the rest of the day.
        Students will be rarely sent to the principal's office in our classroom; however, the safety of all the students is very important to us. If a student hits or pushes another child they are automatically sent to the office. We want all of the students to feel safe and secure in our classroom.

Classroom Procedures

We want to be consistent with our students in terms of Classroom Procedures. To get students attention we will use clapping, counting down from 10, Whole Body Listening, and Show 5. 

Beginning the Day – When entering the classroom, students must put away their coats, backpacks, snacks and lunches. We plan to have the agenda on the board so students can look at it as they walk in. Students should turn in any homework and then start their morning seat-work.

Entering and Leaving the Room – Students should enter and exit the classroom quietly. If they are coming in late or leaving early, they should not disturb the other students. This procedure will be used for all situations throughout the day.

Lunch Count – Students will need to find their name and move it to the right column. If they brought lunch, they need to place their name tag under the “bringing” column. If they are buying lunch, they must place it under the “buying” column.

Using the Restroom – Students need to ask for permission to use the restroom. Only one student at a time can go to the bathroom, unless there is an emergency or the teachers are okay with it. They must return to the classroom after using the restroom, this means they cannot go to other classrooms or any other place in the building.

Fire Drill – When hearing the alarm, students must stop what they are doing, leave everything, and quietly walk directly to the door. One of the teachers can hold the door open for the students and the other teacher can lead the students to the nearest exit. Once outside, everyone is expected to stand quietly and wait for the announcement to come back into the building. 

Lining Up – Students must wait until they hear their name or their row is called, then, quietly stand up, push in their chair, and line up facing forward. They will need to bring all the necessary items they may need with them.

Ending the Day – Students must clear off their desks, place papers to go home in their folder or backpack and wait to be called. Once they are called, they can gather their belongings and quietly sit on their desks or carpet and wait to be dismissed.

Encouraging All Students and Positive Reinforcement

We will praise students in ways big and small. We will recognize work in class, display good work in the classroom and send positive notes home to parents.

We will get to know our students. Getting to know your students is about more than just memorizing their names. Students need to know that their teacher has a genuine interest in them and cares about them and their success. When students feel appreciated it creates a safe learning environment and motivates them to work harder, as they want to get praise and good feedback from someone they feel knows and respects them as individuals.

We will set high, yet realistic expectations. We will make sure to voice those expectations. We will set short-term goals and celebrate when they are achieved.

We will relate lessons to students’ lives. Whether it is budgeting for family Christmas gifts, choosing short stories about your town, rapping about the Water Cycle, or pretending to be Pilgrim’s and Indian’s in the Thanksgiving story, students will care more if the identify themselves or their everyday lives in what they’re learning.

We will create a threat-free environment. While students do need to understand that there are consequences to their actions, far more motivating for students than threats are positive reinforcements. When teachers create a safe, supportive environment for students, affirming their belief in a student’s abilities rather than laying out the consequences of not doing things, students are much more likely to get and stay motivated to do their work. At the end of the day, students will fulfill the expectations that the adults around them communicate.

We will offer varied experiences. We know and recognize that not all students respond to lessons in the same way. For some, hands-on experiences may be the best. Others may love to read books quietly or to work in groups. In order to keep all students motivated, we will mix up our lessons so that students with different preferences will each get time to focus on the things they like best. Doing so will help our students stay engaged and pay attention.

We will give students responsibility. Assigning students classroom jobs is a great way to build a community and to give students a sense of motivation. Most students will see classroom jobs as a privilege rather than a burden and will work hard to ensure that they, and other students, are meeting expectations.

We will allow students to work together. While not all students will jump at the chance to work in groups, many will find it fun to try to solve problems, do experiments, and work on projects with other students. The social interaction can get them excited about things in the classroom and students can motivate one another to reach a goal.

We will provide opportunities for success. We know that students can become frustrated and unmotivated when they feel like they’re struggling or not getting the recognition that other students are. We will make sure that all students get a chance to play to their strengths and feel included and valued. It can make a world of difference in their motivation.

We will be excited! We believe one of the best ways to get our students motivated is to share our enthusiasm. When we’re excited about teaching, we know our students will be much more excited about learning. 

Clinical Experience (In No Particular Order)

This has been the most stressful school year of my life! I don't sleep and I have no social life but these past two days, I have seen all my hard work pay off. On Sunday, I traveled three hours from home to spend two days in a 2nd grade classroom.  Below, you will find journal entries about my first and second day at school.

Day 1

I got to school around 7:30 and got set up for our day. I met a boy in the hallway who told me he was in my classroom so I introduced myself and talked to him a little bit. 

Kids came in they were super quiet. I invited them to the carpet with me. I introduced my partner and I as their guest teachers for the next two days. I went through rules and expectations. I also talked about our classroom management activities and how we are going to get students attention. We modeled whole body listening, show 5, clapping, and counting down. The kids caught on real quick!

I led morning meeting. We did an adjective greeting, whip share, and for our activity, I had students line up by height without talking. Reagan was the leader on this, she was helping everybody out and all 15 were lined up correctly from shortest to tallest. I taught a lesson on standard and non-standard measurement. I used the book Measuring Penny and as a class, we filled out a T-chart of the standard and non-standard units of measurement that Lisa, the main character of the book used. I had mini booklets and a Penny (dog from the story) ruler for students. I paired the students up and they went around the room measuring items. They measured length, height, width and around. I looked at some of their mini-books and was blown away by how far they got and how well they worked together.

Art took longer than expected so instead of teaching my whole science lesson in 15 minutes, I introduced the Water Cycle vocabulary. Students had a chance to practice saying the words out loud and I defined the words for them. I then taught them the Water cycle song with motions and I so wish I could have recorded it. They did a phenomenal job and I was SO proud of them. I actually ran out of the room to catch a professor and invite her into our classroom.

I had students tell me they enjoyed my lessons. 

One girl came up to me as she was working through her mini book and said my math lesson was fun. 

When I pulled out the penny rulers there was lots of excitement! 

At recess all the teachers were standing around but I had kids ask me to play with them or watch with they were doing. I had kids yelling my name from across the playground and running over to me to show me things they found. 

At the end of the day, I asked for a high five on the way out. I said things like have a good night, see you tomorrow and Adios Amigo. To one girl I said, "See ya later Alligator" she walked a few steps, turned around, smiled and said, "in a while crocodile!"

After sitting for a really long time for my partner's lesson, I needed students to sit and listen to mine so I had them stand up jump around, run in place and then we reached to the sky, moved all our wiggles to our fingers and slid down into criss cross applesauce. Students sat very well after that! 

Day 2

It is April 1st today and I wanted to pull an April Fool's joke on the kids but did not have time to make "Brownies" or brown E's so instead, I wrote today's date as March 32nd. It took students maybe five seconds to yell "No" and "That's not right." They're a smart bunch and there was no fooling them however, I was fooled. One girl come in and first thing she said to me was, "My dog died last night." As a person who put their dog down back in November, my heart sank when I she said that. I wasn't 100% sure I heard her right so I asked, "Last night?" She nodded and I said, "I am so sorry!" and I pulled her closer for a hug then she looks up at me, smiles, and exclaims, "April Fools!" She got me and she got me good!

After Morning Meeting, I taught a reading lesson on sequencing. This went really well. We put events from our school day in order, events from the 3 little pigs in order and then we read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. As a class, we put 8 events from the story in order. On their own, students completed a sequencing worksheet. They chose any four events from the story, wrote a sentence about it and then drew a sketch. They were able to look back at the book and sequence cards but most students recalled the events from memory. They did a fantastic job and everyone was able to recall four events. We also played an Alexander board game. We had one winner in every group and they were crowned King of Australia. One boy asked where his crown was so I took my hands and placed an invisible crown on him. He then made a text to self-connection when he realized Alexander drew a picture of an invisible sandcastle in the book and I just placed an invisible crown on his head.

We read Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs after recess to calm our bodies down and they were super excited about the book and found it hilarious! I had a cute writing prompt to go with this book we did not get around to it.

In social studies, I went more in depth with the environment lesson my partner taught yesterday. I showed students a book I made about ways we can help the environment. After reading that, I explained we were going to make our own class book. Student's worked hard on their page of the book.

In Science, we went more in depth in the Water Cycle because we only had 15 minutes yesterday. We did a full hour of Science today. I had a PowerPoint and one-minute video, then we labeled a Water Cycle poster as a class and after that we reviewed our Water Cycle song. Students were so excited to sing it again. After my science lesson, they reviewed the Water Cycle with my partner and they had to define the words: Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation. Those are big words and this is a hard concept, but they were able to tell us all about the stages of the Water Cycle.

At the end of the day, we did a fun dance on Go Noodle. There are characters on the screen and we had to mimic their dance moves. We danced to the hit song, (at least it was back when Madagascar first came out years ago :-)) I Like to Move It!

A girl at recess made me a Rainbow Loom bracelet. I've always wanted one of these so I was very excited.

When I told students today was our last day they booed, sighed, and said, "No, I don't want you to go." It sure made me feel good!

For clinical, we had partners. I felt bad like I should have said sorry because my partner’s lessons were not as clear so the kids were always confused and could not complete the tasks. I was constantly interrupting. Today, I tried to keep my mouth shut during science and I didn't even make it 5 minutes without opening my mouth to say something. I really hope she doesn't feel like I stepped on her toes.

The kids were constantly coming to me with questions, comments, etc which showed me that I had a strong presence in the classroom. I also know I am loud and my voice carries. Maybe it was all my interruptions, or my lessons, or how I presented myself from the second students walked into the school but they knew who was in charge, what I expect, and that I want them to succeed and I am here to help them do that.

Gym started off really well but then one boy had a complete meltdown and started yelling and would not calm down. I raised my voice after I saw a kid slide off the gym floor and said, "Gym is a privilege. I know you are excited to be in here and I know you are full of energy. That is great, but we need to follow the rules and play the games correctly so no one gets hurt." I went on and on and stated expectations again because when my partner did it, it clearly did not stick. I also said, "If we cannot get along or follow the rules we'll go back to the classroom. I have plenty of things for us to do." When I was done talking, students walked silently to where I asked them to be and played the games well the rest of the time.

When we walked back to class I said, "Just like always, in the hallway, our voices are at zero, we are in a straight line and we are keeping our hands and body to ourselves. Let's walk quietly as a mouse back to class." When we got back to class I said I did not hear a peep from them and I was very impressed. A student asked, "Since we walked quietly as a mouse do we get a piece of cheese?"

It has been a great two days and I was sad that we couldn't stay longer!

Uses of Rocks (Sandpaper)

I taught Science for the first time last week. Below is the "script" I wrote to correspond with the lesson plan.
 

Does anyone know what is in this bag? That's right, it's sand! Is sand a rock? Yes, sand is a rock. We have been learning about the uses of rocks. Sand has an important use that we will get to look at today and that use is called sandpaper. Sandpaper is made from sand, paper, and glue.

On Monday, we had time to observe sand using a magnifying glass. When we gathered back together, we wrote our observations down. What happened to our hands?  They did get all dusty, I noticed that too. What colors were in the sand? You guys made some great observations. (I actually ended up having students close their eyes and visualize).

Today, we are going to observe sandpaper. Touch your nose if you remember what sandpaper is made from. (Student Name), what is sandpaper made from? Sand. That's right, sandpaper is made from sand, paper, and glue. Next, we are going to spend sometime observing sandpaper. Each of you is going to receive 3 pieces of sandpaper and one magnifying glass. I want you to look at all 3 pieces of sandpaper and make observations in your head. Special helper, I need you to pass out magnifying glasses and Mrs. R and I will pass out the sandpaper. Any questions?

You had 5 minutes to observe sandpaper using a magnifying glass, and I am eager to hear what my 1st grade geologists have found out. Raise your hand if you have an observation you would like to share with our class.

They were different sizes. The 3 pieces of sandpaper have different textures. Texture is the way something feels. Think about your pillow, blanket and favorite stuffed animal, those things feel soft. Is sandpaper soft? No, sandpaper is rough. The sandpaper with the largest pieces of sand is coarse sandpaper. Can you coarse? The middle-sized sand is on the medium sandpaper, and the smallest sand is on the fine sandpaper. (Tape sand paper to easel) The largest pieces of sand are on the coarse sandpaper. The middle-sized sand is on the medium sandpaper, and the smallest sand is on the fine sandpaper.

Why do you think people use, course, medium or fine sandpapers? You need to choose the size of sandpaper depending on the job you are trying to accomplish. For heavy sanding, you need coarse sandpaper. For removing imperfections or flaws, you need medium sandpaper.  For smoothing surfaces, you need fine sandpaper.

Now, let’s label the different grades of sandpaper. The sandpaper with the largest pieces of sand is called what again? Coarse. The middle-sized sand is on the medium sandpaper. The smallest sand is on the smallest sandpaper? You're right; the smallest sand is on the fine sandpaper.

This afternoon, you are going to make sandpaper rubbings. Each of you will receive a white sheet of paper. You will place the paper over the sandpaper and rub the side of the pencil to make your sandpaper rubbings. (Demonstrate) Watch, I take my white sheet of paper, put it over the sandpaper and rub the side of my pencil to make my sandpaper rubbings. You are going to make three sandpaper rubbings using coarse, medium, and fine sandpaper. When you have made all 3 raise your hand and Mrs. R or myself will give you labels to label your sandpaper rubbings like I did here. (Point to easel) Any questions?

Below I shared a few of the student's sand paper rubbings. I think they turned out pretty good!

Plans are Thwarted

Some of you already know this, but for those of you who don't, I am an education major. In September, I started my methods classes which allowed me to put the concepts I have been studying for years into practice. I had big plans for my first day. What could go wrong? I mean I already knew my mentor teacher. I knew exactly where the school was and how long it would take me to get there. I planned what time I was going to leave. I laid out my clothes the night before... Everything was going to go smoothly or so I thought.

The next morning, I woke up at 6:40. My alarm wasn't set to go off until 7:10 so I tried to go back to sleep. At 7:10, I rolled over to check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, e-mail and of course my text messages. I don't know what I was thinking when I set my alarm Sunday night but at 7:12 I realized I needed to be at school by 8am. I darted out of bed and got ready to go in less than 20 minutes.

Thankfully, I didn't hit any traffic on the way and I was so grateful I knew where the school was. I got to the school that I was sure was where I needed to be and guess what? That was the wrong school!! Keep in mind now it is 7:52 at this point. I quick pull into the parking lot to turn around and of course, I can't get out of the parking lot because there were tons of cars headed my way. At 7:55 I pull out of the parking lot and which leaves me with 5 minutes to get to school. My GPS tells me I am only four minutes away so I stay hopeful but know I will hit every light along the way. To my surprise, I hit all green lights and I pulled into the right school at 7:59. I grabbed my bags and ran into the building.

That afternoon, I got home and opened my Jesus Calling Devotion. It was exactly what I needed to hear and it just so happens the devotion was written for today, January 20th so I thought I would share it with all of you.

Approach this day with awareness of who is boss. As you make plans for the day, remember that it is I who orchestrates the events of your life. On days when things go smoothly, according to your plans, you may be unaware of My sovereign Presence. On days when your plans are thwarted, be on the lookout for Me! I may be doing something quite different from what you expected. It is essential at such times to stay in communication with Me, accepting My way as better than yours. Don't try to figure out what is happening. Simply trust Me and thank Me in advance for the good that will come out of it all. I know the plans I have for you, and they are good.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. "Jeremiah 29:11

Reading Education Websites

http://www.readingrockets.org/

Reading Rockets has information on teaching reading, helping struggling readers and children’s books and authors. There is also a reading topics list. You can search topics from A- Z. Information can be found on Dyslexia, STEM literacy, oral language and more.

http://www.raz-kids.com/main/Login

Raz Kids is an award winning website where K-5 students can go to read anywhere and anytime. The books on Raz Kids are leveled and teachers can track and monitor student progress. Students will take comprehension quizzes after reading each story.

http://www.starfall.com/

Starfall teaches children to read with phonics. It is perfect for Kindergarten through 2^nd grade as well as special education and English language learners.

http://www.funbrain.com/brain/ReadingBrain/ReadingBrain.html

Kids, teachers, librarians and parents use Funbrain. Funbrain has games, online books, and comics. Funbrain was created for kids ages Pre-K through 8^th grade and it offers more than 100 fun, interactive games that develop skills in math, reading, and literacy. Kids can read popular books and comics on the site including, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amelia Writes Again, and Brewster Rocket.

http://www.jumpstart.com/

JumpStart is a groundbreaking evolution in children’s learning games and the first learning game delivered in a browser with high-quality 3D graphics and advanced play. It is a completely secure and safe online environment where kids can interact, explore and learn.

http://www.bookadventure.com/

Book Adventure is a free reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists, take multiple-choice quizzes on the books they’ve read, and earn points and prizes for their literary success. Book Adventured was created and is maintained by Sylvan Learning Centers.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/

Clifford the Big Red Dog is interactive on this fun website. This website has phonics fun, games, and stories for early readers.

http://storynory.com/

Storynory has published a new audio story every week since 2005.

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/

Teacher’s Corner has lesson plans for multiple subjects, bulletin boards, thematic units and many other teacher resources.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/

Read, Write, Think has lesson plans that you can narrow down by theme, grade level, lesson plan type and learning objective.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/free-lesson-plans

Scholastic has lesson plans for grades Pre-K through 12^th grade. This website allows you to search for a lesson plan or to view all featured lesson plans. Scholastic also has sections on resources and tools, strategies and ideas, student activities, books and authors and more.

http://www.jumpstart.com/teachers/lesson-plans/reading-lesson-plans

JumpStart offers free reading lesson plans as well as reading activities and worksheets for kids that teachers can use to add fun to any reading lesson plan. JumpStart has games for children to play to enhance the reading skills they are learning in the classroom.

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/free_resources/teachers_corner/lessonPlans.jsp?f=m

Lakeshore has great lesson plans and the best part is, they update their lessons every month! They have lesson plans for Preschool to 5^th grade. The lessons are also aligned to Common Core, it doesn’t get better than that.

Cover Letter

I am posting this here because I can never seem to find this document on my computer when I need it. Feel free to use it or take ideas from it to use in your own cover letter. P.S. I know the spacing is off but I don't know how to fix it on here. :)

Company Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip

Phone Number

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in response to a 1^st grade teaching position as advertised as being open in your school at this time.  I am a highly capable and educated professional in the field of Early Childhood Education.  In addition to my teaching skills and teacher’s aide skills, I offer significant abilities and experience in implementing curriculum, attending to children’s needs, and putting the child’s needs first.  My ability to get along well with others, to make necessary adjustments to meet deadlines, and successfully work in fast-paced environments have all contributed to my growth in Early Childhood Education and have allowed my employers’ to place a significant degree of trust in me. 

My childcare skills, eye for detail, and general knowledge have all served to help make me a qualified employee.  My approach to my work goes beyond my job description, as I am always looking for ways to improve efficiency and methods of teaching.  I am skilled at working with children to resolve issues, implementing curriculum and any day-to-day tasks that will need to be done.  In addition, I am recognized for my ability to communicate with children, their parents, and management.

The accompanying resume serves to give you an idea not only of my past achievements but also of my potential for making a significant contribution to your school and the children and families I will work with.

I would like to thank you for your consideration for the teaching position. If you have any questions or concerns I can be reached at 123-123-1234. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

 Me