Teacher cover letter
A principal reads a teacher letter for grade, subject, and whether you have taught that assignment. Keep the philosophy to a sentence if you include it at all. The assignment match is the letter.
How to open
Name the grade and subject in the first sentence and the certificate you hold. If your experience is a neighboring grade, say that plainly.
One unit
Describe one unit or routine you ran that resembles what they need. A reading block and a lab period are different proof.
The school context
A large comprehensive high school and a small elementary school ask different things of a teacher. Use the closer example.
No student data you should not share
Do not include a student's name, a score, or a story that identifies a child. Describe the work, not the child.
An example paragraph
This is an example to adapt, not a letter from a real applicant. Use it only where every detail is true for you.
I am applying for the middle-school science opening. I am certified in this state for that assignment and I have taught life science, including a lab unit I planned myself.
What to skip
Skip a page-long philosophy, a claim about test scores, and any promise to raise achievement by a figure. Skip grades you have not taught.
Questions
- Do schools read cover letters?
- Many application systems require a letter or a set of questions that work like one. Answer the grade and subject either way.
- What if I am switching levels?
- Say the level you have taught and why the new assignment is one you are prepared for, without pretending the experience is the same.