better cover letter

[Zoe Girl]

I realize that as I am sending a lot of resumes and cover letters that I need to spell things out. Such as how my work in out of school time programming translates to a teaching job. Also how my training in mediation relates to behavior systems of restorative justice. All that and keep it short of course!

My job coach is not available right now, and we are transitioning out of that relationship. Does anyone in education have any tips? My basic block is that I still have an initial license after all these years, I spent 5 years subbing and one teaching job where I didn't complete the program to move to a professional license.

[Chicken lady]

I’m not really sure that limited license is a drawback - aren’t teaching jobs in public school pay-tied to credentials? So all your experience at a bargain rate!

(i’ve been teaching without a license for ten consecutive years now, and my dh is incapable of understanding that I would be a “provisional” on the pay scale just like my 26 y.o. first full time job son in law.)

[Zoe Girl]

I am not sure about the pay scale, I have a masters and so they have to pay me that rate.
I am looking up all the credentials I have not documented before, the trainer for our quality improvement program (nationally based), the mindful schools certification, the mediator's training. Why the heck don't I have this more organized! Okay on my flash drive I just found my master documents of work history going back to high school so I am somewhat organized, however I have a LOT of things I have done apparently.

[dado potato]

I might suggest networking and intelligence gathering to discern what programming and perhaps what teaching competencies a specific school is looking for. Based on knowledge of what the school is looking for, you might alter the sequence of statements in your cover letter, such that you talk about their first priority need in your first paragraph, and their second priority need in your last paragraph.

I will link to an article on cover letters for teaching job applicants. Wishing you success.

http://www.thebalance.com/cover-letter-sample-for-teaching-job-2060203

[mschrisgo2]

One of the things I did was point out that I had teaching experiences spanning many programs, and could easily move among them.

At least in California, we are always recreating the wheel: new reading program, new math program, is it social-emotional learning or is it restorative justice this year?
I purpose with that was to highlight my flexibility, I did not want people to think I could only teach one "program"

[Zoe Girl]

great suggestions, I am very flexible. I may make a sheet for my own reference about what programs I have used, including after school SEL. I have done weekly SEL for 5 years in my programs and in my summer camp last year it was daily mindfulness (yeah we started that after the first week of camp!)