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April 14, 2014 Dear Members of the Hiring Committee, I am writing to express my interest in working as a secondary chemistry teacher

at xxx. I have a passion for working with diverse student populations, their families and their communities. My core belief is that every student can learn. This philosophy helps me to continuously strive to employ a variety of interactive learning strategies in alignment with the Common Core State Standards so that all students will access the chemistry content. I am a person who enjoys connecting with students in ways that allows them to become life-long learners. I will also be receiving my secondary teaching license with chemistry and ESL endorsements from the University of Utah in May 2014. My academic background also includes a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Utah. I will complete my Masters of Education (M.Ed.) in August 2014. While at the University, among the specialized coursework I have completed, are classes in special education, building effective family school partnerships, classroom management techniques, and adolescent development. These courses have helped me to develop differentiated instruction that engages and assesses students with a wide range of abilities. I have also completed dedicated course work designed to integrate technology into daily teaching. This course, and my subsequent teaching experiences have informed an approach to teaching that is rich in technology integration in ways that are meaningful for student learning. In addition to my academic preparation, I completed my student teaching at Salt lake Center for Science Education (SLCSE), a school rich in ability, language, and culture. Because SLCSE does not track students into honors, regular, or special education classes, I had the opportunity to teach a range of students in my chemistry classroom. An environment that included a continuum of learners provided me the opportunity to create a classroom where a wide range of learners work together and learn from each other. As a student teacher, an inclusive environment pushed me to craft differentiated lesson plans that engaged and assessed a wide range of learners. It also challenged me to develop innovative ways of breaking down complicated chemistry concepts into simpler pieces that gave students access to these concepts. I continuously employed student-centered, inquiry based activities that provided multiple opportunities for my students to gain a deeper understanding of chemistry concepts. Teaching in inclusive chemistry classes also gave me the opportunity to collaborate with multiple teachers including, my cooperating teacher, special education teacher, and reading resource teacher in order to better support all my students learning. In addition to staff at the school, I also collaborated with a scientist from the University of Utah to create an authentic performance assessment that gave all my students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways. In addition to student teaching, I have worked as a mentor and a tutor in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program at East High School. As an AVID mentor and tutor, I assisted students in utilizing strategies and skills that would help them be

successful in school. I also volunteered at an afterschool ELL tutoring program at East High School. This experience gave me the opportunity to provide literacy support to ELLs. My academic preparation, teaching experiences, my work with youth, and my own experiences as a refugee contribute to the assets I would bring to a school community. I am fluent in four languages (i.e., English, Somali, Urdu, and Hindi) and believe these skills, along with my academic credentials, my experience working with diverse student populations, and my personal experience make me highly qualified for a chemistry teaching position. I look forward to an opportunity to meet with you to discuss employment opportunities with xxxx. I can be reached at 801-867-5275, or by email at aisha.hassan801@gmail.com.Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, Aisha Hassan (801)867-5275 aisha.hassan801@gmail.com

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