February 13, 2015

Ms. Jean Shaw

Senior Manager, Elementary Teaching/Recruitment Office
Toronto District School Board
5050 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M2N 5N8
Dear Ms. Shaw:
Please accept the enclosed application to teach in the Junior/Intermediate division at the Toronto
District School Board. I am graduating this year with a Master of Teaching Degree from University of
Toronto and will be completing an Additional Qualification course in English as Second Language (ESL)
and Special Education (Part 1) and Math in the upcoming summer. I am certain that the combination of
my solid knowledge of student learning; strong academic qualifications; wealth of practical teaching
experience, both locally and internationally; my abilities and passion as an educator; and, commitment
to both lifelong learning and the success of each and every student from diverse backgrounds will allow
me to make a positive contribution to the educational experiences of students at your school district.
I share in TDSBs mission of doing the best to enable all students to reach their potential and attain high
levels of achievement, while equipping students with the knowledge, skills and values needed to
become responsible global citizens. My teaching goal is to prepare students academically and socially for
their futures as productive members of a democratic society, which I believe, in large part, entails
learning to accept and value differences among learners as well as within and among communities.
During my four TDSB practicum placements and working at a Canadian international school in Korea, I
worked with students from diverse backgrounds with a range of different learning styles and needs. I
differentiated instruction and assessment tailored to students interests and needs and built positive
relationships with all students, as well as staff and parents, in order to support their holistic learning.
I believe that each student has unique abilities, interests, and experiences which they can use to
contribute to the learning community. It is the teachers job to nurture and encourage those abilities to
ensure the academic and personal success for every student by creating a safe, respectful and positive
learning environment. Equally important for student learning, I believe, is student engagement. I try my
best to understand the learners and make my lessons intellectually stimulating, culturally relevant and
engaging for all students by incorporating an inquiry-based approach, where students can explore their
own ideas and take a role in constructing their own knowledge. In my lessons, I use cooperative learning
strategies and real-life connections that spark students curiosity. When teaching a grade 7 integers unit,
for example, I had students successfully work in groups to figure out the +/- score of countries that
participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup to determine the teams that made it to the Round of 16.
I strive to be an exceptional teacher and leader, who is innovative, equitable, accessible, collaborative,
and committed to modelling and fostering lifelong learning and mutual respect. I look forward to
elaborating on my teaching skills and experiences and to contributing to enhance the quality of student
learning at TDSB. Thank you for considering my application. Please contact me at 647-890-0579.
Sincerely,
Essa Chang