Courtney Burr

th

592 N 40 Road Dunbar, Nebraska 68346

(402)-297-0071
cmburr4990@gmail.com
February 17, 2016
Jim Kent
Dundy County Stratton Schools
400 9th Ave West
Benkelman, NE 69021
Dear Mr. Jim Kent:
I am writing in regards to the opening at Dundy County Stratton Schools for a Social Studies
teacher. Through my education, work, and life experiences, I will be a valuable asset to both the
school and the community.
Based on the student handbooks statement of goals, I have the necessary strengths to help
students thrive in a culturally diverse environment and grow to become safe and responsible
citizens. Through my education abroad in China and the diversity between school districts, I
have gained the necessary tools to be understanding of different cultures, backgrounds and the
ability to create a safe environment for all to learn in. I accomplish this through setting rules and
procedures with student input. By involving students in the creation of the guidelines, they are
given ownership of the classroom and are more likely to respect the rules they created.
Similarly, ensuring students grow to be responsible citizens is important to both the community,
the state, and the nation. Through various lessons, students will learn valuable content including
knowledge about the state and national government functions, events in history which have
impacted them, and how it can be changed through citizen involvement. I excel in this area by
using current event discussions and debates of recent issues. This allows students to determine
their own opinions and converse with their peers in a structured manner.
Additionally, my ability to engage everyone in classroom instruction provides the opportunity for
students be successful. I achieve complete classroom engagement by using a variety of teaching
methods which keeps interest on the content and provides options to learn the information in
different ways. Students are more engaged in the variety of lessons presentations which helps
them retain more of the information presented. In previous classes this has included web-quests,
Socratic seminars, class speakers, and class led instruction.
Based on the strengths described and my variety of life experiences, I will be a valuable asset to
the Dundy County Stratton Schools and community with my ability to create innovative lesson
plans, study abroad experience, and the goal to create a safe and understanding classroom
environment. I look forward to discussing how I can help Dundy County Stratton Schools
develop the schools mission statement, to inspire students to academic excellence and diverse
extracurricular activities.
Sincerely,

Courtney Burr