Dear Im so excited to have the pleasure to be interning with your class this semester.

I am currently a student are Rider University and am going into my second semester of junior year. I am a double major in Elementary Education and Psychology with a minor in Special Education. Teaching has been a passion of mine since I was a young girl and Im so excited to create a new experience working with you and your class this semester. During high school once a week I would each lunch with a girl who has a form of autism. Every time she saw me she would smile and wait for me to say hi. It was very rewarding knowing how I made such a huge impact in her life during my years at the high school. We worked on some of her weaknesses such as eye contact; she always looked down when talking to someone. Working with Kayla was one of my several reasons why I want to become an elementary/special education teacher. I also volunteered once a week to swim with children and adults with disabilities. This experience provided me with new knowledge and understanding when working with children. These children became a huge part of my life and could turn any bad day into a better day for me. It was a great experience working with them and learning more about each of them individually. My senior year of high school I got accepted into a program in my school called Child Care. In this class we worked with three, four, and five year old children. We had different themes each week, for which we made lesson plans and put together

activities. This class reassured me that teaching was really for me. I also received student of the year for the class because of my dedication and outstanding performance when working with the kids. I have had many other positive experiences, which relate to the education field. During my sophomore year at Rider University I was a peer mentor for the freshman students. Having this position taught me the importance of confidentiality and how to gain trust from others, which I feel are important qualities for teachers to have. During the same year I had the opportunity to observe a second grade class at Stony Brook Elementary School. I not only worked with each student individually but I was able to work with the class a whole by giving spelling tests, reading a story out-loud, and grading papers. My most recent experience was last semester at West Windsor-Plainsboro North High School, working with special education students in the larks program. I was able to work with each of the student individually and help them with in-class assignments. I also taught two lessons in which I had to differentiate for each of the students. I have had the most positive and encouraging experiences throughout my educational journey. Thank you very much for allowing me to work with you this semester. I look forward to meeting you and working with the class. Sincerely, Sarah Jacobs