Jack O’Connor Mosel

17 Beverly Rd. Carmel, NY 10512

(914) 260-5678

moseljack@yahoo.com

NYS Certified 7th-12th/ Secondary Level Earth Science Teacher

Cover Letter

My Teaching Rationale:

I am an adult career changer. I became interested in becoming an educator about 8 years ago. I believe I
have been fully vested in credentialing myself as a unique and highly qualified NYS Certified, Secondary
7-12 Earth Science and Environmental Science educator.

I am energetic, enthusiastic and am environmentally active in our local communities. I have a small
business in which I restore water bodies through all natural means, using dissolved oxygen, food grade
naturally occurring enzymes and non-pathogenic (aerobic) bacteria. This is a seasonal business where I
practice and employ, as well as model environmental and ecological business as well as career
stewardship within our local community, in the unique role of educator as well as in practice. I integrate
this knowledge and practice involving the hands on activities that pertain to these ecologically
restorative endeavors within my Earth Science classroom as it is directly applicable to NYS Earth and
Living Environment Science Core Content and Curriculum.

As an educator, I embrace the practical integrated use of emergent and media rich technology into my
pedagogy. I teach in virtual reality utilizing the virtual world of Second Life www.secondlife.com . This is
at the leading edge of recent educational practices to incorporate 21 st Century Educational usage of
technology pedagogy in the classroom. I have presented these skills and advocated the beneficial use of
this technology for the past two consecutive years while employed as a teacher at Mahopac High
School, Mahopac School District, Mahopac, NY.

As an educator at Mahopac High School, I have very good references to offer from building
Administrators as well as from fellow colleagues. I am an effective educator. My student’s formal
assessment at the NYS Regents level and Honors level classes were above average.
My Graduate studies, Master’s Degree Program from SUNY Empire State College, Hartsdale, NY Campus
has afforded me a rigorous and beneficial degree of practical pedagogical and hands on experience. I am
well prepared for the changes that are forthcoming in educational best practices management.

I am trained and qualified in formal as well as alternative assessment methods. I embrace a student
centered as well as inquiry based approach as an educator. I employ diversified classroom management
techniques and apply real world and practical experiences to my classroom. Many of my students have
told me that I have a good understanding of their perspective and teach content effectively and
maintain their captive interest.

As an educator, I am fair. I genuinely care that the material we cover is presented in such a way that it
has interest and is transferable for use in the real world. I acknowledge openly to my students that Earth
and Environmental Science or the pursuit of General Science as a means for career choice may not be
what they have in mind for a career selection.

Science has a connotation for being meticulous and even dull to some students. In the study of Earth
Science, we explore vastly everything related to our physical environment and well outside of our planet
and our solar system. This is a big undertaking for young minds to embrace. There is much to learn. I
relate being an overall informed and educated adult, having the ability to be at minimum, well versed in
general concepts and knowledge of Earth Science as being a great asset for later on in their educational,
professional and social lives.

I value being personable and genuinely interested in my students opinions and beliefs as well as their
desires as this pertains to their education. The Secondary and early Post-Secondary years in education is
where a young person becomes who they will be (largely) in their lives. If I can make science interesting
and practical as well as informative to young minds, I believe I have accomplished what I set out to
achieve.