Jeffrey Salinger

May 22, 2013 To Whom It May Concern:

jwsalinger@gmail.com 52 Lincoln Rd. West, Plainview, NY 11803 (631) 942-9325 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am writing in reference to any full-time, part-time, or leave replacement ESL teacher positions available in your district. I am a recent graduate from the MA TESOL program at Stony Brook University and will receive my New York State Initial Certificate in ESOL on September 1, 2013. I believe the time I spent in the classroom as a university student as well as a teacher in such a diverse community makes me a viable candidate for this position. I graduated cum laude from Stony Brook University with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and a minor in Italian. I also completed my graduate coursework in Stony Brook Universitys MA TESOL program. Part of my graduate studies included over 100 hours of field observations at the primary and secondary level, 30 hours of observations at the university level, and 75 days of student teaching in grades 6-8. This experience has equipped me with the methodologies and classroom management techniques necessary to meet the needs of a diverse group of students. As many teachers will tell you, with experience comes excellence. However, I feel that Stony Brooks ESOL certification program has already given me many of the tools I will need to embark on a successful and fulfilling journey in the education field. My rigorous coursework in Romance languages as an undergraduate and my study of second language acquisition have provided me with a well-rounded foundation that will allow me to begin teaching with confidence. Moreover, growing up as a student in a diverse community, with a large ELL population, and later student teaching in that same environment, I am familiar with the cultural setting in which these students find themselves, as well as the relationship between this setting and the learning process. Together with my own experience as a second language learner and my time abroad adapting to a new culture and linguistic experience, I am able to relate to the obstacles students face in learning a new language and assimilating into a new culture. I believe this ability to connect to my students will help me to meet their individual needs, making lessons engaging and relevant to their personal lives, and ultimately assisting them with becoming autonomous learners. I would like to hear more about the current opening in your district and hope that you will contact me to discuss the position and my qualifications in greater detail. I thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

Jeffrey Salinger