P.O.

Box 537 Kalona, Iowa 52247 March 7, 2013

Dear Reader:

It is with great interest that I am applying to fill the secondary social studies vacancy in your school district. I am confident my passion-driven teaching, ability to coach and teach 7 different disciplines of Social Studies, emphasis on purposeful technology use, and experience with Response to Intervention and Professional Learning Communities will be an asset to your district.

Through my past experiences teaching 7th Grade Social Studies, I believe all students can progress and achieve excellence in the classroom. By engaging students and allowing them to own and construct their learning through rigorous, relevant work, they reach greater depths of knowledge while addressing the underlying concepts included in the Iowa Core. This progression towards tighter standards based instruction and assessments has helped create more transparent learning that reveals to both students and parents what has been mastered and what can be improved. To help prepare students for higher education, the workplace, and a lifetime of learning, I also place an emphasis on literacy instruction that meets the Common Core Reading and Writing Standards. I also strive to implement technology in order to enhance learning and turn it over to where it belongs, in the hands of students. Using technology effectively gives students an opportunity to direct their learning, collaborate with others from around the world, create for a broader audience, reflect on and track their learning, and practice the habits of lifelong learners.

Great teachers also help youth grow in ways that cannot be measured with a grade. My goal is for students to develop a backpack containing values, attitudes, and employability skills that prepare them for future challenges. Academic success is wonderful, but its also important that students master the Six Pillars of Character and other ideals like commitment, self-reflection, and tolerance. Id also like students to believe the that they can use their strengths to make a positive impact in their school, community, and world. With their backpack and confidence in hand, I believe they can become successful students and extraordinary human beings.

I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss in detail how my qualifications as a teacher and coach can meet the needs of your district. I can be reached by phone at 712-269-8778 or by email at alexander.abbe@yahoo.com. I also encourage you to visit https://sites.google.com/site/mrabbesclassroom/ for a glimpse into my classroom and

http://mrabbemakinghistory.weebly.com/ to view my digital portfolio. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Alexander Abbe