Elizabeth

Walsh

August 11, 2015

To whom it may concern:

I am a creative thinker with a passion for learning! After I graduated from the
University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in political science,
an emphasis in international relations, and a minor in anthropology I moved to
Orange County and became a University Starts Now volunteer at KidWorks in
Santa Ana. Mentoring EL students in character development and literacy felt
incredibly purposeful and inspired me to attend the University of California, Irvine
where I have recently graduated with my SB2042 Preliminary Multiple Subject
Credential and English Language Authorization as well as my Master of Arts in
Teaching. Two student teaching placements provided me an intensive year of
professional development in Common Core State Standards, cooperative learning,
differentiated instruction, and technology integration in elementary classrooms.

I became skilled at time management and using a variety of instructional strategies

and scaffolds to make curriculum accessible to all students, including English
learners, in Kerri Bordelons first grade classroom at Newport Heights Elementary
in the Newport Mesa Unified School District. I especially benefitted from
observing and instructing differentiated literacy centers as part of a balanced
literacy program. Differentiated centers proved invaluable to student progress and
also facilitated my development of positive relationships with parent volunteers.

My enthusiasm for teaching continued to grow in Katelyn Danahys fifth grade

classroom at Davis Magnet School, also in the Newport Mesa Unified School
District, as I became immersed in the facilitation of cooperative hands-on learning
tasks such as BizWorld and a Garden Design Contest. Also, during this placement,
I took initiative to regularly incorporate technology into the curriculum through
one-to-one Chromebooks and a small set of iPads.

819 West 15th Street

4C
Newport Beach, CA 92663

(805)232-6731
e.walsh.06@gmail.com
mselizabethwalsh.weebly.com

I am invested in cultivating curiosity and inquisitiveness in young learners by

building a supportive classroom culture in which student ideas are valued, standards
based curriculum is accessible to all students, and instruction is adjusted based on
formal and informal assessments to meet the individual needs of learners. I would
appreciate an opportunity to interview and speak more about why I am a strong
candidate for a teaching position at your school. Please feel free to visit my digital
portfolio to find out more and I thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Walsh