To Whom It May Concern:
It’s easy to write a cover letter when all that is necessary is a professional narrative to accompany a resume; but, as I sit down to write this particular cover letter, I can’t help but want to share how I came to be the educator that I am today. In 2010 when I graduated from Aurora University with a B.A. in English Secondary Education, I prepared to embark upon my career as a teacher. At the time, I had preconceived notions about what it meant to teach and, even more so, what it meant to be an effective teacher. I thought that being an educator was doing a job, providing a service for students.
In my first year teaching, I, like all teachers, began to experience different obstacles such as: working in a union, encountering indifferent students, working in a localized bureaucracy, among other things. However, as the years went by, I learned that my perception was perverted: my cynical attitude going into my job allowed me to see a certain vantage point. In reality, a union is meant to protect teachers. Students weren’t indifferent but were disillusioned about the education system that they grew up in. My administration was not purposely bureaucratic but was trying to juggle what was thrown at them. Once I corrected my vision, I began to see my place and purpose in this world.
Over the last three years, my heart has been transformed as I see it as my mission to help each child to be given equal opportunity in education. Where those so-called obstacles may have easily deterred me, it was those experiences that truly metamorphosized my principles and purpose.
So why teaching at the community college level? It truly is the students whose needs we need to put before all others. I value that community colleges are teaching institutions that look to impact a variety of students through sound pedagogy and developed curriculum. The holistic approach to educational innovation includes all the important elements that affect students: great instructors, quality facilities, effective instructional programs, and community inclusion. In my experience, I worked consistently to better my teaching practice, like attending conferences with academic argumentation experts Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, while helping to introduce innovative curriculum for the entire department, such as developing an expressive-based academic writing program. Through this, I saw positive changes in myself, my department, and my students, namely students increased ability to venture into areas of English that they had not yet been familiar with.
As for now, I am working as a graduate teaching intern at Northern Illinois University and pursuing my M.A. in Linguistics. I plan to earn my E.D. in Educational Policy or Curriculum and Instruction. It may seem an odd course but my teaching experience and knowledge of language will give me a unique perspective in educational policy and curriculum building. I am a dedicated teacher who looks to impact the lives of my students both inside and outside of the classroom walls. On a separate page, you will find my resume/CV for your review. It is my sincere hope that we will meet face-to-face for an interview to discuss any questions you may have and a future for me as an Instructor/Professor at your Community College. Of Course, I can be reached at (630) 675-4151 or mkerby01@gmail.com to schedule an interview.
Thank you for your time and consideration, and best regards.
Mackenzie Kerby