Sample cover letter for Full Time position at Classroom Matters

Dear Hiring Manager of Classroom Matters,

I would like to express my interest to be a part of the Classroom Matters team. Reading through CM’s philosophy, I have found that it closely aligns to my own. Tutoring a student isn’t simply “addressing content area,” or any one individual aspect but a sum of the whole. This means addressing “executive functioning, learning differences, as well as motivation” I hope that my current skills and past experiences will help achieve CM’s mission.

My tutoring experience spans a period of about half a year and includes a variety of subjects. I have tutored students in Spanish, Earth Science, Physics, and math up to calculus. Most of my students have been of high school or middle school age.

As a firm believer in Vygotsky's educational approach, I push students to their potential by teaching through example. This style of teaching has led to measurable improvements in my students’ grades and clientele satisfaction (parents). Ultimately, my approach is results-oriented; I give students the tools to solve a type of problem and then drill them with continuous practice.

My approach to helping students is also versatile. As a result, I have never been afraid to redesign my approach. I customize solutions according to the student’s needs. For example, one of my students was struggling with pre-calculus material. I would lead my tutoring sessions showing him the variations to different types of problems and how to solve them. Then, I would have him demonstrate his understanding in front of me by doing more problems. Later, I assigned homework problems to be checked at the next tutoring session. The accuracy of the responses to the problems would help me gauge how well the material settled. Based upon these metrics, I believed that he had a firm grip on the material.

However, his quiz score told me differently. It turned out that my student was suffering from tester’s anxiety and couldn’t perform at the same level as when doing practice problems. In order to help him overcome this barrier to his performance, I would simulate test taking conditions. I would have him take personally-constructed timed tests under parent supervision as well as timed quizzes in front of me during our sessions. Not only did the simulated conditions help him improve his ability to perform under pressure, but the extra practice from the quizzes/tests helped reinforce concepts and clear any misunderstandings.

I am passionate about helping students improve their confidence and test-taking skills. I still remember the excitement when my pre-calculus tutee received his first “A” on a quiz! I am confident that my passion and experience are qualities you look for at CM. Thank you for your time and consideration.