Brittany Meland 129 Larch Rd Amherst, NY 14226 June 25, 2013 To whom it may concern, I am writing with a very

strong interest in pursuing a teaching career in your District. With experience working in the general, inclusive, and special education classrooms, I have gained the skills necessary to enhance student understanding in any setting. There are many things I have to offer your school because of my experience teaching children with varying ability levels and learning styles. Currently, I am employed as a Teacher Assistant working with a severely disabled population, most of who are physically limited and non-verbal. During my first student teaching placement, I worked in a co-teaching setting with a diverse 4th grade inclusion classroom. This experience allowed me to collaborate with other teachers to ensure success with all forty students, while still able to accommodate all students with disabilities. My second student teaching placement was with a 1st and 2nd grade classroom of eight students with mild to moderate disabilities. I learned how to implement Individual Behavior Plans as well as Applied Behavior Analysis to provide students with maximum success during the school day. Use of the SMART Board took place daily, and many of my lessons were modified to use this technology. I also created a variety of lesson plans to accommodate individual goals and each student's IEP. During my undergraduate studies, I have completed other teaching practicums as well as volunteer opportunities which took place in a variety of settings. Diverse environments are very familiar to me, and I will do everything possible to accommodate all learning styles and diversities in your school. Throughout my experience I have become familiar with many styles of teaching, created and implemented IEP goals, and made many modifications to lessons and assignments to enhance student understanding. I believe in providing regular positive reinforcement to help build a student's confidence level, and have knowledge and practice of effectively managing a classroom. I am a team player and will work with others to provide the best learning environment possible. I am eager to speak with you, and look forward to scheduling an interview to further discuss my qualifications.

Sincerely,

Brittany Meland