Chelsea M.

Duff
042 279 4468 duff1cm@gmail.com
30 Hewitt Place Minto, NSW 2566
Dear Principal,
I am applying for a casual teaching position. After four years of coursework at Alma College in the United
States, I graduated with a degree in elementary education in May of 2013. Upon graduation, I received the
Barlow Trophy, denoting that I had earned a 4.0 Grade Point Average, meaning I achieved 93% or above in all
subjects and the highest GPA achievable in America, and was therefore ranked first in my graduating class
across all departments. Beyond academic achievements, some consideration for the Barlow Trophy awardee
was active community involvement. I have also completed a year of teaching English as a Foreign Language
through the Fulbright Scholarship, one of the most prestigious scholarships in the United States, in South Korea.
I went on to cover a four month maternity leave position in a year one classroom in the United States, and have
been working as a casual teacher in local public schools since Term 2. I recently had the privilege of working as
a temporary RFF teacher for the entirety of Term 3, which gave me valuable experience working with years K-6
and programming using the NSW Syllabus.
I believe that elementary education should focus on the development of the whole child. I have worked in K-6
classrooms. As a long-term substitute teacher in a year one classroom, I initiated a new reading curriculum, kept
accurate and detailed records of each students academic work and social behavior, and was actively involved in
Individualized Education Plans for students with special needs. As a temporary RFF teacher, I worked closely
with classroom teachers to create and implement programs and assess student learning for a wide variety of
subjects in years K-6. I participated and volunteered when needed in school and staff events. Most importantly,
I learned to be extremely flexible and keep a repertoire of adaptable back-up lessons and activities as my
schedule changed often.
In addition to my practicums in the United States, I have had the privilege of working with students from many
diverse cultures. I am currently a Fulbright Korea Scholar and work as an Elementary English Teaching
Assistant to teach English as a Second Language to third, fifth, and sixth grade students. I collaborate with my
Korean co-teacher to bring together the memorization based teaching methods of the Korean textbook with
hands-on games and activities from Westernized culture. Together, we are able to create engaging lessons that
encourage students to practice English and show students the relevance of English in their daily lives. In May of
2011, I traveled to Peru and spent a week in an impoverished Peruvian kindergarten classroom teaching English
as a second language. In the June of 2011, I traveled to Lviv, Ukraine and provided childcare and English
lessons to a family orphanage with ten children from age five to thirteen. My experiences abroad have helped
me learn how to communicate with different cultures, be adaptable and flexible, and become a more patient
educator.
My CV is attached. I hope you will consider me as a candidate for a personal interview. I look forward to
gaining more experience in an Australian classroom and the opportunity to learn more about an educational
system that ranks highly against other countries. Feel free to contact me at any time. My e-mail address is
chelsea.duff2@det.nsw.edu.au and my mobile number is 042 279 4468. I look forward to talking with you.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Chelsea M. Duff